PRESS RELEASE : Three Board Members reappointed to the British Library [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 6 September 2023.
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has reappointed Dr Jeremy Silver, Laela Pakpour Tabrizi and Dr Wei Yang for four year terms commencing 13 May 2023.
Dr Jeremy Silver
Dr Jeremy Silver is CEO of the Digital Catapult. He is an author and entrepreneur specialising in digital media, big data, music and the creative industries. Jeremy is a non-executive director of a number of early stage companies in music and media; a member of the UK Creative Industries Council and the Digital Economy Council.
He was Executive Chairman of Semetric Ltd, CEO of Sibelius Software and Worldwide Vice-President of New Media for EMI Group in Los Angeles. Jeremy was an advisor to the Founders of Shazam. He co-founded Uplister, the world’s first playlist-sharing music subscription service. His most recent book, “Towards A Digital Renaissance” was published by Profile Books in 2022.
Laela Pakpour Tabrizi
Laela Pakpour Tabrizi is Director Consumer Converged Finance at Virgin Media O2. Prior to joining VMO2, she was the CFO of three innovative and fast growing founder-owned and private equity-backed businesses inc. an airline, a SaaS business and an EdTech company.
Previously, Laela was a VP at BNP Paribas in their Structured Finance Division in Paris and New York City. She also sits on the Board of the FTSE 250 listed Big Yellow Storage Company, where she holds the position of Chair of the Audit Committee. She was selected as a Franco British Young Leader in 2017.
Dr Wei Yang
Dr Wei Yang is the Chair of Wei Yang & Partners, an award-winning urban design and master planning practice in London. She is also the co-founder and CEO of the Digital Task Force for Planning, a not-for-profit social enterprise with a mission to unlock the full potential of spatial planning in the digital era. Wei was named a Net Zero Hero by Digital Leaders in November 2022.
Wei is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, a Fellow of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), and an Honorary Professor at University College London. She served as President of the RTPI in 2021 and as an independent trustee of the Landscape Institute (LI) from 2018 to 2022. Wei is the first female Chair of the Construction Industry Council (CIC). She is a Global Planner Networks (GPN) representative at the UN Habitat Professional Forum and a Professionals Co-Chair of the UN Habitat World Urban Campaign Steering Committee.
Remuneration and Governance Code
Board Members 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. Dr Jeremy Silver, Laela Pakpour Tabrizi and Dr Wei Yang have not declared any significant political activity.
