Trustees

CHAIRMAN

Appointed in April 2023, Stuart Roden took up the post of Chair of the Board of Trustees in July 2023.

Stuart Roden has a long and distinguished business career in investment management and a strong ethic of public service in supporting third sector organisations.

Until January 2019 Stuart was Chair of Lansdowne Partners having previously co-managed the Developed Markets fund since their inception in 2001.

Stuart is non-Executive Chair of Hetz Ventures, Tresidor Investment Management and Chair of Lewis Advisors.

On the non-profit side, Stuart is Chair and Founder of Unlocking Potential, a Trustee of The Centre for Social Justice and the London School of Economics.

Stuart started his career in the City in 1984, joining SG Warburg & C0, then McKinsey and prior to joining Lansdowne in 2001, was a Managing Director of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers.

Stuart received a first-class honours degree in Economics (BSc) from the London School of Economics.

DEPUTY CHAIRMAN

Appointed in 2015, Asif founded his architecture office in 2007. Born in London to parents from Tanzanian and Pakistani backgrounds, he studied at the Architectural Association and Bartlett School of Architecture.

His current portfolio of projects includes the New Museum of London, which is the largest cultural project in Europe, the carbon-fibre Entry Portals at Dubai Expo 2020, and over 6km of Expo 2020 Public Realm design.

Also currently under construction are a Museum of Manuscripts in Sharjah and the Tselinny Centre of Contemporary Culture in Almaty which will open in 2022.

Well-known works include the UK Pavilion at Astana Expo in 2017 in collaboration with Musician Brian Eno and the Hyundai Pavilion at PyeongChang Winter Olympics in 2018.

Asif was a Designer in Residence in 2010 at the Design Museum and was awarded Designer of the Future at Design Miami in 2011. He won a Grand Prix for Innovation at Cannes Lion in 2014 and was awarded Architect of the Year in 2018 by the German Design Council.

Asif received an MBE for services to Architecture in 2017.

Appointed in 2022, Carl is the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Marcho Partners, a global technology investment firm headquartered in London.

Marcho Partners is a mission-driven investment firm focused on enabling and accelerating global entrepreneurship.

He is the Chairman of the Marcho Partners Foundation, a non-profit focused on supporting entrepreneurial programmes around the world.

Prior to starting Marcho Partners, Carl was a Partner at Social Capital, a Managing Director at Glynn Capital, and the co-founder of an internet software company.

Carl is a graduate of Princeton University (Summa Cum Laude) and the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Azumi (born in 1966, in Hiroshima, Japan) is a director of TNA Design Studio, London; a furniture, product, exhibition and interior design consultancy for multinational clients. After she studied architecture in Kyoto and worked for architectural offices in Tokyo, she moved to London and graduated with an MA Furniture Design from the Royal College of Art in 1995 with her “transformable furniture” and lighting design.

Active for 10 years in partnership studio AZUMI, she opened her solo practice in 2005. Recent works include; “Penguin Donkey Mark 3” for Isokon Plus (UK), courtroom furniture for the UK Supreme Court, ‘Flow’ chair for ercol (UK), ‘Stabellö’ series for Röthlisberger (Switzerland), ‘Spiral of Colours’ installation for G. F Smith (UK) and window display at Tate Modern Her works are in public collections, include ‘Table=Chest’ (1995) in the Furniture Gallery of the V&A, London.

As well as being on jury boards of international design competitions and awards including Good Design Award (Japan), D&AD (UK) and iF Awards (Germany), she has taught in design education internationally. She was a platform and project tutor for Design Products and Interior Design at the Royal College of Art. Tomoko has been a trustee of the Conran Foundation since 2019.

Appointed in 2022, Susan is the Founder and CEO of Boster Group Ltd., an award-winning consultancy specialising in the development of innovative partnerships between global corporations, cultural institutions and social impact foundations. Current and recent clients include Disney, Meta, Gap Inc., Moët Hennessy, J.P. Morgan, Bacardi, EY, Goldman Sachs, Montblanc and the Leverhulme Trust.

Previously, as Marketing Director at Barnes & Noble and later CMO at News International, Susan oversaw the transitions of both companies to e-commerce and digital platforms, including the launch of barnesandnoble.com.

In addition to the Design Museum, Susan currently sits on the boards of the Donmar Warehouse and The Representation Project, having previously served two terms as Vice Chairman of the Board of the English National Ballet. Susan is regularly featured as a moderator and keynote speaker at conferences such as the World Economic Forum in Davos and the CognitionX Festival of AI and Emerging Technology, and she is a Consultant Lecturer at Sotheby’s Institute of Art.

