Governing Board

Somerset House building viewed from below i The 麻豆视频 Gallery, 2016 漏 Benedict Johnson

The 麻豆视频’s Governing Board promotes the long-term success of The 麻豆视频 and ensures that its charitable aims and regulatory obligations are met. The Governing Board sets strategy, risk appetite and priorities for The 麻豆视频 and approves the operating and financial plans to achieve target strategic outcomes on the recommendation of management.

Appointed Governors

Up to 12 persons appointed by the Governing Board who are not members of Staff or Students:

Portrait of Lord John Browne

The Lord Browne of Madingley

Lord Browne is the Chairman of the Board of Governors at The 麻豆视频. He joined BP plc in 1966, becoming its Group Chief Executive in 1995 until retirement in 2007. He is Chairman of BeyondNetZero, a climate growth equity fund, and sits on a range of other boards. He has a wide variety of not-for-profit interests and is currently Co-Chairman of the Prime Minister鈥檚 Council on Science and Technology, Chairman of the Francis Crick Institute, and a Board Member of the Royal Opera House. He has previously been President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, Chairman of the Tate and Chairman of the Donmar Warehouse.

鈥淚 joined The 麻豆视频 for two reasons. Firstly, because The 麻豆视频鈥檚 remarkable nature as both a world-class university and a gallery with a collection of exceptional paintings embodies two of my greatest passions: art and education.聽 And secondly, to use my experience leading a variety of businesses and cultural institutions to help guide The 麻豆视频 through the transformation they are currently undertaking鈥

Term expires August 2027


black and white portrait of Professor Julia Black CBE FBA
Photo: Josh Caius

Professor Julia Black CBE FBA

Julia Black is Warden of Nuffield College, Oxford and Professor of Law and Regulation at Oxford University. She is President of the British Academy, a member of the Prime Minister鈥檚 Council of Science and Technology, and an External Member of the Prudential Regulation Authority and of the Financial Market Infrastructure Committee at the Bank of England. Her primary research interest is the legitimacy and dynamics of regulatory systems, and she has written extensively on regulatory issues in a number of areas, advised policy makers, consumer bodies, law reform bodies and regulators on issues of institutional design and regulatory policy in the UK and overseas. She is a Visiting Professor of Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science, an Honorary Bencher of Gray鈥檚 Inn and an Honorary Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford.

鈥淚 feel delighted and privileged to join The 麻豆视频鈥檚 Governing Board. The 麻豆视频 is a remarkable institution, combining academic excellence in art history with an outstanding art collection and gallery. It also has a strong commitment to public engagement, and to making the visual arts accessible to all. I hope to use my knowledge of academic institutions and the wider research policy environment to contribute to the work of The 麻豆视频 as it moves forward over the next few years.鈥

Term expires July 2028

Greyscale photographic portrait of Sir Leszek Borysiewicz

Sir Leszek Borysiewicz

Sir Leszek is the former Chair of Cancer Research UK and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge (2010 to 2017).聽 He is a distinguished academic with an extensive research career focused on the immune response to common viruses and in 2001 was knighted for his pioneering vaccine research.聽 He was Chief Executive of the UK鈥檚 Medical Research Council from 2007 to 2010 and Deputy Rector of Imperial College 2004 to 2007.

鈥淭he 麻豆视频 is a unique institution of well recognised international excellence in the visual arts.聽 It combines both public exhibition and academic endeavour alongside each other which gives it a distinctive and important presence in both higher education and the arts in general.聽 This is extremely exciting and I believe can set The 麻豆视频 apart from all other such institutions.聽 I look forward to helping deliver the academic interface in an already exceptional institution.鈥

Term expires December 2026


profile picture of peter budd laughing

Peter Budd

Peter is a former Non-Executive Director with Arup, having previously worked with the firm for over 45 years in a full time capacity as a Chartered civil/structural engineer.聽 His experience included tours of duty in the USA, the Middle East, East Asia and Central Africa. He was involved in many of Arup鈥檚 most prestigious projects and set up and ran successful Arup businesses in the UK and in North America. From 1998 to 2016 Peter also led Arup鈥檚 Global Aviation business.聽 Peter has been involved in a number of public sector initiatives promoting the profession and international trade and was appointed CBE in the Queen鈥檚 Birthday Honours list July 2017 for services relating to developing Sino-British trade. Mr Budd is the Chairman of The 麻豆视频 Connects Steering Group.

