PRESS RELEASE : Venki Ramakrishnan has been reappointed as a Board Member of the British Library [November 2024]

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 13 November 2024.

The Secretary of State has reappointed Venki Ramakrishnan as Board Member for the British Library for a 4 year term from 15 June 2024 to 14 June 2028.

Venki Ramakrishnan

Appointed for a 4 year term commencing 15 June 2024 to 14 June 2028.

Venki is a scientist at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. He is best known for his work on how the ribosome, a large molecular complex, translates genetic information to synthesize the thousands of proteins required for life, and how this process is regulated. For his work, he shared the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Venki was the President of the Royal Society from 2015-2020.

He is the author of two books: Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality (2024), and Gene Machine (2018), a memoir about the race for the structure of the ribosome.

Remuneration and Governance Code

Trustees of the British Library are remunerated £9,130 per annum. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Venki Ramakrishnan has not declared any significant political activity.