The Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees determines policy and, together with the Director and senior Gallery staff, sets the strategic direction for the National Portrait Gallery. It represents the Gallery externally and oversees its management, with the Trustees acting as guardians of the public interest.

The Board decides on acquisitions for the Primary Collection and major resource allocations. It monitors the Gallery’s performance and ensures the stewardship of public funds.

The National Portrait Gallery Board of Trustees has sixteen members. Two of the Trustees, the President of the Royal Academy and the Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons, are ex-officio Trustees and the remaining fourteen are appointed by the Prime Minister following an open public appointment process overseen by the Commissioner of Public Appointments. The Chair of the National Portrait Gallery Company, currently Christopher Townsend CBE, attends Board meetings as an independent co-opted Trustee.

National Portrait Gallery Trustees serve in a voluntary capacity and are unremunerated. They are usually appointed for four years and may be reappointed for a further term.

In line with the Museums and Galleries Act 1992, the Board chooses a Chair from among its own number.

David Ross

Chair of the Board
Entrepreneur; Founder of the David Ross Education Trust

Roger Blundell FCA

Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee

Dr Mark Cecil

Investment Advisor

Chris Grayling

Chair of the Finance Committee
Politician and Author, MP for Epsom and Ewell

Marcus Harling

Strategic Advisor

Inaya Folarin Iman

Journalist, political commentator and social campaigner

Dr Simon Sebag Montefiore

Historian and Novelist

The Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP

Lord President of the Council

Rebecca Salter (Ex officio)

President of the Royal Academy

Bjorn Saven

Chairman of IK Investment Partners Limited

Blake Shorthouse

Managing Director, Client and Partner Group, KKR

Victoria Siddall

Strategic Advisor

Sir Peter Stothard

Chair of the Ethics Committee
Author and former Editor of The Times and The Times Literary Supplement

Rachel Wang

Founder and Director of Chocolate Films

Professor Shearer West CBE

Chair of the Curatorial Committee
Vice-Chancellor & President of the University of Nottingham

Jonathan Yeo

Artist

A Register of Interests is kept up to date for each Trustee so that any potential conflicts of interest can be identified and managed. The Register of Trustees' interests is open to the public and may be consulted by contacting the Head of Governance ([email protected]).

Minutes of Board of Trustees Meetings

Minutes from 2004 onwards available online.

New minutes will be posted, following approval by the Board of Trustees.

Confidential and sensitive information will be excluded from the published minutes in accordance with data protection legislation and the Freedom of Information Act, 2000.