Appointed November 2008. Sebastian studied Industrial Design Engineering at Central St. Martins, where he gave the Sex Pistols their first booking and designed the record sleeves and posters for The Clash. After working at corporate identity consultancy Wolff Olins and leading hard-goods development at Mothercare, in 1986 he founded Sebastian Conran Associates design studio, which he continues to lead.

Sebastian has taught furniture design at the Royal College of Art, lectures frequently, judges many international design awards (Audi, D&AD, Design Week, Dyson, Red Dot, RSA, etc.) and has written several books, articles and papers on design.

An active member of many bodies, Sebastian has worked with many design and educational institutions including: Designer in Residence, Sheffield University Science Faculty; Visiting Professor of the University of the Arts London; Chairman of Design & Technology Alliance — UK Home Office's body tackling crime with design; Chairman of the Creative Industries KTN steering group Technologies Innovation Network; Chairman Design Action in Scotland steering group Scotland's Design & Industry knowledge exchange; Trustee of the Design Council, the Conran Foundation and D&AD; Governor and Trustee of Bryanston School; Hon. Fellow, the Royal College of Art; Hon. Doctorate of Technology, Loughborough University; Hon. Doctorate of Arts, Hertfordshire University; Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts; Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers; Fellow of the Institute of Packaging; Ambassador for ICAN, the children's education charity; Ambassador for ACID, the anti copying in design lobby group.

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Lady Conran is a Trustee of the Conran Foundation.

After attaining a BSc in Economics and Politics from Bristol University, in 1999 Dahlia began her career as an investment manager at James Capel which became part of HSBC Investment Management.

She then specialised in alternative investments at several family offices in London, latterly for J Rothschild Capital where she was Head of Funds. Over the past decade she has focused on investment in the technology sector, both in public markets and as an advisor to start-ups in New York and San Francisco.

Dahlia was named in HedgeFund journal's annual survey of 50 Leading Women in Hedge Funds sponsored by E&Y in 2011 and 2015.

She is passionate about Design and the importance of the creative economy to society. In 2021 she brought her finance and business skills to help the Design Museum start the Entrepreneurs Hub. This is the first entrepreneurs programme in any museum or cultural institution in Europe.

Formerly based in Silicon Valley, Dominic has deep expertise in digital transformation, marketing and business strategy. Prior to his December 2019 retirement he was a Senior Partner and Global Leader of the Marketing practice at the Boston Consulting Group, where he led the firm’s relationship with Google Inc.

Dominic has spent his career working at the board level with companies in the cross-hairs of digital disruption, across multiple industries and geographies. He has a particular focus on emerging trends and has helped many businesses to reimagine their strategy in the light of major structural challenge. He led a $300m marketing services business and is a keynote speaker at industry events.

Dominic began his career in advertising and has particular insight into digital, branding, the consumer, growth and digital marketing. He has worked with Google and Facebook to help the tech industry innovate at the cutting edge of digital / marketing and build global best practice.

In addition to his work with the Design Museum, Dominic is also a trustee of London+Partners and advises selected clients in the corporate and non-profit sectors.

Eva Jiricna is a Czech born architect based in London since 1968. Eva completed her architectural education at The University in Prague where she qualified with the title of Engineer-Architect and later on at The Academy of Fine Arts where she completed her masters degree. After the Russian Invasion she remained in England, where she worked on the Brighton Marina project, Lloyd’s Building and went on to start her own practice in 1982.

Eva became well known for the interior of shops, residential projects and mainly glass staircases along with her work at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Canada Water Bus Station, Leicester Library, Orangery at Prague’s Castle and many others. She opened AI DESIGN with a Czech partner Petr Vagner in Prague in 1999, and completed many projects there including hotels, University buildings, Multipurpose Auditorium, amongst others.

Eva has been appointed Professor and has a long teaching experience. She is a member of Royal Academy of Arts, Royal Designer for Industry, and a honorary member of the Royal Society of Arts. She has been awarded a CBE and received 11 honorary doctorates. Recently she has been awarded the Ambassador of the Czech Republic by the Czech Top 100 and Lifetime Achievement Medal by the London Design Festival.

Suhair is a technology entrepreneur and creative leader. She is the founder of open-ended design, a platform and incubator for impact-driven work at the intersection of future-facing technology, design, and culture.

In over a decade at Google and Google Arts & Culture, Suhair led global initiatives which merged cutting edge technology with art, design and culture, and environmental sustainability.