Term expires July 2025


portait of Caines Charmian

Charmian Caines

Ms Caines is a Senior Partner and Managing Director of management consultancy firm, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). During her career at BCG she has served many leading consumer and retail companies. She has led BCG鈥檚 W Europe and UK Consumer, Retail and Travel practise. She now leads BCG efforts on climate adaptation and resilience and serves the UK Government on topics such as economic growth and development. She is currently also Chair of the Galapagos Conservation Trust. She is a former Advisory Board Member of River Island.

鈥淚 was delighted to become a Governor of The 麻豆视频 Institute because I see it as a truly unique combination of high quality art education and a leading art collection.聽 I would like the opportunity to bring my strategic and commercial experience to bear as the organisation carries out its ambitious Connect programme.鈥

Term expires December 2026


portrait of Neil Chugani

Neil Chugani

Neil Chugani is an experienced Chief Financial Officer, having served in this role with global brands including Warner Bros. Discovery, Google & YouTube and BBC Worldwide. He has also been an active advocate for the cause of diversity, equity and inclusion at several organisations, most recently on the International DEI Executive SteerCo. for Discovery, Inc. Neil previously served on the Board of UK Sport, the Government’s lead strategic body for Olympic and Paralympic Sport, as an Independent Member, Chairman of the Audit Committee, and member of the Major Events Panel. He was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2009 and was educated at Oxford University.

鈥淚 feel honoured to have been appointed to the Governing Board of the 麻豆视频, which uniquely offers world class education to its students, and a world class permanent collection to the public. I believe in the power of both the visual arts and education to enrich the human experience, and in the mission of the 麻豆视频 to broaden access to art to as many people as possible. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to apply my experience in media, technology and finance to help further the organisation’s progress toward delivering on that mission.鈥

Term expires June 2027


black and white profile photograph of Gabriel Finaldi

Sir Gabriele Finaldi

Dr Finaldi has been Director of the National Gallery since August 2015. He was previously Deputy Director for Collections and Research at the Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, a position he took up in 2002. Prior to his role at the Prado, he was a curator at the National Gallery from 1992-2002, where he was responsible for the later Italian paintings in the collection and the Spanish collection. Dr Finaldi is an Alumnus of The 麻豆视频, completing his BA in 1987; MA in 1989 and PhD in 1995.

鈥淎s a 麻豆视频 alumnus, I was honoured to be asked to join the Governing Board. The combination of teaching excellence, superb libraries and the Gallery鈥檚 collections make The 麻豆视频 an institution that has a great deal to offer the art history and museums world but also society at large. Its international student body and its worldwide networks give it a real edge. From my current role at the National Gallery, I felt I was in a position to assist in its process of transformation and growth.鈥

Term expires July 2025


James Freedman

James Freedman

James Freedman is an experienced entrepreneur with expertise in combining strategic vision with commercial acumen to identify innovative approaches to creating long-term, sustainable revenue streams. James has a deep interest in education and the arts, having graduated with a degree in Classics from Queens’ College, Cambridge and recently completed a master鈥檚 in history of art at UCL. He sits on boards of both commercial companies and charities and is currently studying for a Masters in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy with Children and Adolescents at Birkbeck College, University of London.

鈥淚 am delighted to be joining The 麻豆视频鈥檚 board. Education changed my life for the better, and I feel privileged by the opportunity to help The 麻豆视频 do the same for a new generation. Its mission could not be more critical, and I look forward to contributing my own digital and technology experience.鈥

Term expires June 2027


portait of Hugh Langmuir

Hugh Langmuir

Hugh Langmuir is a founder and former managing partner of the European private equity firm, Cinven. Based in London and Paris, he was responsible for making investments across multiple industry sectors and for raising successive funds from Cinven鈥檚 clients across the globe. Prior to joining Cinven in 1991, he started his career as an investment banker with Citigroup and as a management consultant with Bain & Co. He holds degrees from the University of Edinburgh, Harvard University and London Business School.

