PRESS RELEASE : Three Trustees reappointed to the National Gallery

Sir John Kingman KCB FRS

Reappointed for a four-year term from 14 March 2023 until 13 March 2027.

John Kingman was appointed as Chair of Legal & General Group plc from October 24, 2016. John is also Chair of Tesco Bank and Deputy Chair of the National Gallery.

John had a long Whitehall career; as Second Permanent Secretary to HM Treasury, he had responsibility for the Treasury’s economics ministry functions and for policy relating to business, financial services and infrastructure. He was closely involved in the UK response to the financial crisis, handling the resolution of Northern Rock and leading negotiations with RBS, Lloyds and HBOS on their £37bn recapitalisation; he was the first Chief Executive of UK Financial Investments Ltd (UKFI); and from 2010-12, John was Global Co-Head of the Financial Institutions Group at Rothschild. From 2016-21 he was the first Chair of UK Research & Innovation, which oversees Government science funding of c£8bn a year.

John is also a member of the Trilateral Commission and a World Fellow of Yale University.  He chaired the judges for the 2017 Wolfson Economics Prize. In 2018 he undertook a highly critical independent review for the UK Government of the Financial Reporting Council.

Tonya Nelson

Reappointed for a four-year term commencing from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2027.

Tonya Nelson is currently London Area Director at Arts Council England, where she oversees a portfolio of 250+ publicly funded arts organisations, including the National Theatre, Royal Opera House and Southbank Centre. She joined the Arts Council when she was appointed to be the first Director of Arts Technology and Innovation in 2019.

Tonya was seconded to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in 2017 where she co-authored the policy report Culture is Digital. She sits on the board of trustees of the Royal Collection Trust, which looks after the Royal Collection and the official residences of Her Majesty The Queen. She also advises on cultural projects as a Senior Associate at AEA Consulting.

She was formerly Chair of the International Council of Museums (UK), and Bomb Factory Art Foundation. She worked for University College London for nine years, rising to the level of Director of Museums and Cultural Programmes. She routinely speaks on arts management and policy and has lectured on courses at Royal Academy of Arts, British Council and Clore Leadership Programme.

Prior to entering the cultural sector, she was a barrister and management consultant in Washington, DC, where she grew up.

Professor Molly Stevens

Reappointed for a four-year term commencing from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2027.

Molly is a Professor within the Departments of Materials and Bioengineering at Imperial College London, a Fellow of the Royal Society, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a Foreign Member of the US National Academy of Engineering. She is currently the Director of the UK Regenerative Medicine Platform focussed on smart materials. Her internationally recognised research has received over twenty awards, including the EU40 Award for best materials scientist under 40 in Europe and the 2017 Harrison Medal from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

Molly is a serial entrepreneur and founder of several companies in the diagnostics and therapeutics space.

Remuneration and Governance Code

Trustees of the National Gallery are not remunerated. 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. Sir John Kingman, Tonya Nelson and Professor Molly Stevens have not declared any significant political activity.