She is on the board of trustees for the Design Museum and Sadler’s Wells, and the advisory committee of the British Library. She is also chair of the board of trustees of Studio Wayne McGregor.

A graduate of Cornell and Harvard University, she is a visiting lecturer at Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design.

Appointed in 2023, Jenna is an independent advisor to leading businesses in the luxury retail, fashion and beauty sectors. Her focus is the development of commercial strategies in creative enterprises.  

She was previously a Senior Vice President at Burberry PLC, where her regional and global leadership responsibilities over twelve years spanned Communications, Strategy, Wholesale and Retail roles. Prior to joining Burberry she worked at McKinsey & Company and for the UK Government, where she specialised in sustainability, regeneration and urban design policy. She began her career in corporate communications.  

Jenna also serves as a Trustee of Art Academy London and is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford, where her teaching focuses on the topic of corporate reputation. She graduated in History of Art from the University of Cambridge.

Davina has worked at the heart of the international design industry for more than twenty years. The founder and director of Cultural Agenda, a leading public relations and communications agency, she has collaborated with many of the most influential design companies and individuals including Alessi, Boffi, Cappellini, Cassina, Artemide, Foscarini, Bisazza and Nigel Coates. She has originated partner campaigns and curated content at the London Design Festival , the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Modern, Milan’s Salone del Mobile, amongst others.

Davina is a Patron of Design at the Victoria and Albert Museum and a Trustee and Founding Benefactor of the London School of Architecture. She sits on the Advisory Panel of IntoUniversity, a charity that provides support to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds by widening access and narrowing the opportunity gap in education.

A supporter of the Design Museum for more than ten years, Davina has served on the Funding the Future Campaign committee, the Time for Design auction and has sat on the Curatorial Committee since its inception in 2012.

Davina is an active collector and commissioner of contemporary design and craft art, focusing on the work of maker artists. She is an advisor to LAPADA, the UK’s largest art and antiques dealer association, with a strong knowledge and interest in antiques and decorative arts.

Michelle is internationally renowned as a thought-leader on interiors, wellbeing, design and style. Dubbed the 'interiors guru' by The Sunday Times, she defines herself as a writer/author/brand consultant who also does TV.

She is the Head Judge on BBC2s Interior Design Masters, as well as annually presenting alongside Kevin McCloud on Grand Designs: House of the Year. She is a Contributing Editor to both The Financial Times How to Spend It magazine and the influential online architecture, interiors and design magazine Dezeen.

Originally trained as an architect at London's celebrated Bartlett School, she spent several years in the US after graduation honing her take on 'design'.

She launched her publishing career on Tate Art magazine, followed by Blueprint, before enjoying a multi-award-winning 13-year tenure as Editor-in-Chief of British ELLE Decoration. During this editorship, she led the title to its highest circulation, achieved record revenues, and was instrumental in changing the law with respect to UK copyright for objects of design through her Fight the Fakes campaign.

An experienced writer and communicator, Michelle was a Trustee of the V&A for 8 years and was appointed an Ambassador for Diversity by the Government in 2009. She has served on many industry and educational juries and advisory panels and her stated mission is to spread awareness that your environment is as fundamental to your wellbeing as nutrition and exercise.

Philip studied Classics and Modern Languages at Oxford University and is the company secretary of the Design Museum.

Philip is a senior partner in the corporate law practice at international law firm, Brown Rudnick LLP. He practises corporate and commercial law, with particular emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, strategic investments and joint ventures.

Philip also has an active pro bono practice, with considerable experience advising English charities, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations.

Before embarking upon his legal career, Philip lived and worked in Japan as a cultural adviser to the Japanese Government.

Jonathan joined the Board of Trustees in 2023 and chairs the Design Museum’s Finance and Operations Committee.

Jonathan has worked in finance for over 30 years. After qualifying as a chartered accountant, he moved into investment banking in London and New York, ultimately running a £1BN+ global structuring business. He left to launch his own fund management business, which was sold in 2016, coincidentally the same year in which the fintech business he chaired from its first institutional capital raise was acquired. Jonathan currently runs a wealth tech start-up which he founded in 2022.

Jonathan is also an executive coach working primarily with business owners and senior executives focussing on better decision-making, strategic problem-solving and developing organisational intelligence.

Jonathan is a trustee of the Jewish Leadership Council and a former Chair of Jewish Care. He has a wide range of interests outside of business and recently completed an MPhil in Early Modern History at St John’s College, Cambridge 30 years after first studying there as an undergraduate.