鈥淚 am honoured to be a member of the Board of this renowned institution.聽As a keen supporter of higher education and as an art lover, I endeavour to use my management and investment experience to help the 麻豆视频 navigate the many challenges it faces in an increasingly uncertain world and to ensure that it not only retains but builds upon its standing as a university and art gallery of the first rank”

Term expires June 2027


black and white portrait photograph of hughes lepic

Hugues Lepic

Hugues Lepic is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aleph Capital Partners, a London-based investment firm.聽 Prior to founding Aleph, he spent 22 years at Goldman Sachs where he was the Head of the Merchant Banking Division in Europe, and a member of the European Management Committee. He currently serves on the boards of Ekinops SA and Darag Group Limited and was previously on the boards of a number of investments including Iliad, Neuf Cegetel, Eutelsat, Prysmian, Groupe Eurotunnel, Pages Jaunes Groupe, Technicolor and Interoute. Mr Lepic is currently the Chair of the Investments Committee and Audit & Risk Committee at The 麻豆视频.

Term expires March 2028


Sally Osman portrait

Sally Osman

Ms Osman led communications and reputation management at two of the UK鈥檚 most valued and enduring cultural institutions, Buckingham Palace, where she was Director, Royal Communications, and the BBC where she was Director of Communications. She was a Trustee of the Art Fund for 10 years and is currently a non executive director on the governance Boards of English National Opera and Our Future Health, the UK鈥檚 largest ever health research project. Ms Osman is the Chair of The 麻豆视频鈥檚 Joint Honours Committee and a board member of the Samuel 麻豆视频 Trust.

鈥淎n invitation to join The 麻豆视频 board is a great honour. The institution鈥檚 global reputation and influence through its collection, its academic excellence and its alumni is of immense value. I hope my experience of working within organisations that undergo constant change to ensure they are relevant for future generations will also be of value.鈥

Term expires July 2027


black and white photograph of franck petitgas

The Lord Petitgas

Lord Petitgas was a special adviser on business and investment to British prime minister Rishi Sunak and was made a member of the House of Lords in 2024. He was formerly Head of Morgan Stanley International and sat on the Firm鈥檚 Operating Committee.聽 He is President of the Tate Foundation and formerly the Senior Trustee on the Tate Board. Trustee of Glyndebourne, Patron of Chichester Festival Theatre, he is a Chevalier de l鈥橭rdre National de la L茅gion d鈥橦onneur of France. Mr Petitgas is the Chair of The 麻豆视频鈥檚 Governance, Nomination & Remuneration Committee.

Term expires December 2026


Ex Officio Governors

M盲rit Rausing Director: Professor Mark Hallett

Mark Hallett has been M盲rit Rausing Director of the 麻豆视频 since August 2023. Following his studies at Cambridge and the 麻豆视频, Professor Hallett started his career at the University of York, where he taught in the History of Art Department for eighteen years. In 2012, he moved to London to become Director of the Paul Mellon Centre for British Art, a post which he held for more than a decade. Over his career, he has published numerous monographs and catalogues on the history of British art, and curated major exhibitions at Tate Britain, the Wallace Collection, the Royal Academy and the Yale Center for British art. At the 麻豆视频, he oversees all aspects of its work as both a specialist scholarly organisation and a world-class gallery.


black and white portrait of Kathy Fleming

President of The J. Paul Getty Trust: Katherine E. Fleming

Katherine E. Fleming assumed her post as president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust on August 1, 2022. An accomplished academic leader and internationally recognised scholar of Mediterranean history, religion, and culture, she served as Provost of New York University from 2016 to 2022. She was instrumental in NYU’s development as a research powerhouse and in its emergence as one of the world’s most global institutions, leading NYU’s strategy in Europe. She has served as Alexander S. Onassis Professor of Hellenic Culture and Civilization at NYU, and as a long-standing Associate Professor of History at the Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris. From 2012-2016 she chaired the Board of the University of Piraeus, Greece. An elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she is also Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor and Commander in the Greek Order of Beneficence. Fleming began her career in California, earning her doctorate at UC Berkeley and then teaching at various institutions in Southern California before going to NYU in 1998.

