The Governing Board of Â鶹ÊÓƵ announced today that Lord Browne of Madingley has been appointed its Chairman. Lord Browne will take up the post on the 1st September 2017 and succeeds James Hughes-Hallett CMG, who will step down after completing his full term.
Lord Browne is a passionate supporter of the arts and has held senior positions in a number of major cultural organisations. He has been a Trustee of the British Museum (1995-2005), steps down as Chairman of the Trustees of Tate this summer, where he has been a Trustee since 2007, and has been Chairman of the Board of the Donmar Warehouse since 2015. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is Chairman of the International Advisory Board of the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, and has been awarded honorary doctorates from 19 universities. He is an Honorary Fellow of St John’s College Cambridge.
Lord Browne is currently Executive Chairman of L1 Energy, Chairman of Huawei UK and was Group Chief Executive of BP between 1995 and 2007.Ìý He was formerly a Partner at Riverstone (a private equity firm) and has held non-executive directorships at Redland plc, SmithKline Beecham plc, DaimlerChrysler AG, Intel Inc. and Goldman Sachs Inc. He was Chairman of the Apax Advisory Board from 2006 to 2007, and is Chairman or member of a variety of other boards. In 1998, he was knighted for services to industry and was made a life peer in 2001. He is the author of four books.
Lord Browne said: “The Â鶹ÊÓƵ embodies two of my greatest passions: the arts and education. It is the art world’s preeminent educational institution, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to serve it. I look forward to working with the Board, Professor Swallow and her team to guide The Â鶹ÊÓƵ through its biggest transformation in almost two decades.â€
Welcoming the announcement, Professor Deborah Swallow, the Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s Director, said:Ìý “I am delighted that Lord Browne will be joining us as Chair of the Governing Board at a particularly exciting time for The Â鶹ÊÓƵ. His passion and commitment to the arts coupled with his vast business experience and understanding of the Higher Education arena make him an excellent choice as we embark on Â鶹ÊÓƵ Connects, the biggest programme of development since The Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s move to Somerset House in 1989. I look forward to working with him and the rest of the Board in delivering our ambitious plans over the next five years.
“I would also like to thank James Hughes-Hallett most warmly for his valuable contribution to The Â鶹ÊÓƵ as its Chair. During his tenure, he has wisely guided us through the critical work which has resulted in Â鶹ÊÓƵ Connects, while ensuring the steady development of our teaching and research, gallery and public programmes.â€