Appointed December 2016, Lord Mandelson took up his post in March 2017. Lord Mandelson has a distinguished track record. He is a former European Trade Commissioner and British First Secretary of State. Prior to this, he was Minister without Portfolio, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Northern Ireland Secretary and Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills in the British government.

He is now a member of the House of Lords, chairman of Global Counsel, a public policy advisory business he co-founded in 2010 and a senior adviser to Lazard. He is President of the Policy Network think tank and he became Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University in 2016.

Mike was a Trustee of the Design Museum from 2017 to 2023, chairing the Finance & Operations Committee, in particular helping the Museum steer its course after its move to Kensington and during the covid pandemic and its aftermath.

He was a partner in the Financial Services practice at KPMG from 1996 to 2020 with extensive experience in leading multidisciplinary teams undertaking audit and capital markets assignments in the Financial and Not for Profit sectors, having graduated in 1984 in Economics & Accounting from Bristol University. This included leading public interest and not for profit company audits and being the reporting accountant for many IPOs and other corporate transactions.

As well as working out of London and Edinburgh, Mike had two long-term international secondments (in Melbourne and Dubai) and has worked on projects in nearly all of the world’s financial centres.

Mike is now a Non Executive Director in the financial services sector, and also acts as an expert witness in audit matters.

Mike is both a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales and an Associate Member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers.

Mike was also the founding editor of KPMG’s semi-annual Financial Institutions Performance Review.

A trustee from 2012 - 2024, Nicholas originally became a trustee of the Design Museum in 1988 ahead of its opening in Shad Thames in 1989 and was trustee and honorary treasurer until he left England in 1993 to work in Asia for three years. He returned in 1996 and became a trustee of The Conran Foundation and has been consequently closely involved with supporting the museum for over 35 years.

After a 30 year career in banking in London, Sydney, Singapore and Hong Kong Nicholas became an independent director, then chairman, of hotel group De Vere up until the completion of its sale in 2015. He has recently retired as the Chairman of The Investment Trust Fidelity China Special Situations plc and as Senior Independent Director of Coats Group plc.

He was a member of the Council of the University of Exeter from 2009-2018 and is currently a trustee of the Creative Education Trust, a multi-academy trust, and a member of the advisory board of the charity INTO University.

Luqman was Chairman of the Design Museum from 2005 to 2017 when he handed over to Lord Mandelson following the opening of the new Design Museum. His clear vision shared by the founder, trustees and director was to make it the world’s leading museum of contemporary design and architecture.

His interest in design was reinforced by work undertaken during the turnaround of Abbey National, with Brian Boylan, Robert Jones, Sir David Adjaye, Erica Bolton, Trevor Beattie and Neil Dawson. Design and architecture contributed to the bank’s transformation and deepened his understanding of their importance. Prior to his appointment as Chairman of the Design Museum, Luqman served as a trustee of the Architecture Foundation and as a member of the Development Committee of the University of the Arts.

Luqman has held leadership roles in a number of financial institutions including: President and Chairman of the Group Executive Board of UBS AG, CEO of Abbey National PLC, Chair of Olivant, member of the Executive Committee and Board of Banque Paribas and Head of Investment Banking at Credit Suisse First Boston. Luqman remains a passionate supporter of and ambassador for the Museum as a Trustee Emeritus, a role he accepted in 2019.

Wendy is a portfolio director and Chairman. She served as a Trustee and Chair of the Enterprise Committee at the Design Museum from 2016 through 2022. Her interest in design started with a passion for consumers early in her career and was fuelled by the many outstanding designers she met while working at the Museum.

She serves as Chairperson of Logitech International SA, and as a Non-executive Director of Sony, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, and Oxford University Press. She also chairs the British Heart Foundation and is at Trustee at the Board of the University of Oxford. She was previously on the Boards of the English National Ballet, the Prince’s Trust, Cancer Research UK, NHS England, Whitbread and Ocado.

Earlier in her career, Ms Becker was the Chief Executive Officer of Jack Wills, Global CMO at Vodafone, Managing Director of TalkTalk, and a Partner of McKinsey & Company in San Francisco and London where she led the firm’s retail and consumer practice.

Ms Becker started her career in brand management at Procter and Gamble. Ms Becker graduated with a BA in Economics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

Christopher was Rector of the Royal College of Art, Chairman of the Arts Council, the Design Council and the Royal Mint Design Committee. He was also the longest-serving Trustee of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Christopher is a well-known champion of arts education and of everyday culture.