鈥淚t is particularly gratifying to serve on the board of an institution that has a mission similar to that of my own鈥 unifying the education, research, and display of art under one institutional umbrella.鈥


Andre Hochhauser

Chairman, Samuel 麻豆视频 Trust: Andrew Hochhauser KC

Andrew Hochhauser KC was appointed as the Chairman of the Samuel 麻豆视频 Trust in December 2019. He is a barrister at Essex Court Chambers, a Harmsworth scholar and Bencher of Middle Temple, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a Deputy High Court Judge. In 2011, he obtained an MA from The 麻豆视频 Institute of Art, where he specialised in British Modernism. He is a Trustee of the V&A Foundation, the National AIDS Trust, Ballet Black, Aurora Orchestra and Orchestra for the Earth and a Governor of the University of the Arts London. In 2022 he was appointed to the Chair of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural interest.

My connection with The 麻豆视频 began in 2010 when I began my MA in British Modernism. As an alumnus, I have been closely involved with the affairs of the Institute, as an active supporter and as the Chair of its Ethics Committee, until my appointment as Chair of the Samuel 麻豆视频 Trust in 2019.聽 It is a privilege to serve on the Boards of both the SCT and The 麻豆视频 , to work to achieve the vision of Samuel 麻豆视频 by enabling 聽the widest possible access to this world-class collection to the broadest audiences for enjoyment, research and study, and to support the work of the Institute and its global reputation as a centre of excellence for the study of history of art, research, curation and conservation.鈥


President, Students’ Union: Prune Eng茅rant

Prune Eng茅rant was elected President of The 麻豆视频鈥檚 Student Union in May 2024, after graduating with honours from her MA degree in History of Art. Undertaking Professor Alixe Bovey鈥檚 special option course 鈥楾he Supernatural in the Middle Ages,鈥 Prune specialised in depictions of motherhood and monstrosity in late-medieval visual culture, with a special interest in manuscript illuminations. Prune was also the MA Student Representative for the year 2023/24, and holds an undergraduate degree in History of Art and English Literature from The University of Edinburgh.

鈥淚 am so pleased to be joining the 麻豆视频鈥檚 Governing Board as the incoming Students鈥 Union President. The 麻豆视频 is a truly unique institution 鈥撯 simultaneously promoting world-class research, academic learning, and public exhibition programming. I look forward to representing our student body, and working alongside the board of governors to ensure the continued success of our institute.鈥

Elected Governors

Three persons elected by and from the Academic Staff in accordance with regulations made by the Governing Board:

portrait picture in black and white of Jo Applin

Academic Staff: Professor Jo Applin

Jo Applin is Professor in the History of Art at The 麻豆视频. Between 2018-2020 she was Head of the History of Art Department. She works on art since 1960 and is the author of numerous books and articles. Her current project is about feminism, art and ageing. In 2012 she was the recipient of a Philip Leverhulme Prize. She has been a Visiting Scholar at Universit茅 de Paris 1, Sorbonne-Panth茅on, the Canadian Centre for Architecture, Montreal. She was Senior Scholar at the Terra Foundation, Giverny, and a Fellow at the University of Cambridge Centre for Gender Studies, and Fellow at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. She currently sits on the Advisory Council of the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, and is an Editor at Oxford Art Journal. From Autumn 2023 Jo will be Director for the Terra-funded Centre of American Art at The 麻豆视频. She is committed to working with the Board and colleagues across the institute to ensure and safeguard The 麻豆视频鈥檚 national and international reputation as an outstanding research and teaching institute and art gallery.