He studied History at Cambridge and wrote his doctorate on Jean-Jacques Rousseau's ideas about the arts in society. After working as a film researcher at the Imperial War Museum, he was a lecturer at the Universities of Exeter and Bath in the seventies.In 1979, he was appointed Professor of Cultural History at the Royal College of Art - at that time, the youngest Professor of the Humanities in the country- and over the next decade he set up pioneering postgraduate courses at the RCA in the History of Design, Curating Contemporary Art and The Conservation of Design. From 1996 to 2009 he was the College's Rector, and in 2000 he was knighted for "services to art and design education".

In the meantime, he became an accomplished broadcaster on network radio and television, winning a Gold award at the New York Film and Television Festival for his six-part Channel 4 series about advertising called 'The Art of Persuasion', and a Sony Award for the best original script for his radio drama-documentary 'The Rime of the Bounty'. His television series for BBC television included 'The Face of Tutankhamun', 'Strange Landscape' and 'Nightmare - the birth of horror' .

Christopher has written twenty-five books on aspects of popular culture (including 'Spaghetti Westerns'; 'The 2001 File'; 'Frankenstein- the first two hundred years'; and 'Ken Adam - the art of production design'); on arts education (including 'The Art Pack'; 'On Craftsmanship'; '150 years of the Royal College of Art'); and accompanying his television series. He is currently a Fellow of Churchill College Cambridge; a Senior Research Fellow of the V&A; a Visiting Professor of Arts at the University of Lancaster; a Trustee of the Conran and Paolozzi Foundations and an 1851 Royal Commissioner.

John started in advertising as a junior Art Director at Benton and Bowles, London in 1965. In 1967, he joined the Cramer Saatchi consultancy, which became Saatchi & Saatchi in 1970, where he was a founding shareholder. A year later, he was appointed Deputy Creative Director. John left in 1973 to co-found TBWA, London as Creative Director. The agency was the first to be voted Campaign magazine's Agency of the Year in 1980.

In 1982, John left to start Bartle Bogle Hegarty. Four years later, BBH was voted Campaign's Agency of the Year and won the title again in 1993, 2003, 2004 and 2005. BBH Worldwide was voted Campaign magazine’s first ever Network of the Year in 2004. BBH was also voted Cannes advertising agency of the year two years running.

John’s industry awards include two D&AD Golds and six Silvers, Cannes Golds and Silvers and British Television Gold and Silvers. He was awarded the D&AD President's Award for outstanding achievement in the advertising industry. In May 2005, the International Clio Awards awarded John with the Life Time Achievement award for his outstanding achievement in the industry. In 2007, John received a knighthood in the Queen’s birthday honours' list. John was also inducted to the New York’s One Club Hall of Fame in 2005.

Anya started her business in 1987, at the age of 19, following her passion for accessories and design. The Anya Hindmarch brand has grown from Anya’s first store on London’s Walton Street, to 57 stores globally including flagships in London and Tokyo and a Bespoke store on London’s Pont Street which launched in 2009.

The Anya Hindmarch brand is synonymous with beautiful craftsmanship, understated branding and exceptional quality. Bespoke personalised pieces, Britishness and an element of humour epitomize the Anya Hindmarch DNA.

Anya Hindmarch was awarded a CBE in recognition for her contribution to the British fashion industry as well as further responsibilities including; UK Trade Ambassador, non-executive director of the British Fashion Council and trustee of both the Design Museum and The Royal Academy. She was awarded the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award in 2012.

Johannes joined KKR in May 1999 and is a Partner of KKR and Head of KKR’s operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He is also a member of the Firm’s Management Committee and several of the Firm’s Investment Committees. Prior to joining KKR, Johannes was a member of the Management Committee of Investcorp and jointly responsible for Investcorp's operations in Europe. From 1986 to 1991, he worked at Salomon Brothers, where he was a Vice President in the Mergers and Acquisitions departments in London and New York.

Johannes is currently Chairman of Hensoldt AG, and a member of the Boards of Axel Springer SE and Coty Inc.

He is President of the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris; Emeritus Trustee of the Design Museum in London, trustee of the Staedel Museum in Frankfurt, Member of Council and Chairman of the Audit Committee for the London School of Economics, and a member of the Global Advisory Board of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is a Visiting Fellow of Oxford University and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Johannes is an avid skier and cyclist.

He earned a BSc with Highest Honors from the London School of Economics and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

As a Trustee of the Design Museum from 2012 to 2017, Alistair chaired the Finance Committee and was closely involved in the development of the Museum's new home in Kensington.