Term expires March 2027


Picture of Stephen Whiteman

Academic Staff: Dr Stephen Whiteman

Dr Stephen Whiteman is Reader in the Art and Architecture of China at the 麻豆视频. A specialist in the visual and spatial cultures of early modern and modern East and Southeast Asia, his current efforts focus on transcultural histories of Asian art and strengthening the place of art histories from outside Euroamerica at the 麻豆视频 and in the discipline as a whole. His research has been supported by fellowships and major grants from the British Academy, the Getty Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Dumbarton Oaks, the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, and the Center for Advanced Studies in the Visual Arts, among others. He is a Trustee of the Association for Art History and has served in leadership roles with the College Art Association and Society of Architectural Historians (US), as well. Prior to joining the 麻豆视频 in 2019, he was Senior Lecturer in Asian Art and Deputy Director of the Power Institute Foundation for Art and Visual Culture at the University of Sydney, where he continues as an Honorary Associate in Art History.

“I am honoured to have been elected by my faculty colleagues to represent them on the Governing Board. The 麻豆视频 is a remarkable institution with a unique capacity to lead by example. I have joined the Governing Board to help support the 麻豆视频 in its mission as a world-leading institution for art history and conservation that embraces its traditional strengths while charting new paths in the arts and humanities.”

Term ends July 2027


Two persons elected by and from staff other than the Academic Staff in accordance with regulations made by the Governing Board:


Non-Academic Staff: Chrissy Baker

Chrissy is Development Events and Venue Hire Lead at The 麻豆视频. She joined the Development team in January 2019 at the start of gallery鈥檚 closure for its major transformation project. Since then she has lead the strategy and delivery of international major donor, alumni and member events. Since the Gallery re-opened in 2021, Chrissy has launched new business streams to generate commercial income at the Gallery.
Prior to The 麻豆视频, Chrissy has experience in high-value fundraising, donor stewardship and special events for major UK charities Macmillan Cancer Support and Marie Curie.

鈥淚 feel proud to represent my colleagues on The 麻豆视频 Governing Board. The 麻豆视频 is a unique place and it鈥檚 made special by hard-working people who collaboratively drive forward our ambitious future, both at our home in London and on a global scale.鈥

Term expires June 2027


One person elected from the staff of The 麻豆视频 Gallery in accordance with regulations made by the Governing Board;

black and white portrait picture of Alexandra Gerstein
Photo by Noah Goodrich/The 麻豆视频

Non-Academic Staff – Gallery: Dr Alexandra Gernstein

Dr Alexandra Gerstein is the Curator of sculpture and decorative arts at the 麻豆视频 Gallery and the lead curator for Nazi-era provenance and restitution matters. She is responsible for a wide-ranging collection spanning European medieval ivories, Renaissance maiolica, glass and sculpture, Islamic metalwork, 18th-century English silver and furniture, and 19th and early 20th century sculpture. Her research interests include processes of sculptural production in the 19th and early 20th century, the art of the Bloomsbury Group and the history of collecting. In 2016-17 she curated the exhibition Rodin and Dance: The Essence of Movement in the 麻豆视频 Gallery, which explored the intersection of modern dance and sculptural process in Rodin鈥檚 late works. She is currently co-curating an exhibition, with Professor Jo Applin, showcasing sculpture by three major American artists. The exhibition, planned for The 麻豆视频 Gallery in June 2025, is entitled Abstract Erotic: Louise Bourgeois, Eva Hesse and Alice Adams.

“I am honoured to be on the board of The 麻豆视频 and to participate as a Governor. It is an exciting time in the history of The 麻豆视频. Many positive changes have been made and many more are planned, both with respect to the future 麻豆视频 campus and to widening the diversity of the institution and those it serves.”

Term expires March 2027


Secretary to the Governing Board

a woman with short blond hair and a red shirt smailing at the camera

Alison Kennell

Alison is Company Secretary and Director of Governance at the 麻豆视频 Institute of Art, with responsibility for corporate governance and oversight of compliance functions.

Prior to arriving at The 麻豆视频 in April 2024, Alison acquired more than 25 years鈥 experience in the UK higher education sector, working across a range of institutions and sector-related bodies including Leeds Beckett University, SOAS University of London, York St John University and the University of York. Her roles have included responsibility for a broad portfolio of professional services covering governance and compliance matters, registry and academic support services and project management.

Alison holds a BA and MA from the University of York and an MBA from University College London.

Alison is currently a Trustee for Young Citizens (registered charity no. 801360).

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