Alistair joined KPMG (then Peat Marwick Mitchell) in 1973 after graduating from the London School of Economics. He became a Partner in 1986 and a General Partner in 1996.

From 1998 to 2003 Alistair was KPMG's International Managing Partner, Global Markets and in June 2007 he was appointed by the KPMG International Board as one of three Global Vice Chairmen.

Alistair acted as a Non Executive Director on the Board of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from 2005 to 2010 and was awarded a CMG in the January 2011 New Year's Honours list. Alistair also served as a Non Executive Director on the main Board of Prudential Group plc from 2012 to 2016.

Alistair has acted as a Trustee of the Royal Academy Trust and as Chairman of the Development Committee of Create Arts, a charity bringing the benefits of creativity to disadvantaged people. He continues to act as an Ambassador for Create.

Alistair and his wife, Christina Nijman, who is an artist, live in London, Gloucestershire and the Netherlands.

Alistair is interested in art and design, building renovation and music and is a member of the Athenaeum Club and a Patron of the Design Museum.

Saba is co-head of Global Financial Sponsors at Bank of America.

Saba is responsible for developing and strengthening Bank of America’s global relationships with key private equity firms to further drive the growth of the bank’s business around the world. She works closely with the firm’s global leadership team to drive the growth of the global leveraged buyout advisory and financing business. An experienced mergers and acquisitions banker, Saba has been covering private equity firms for the last 20 years. During her career, Saba has been responsible for global coverage of many of the top funds and has relationships at the managing partner level across this client base.

She has been consistently ranked in the Financial News Top 100 Women in European Banking and Finance, and has also been ranked in the Financial News 50 Most Powerful People in Private Equity for the last 3 years.

Saba has also dedicated time and resources to supporting the cultural, charitable and diversity initiatives that she is passionate about. Throughout her career Saba has played an extremely active role promoting a diversity and inclusion agenda. At the Bank, she has held a number of Leader Connect events, a series of networking meetings which brings together female Executives across the firm. She is the senior sponsor of the Women’s Leadership Council for GCIB and she played an integral role in BofA’s WLC Client Forum.

Saba is a member of Bank of America’s UK Foundation Advisory Council, a robust governing body which makes suggestions and reviews EMEA charitable donations on behalf of the firm. The foundation focuses on youth and employment issues as well as initiatives to support local community and women’s empowerment initiatives.

In 2016 Saba joined the Board of Trustees of the Design Museum. European museum of the year in 2018, The Design Museum offers inspiring insights into the world of design, covering product, industrial, graphic, fashion and architectural design. The museum champions creative thinking and inspired problem solving, celebrating the talent of the world’s best designers and architects. Saba has a BA from Harvard University, and an M.Phil in Economics from Queens’ College Cambridge. She lives in London and has two daughters.

Charles qualified as a barrister in 1980 and has since been working in business with development at the forefront. Acting as Rifkind Associates, Charles has been Principal and Partner to Lord’s Cricket Ground/MCC for over 20 years. Creator of the Vision for Lords, Charles was part of the panel who selected architects Herzog & De Meuron for The Master Plan in The Architectural Competition. Charles is also responsible for the development of 430 apartments at Carlton Gate, London. Charles has now commenced the development of 500 new homes within five spa villages, known as Matlock Spa.

A former trustee of the Tate Corporate Advisory Group and Arnold House School, Charles served on the Board of Trustees of the Design Museum for eight years and stepped down to further other causes, most noticeably the Visitors’ Art Foundation and to increase awareness of diabetes. Described as a ‘friend of London’, Charles has also supported the Royal Parks, initiating the sponsorship of 100 cherry trees. He initiated Debate Mate’s Platinum 100 Club and has been actively involved in the Duke of Edinburgh International Awards. Charles has raised more than £1,250,000 for the Wellington Appeal to support the British Red Cross and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Jill is a qualified barrister and holds a BA Hons in History of Art, Hon FRAM and a Hon FRIBA. She has served as an NGO representative at the United Nations. She is a member of the Committee of Honour of the Royal Academy of Music, Trustee of the Garden Museum, Council Member of the Royal College of Art, Board member of the Tate Foundation 2006 and of the Wallace Collection International Council. She is a former Chairman of the Tate Patrons of New Art and Vice-Chairman of the Tate International Council (1996–2001).

She has been on several judging panels including the Turner Prize (1988), the Arts & Business Awards (2000-2002), the Manser Medal Jury (2012) and the RIBA Honours Committee (2017) and she retired as Vice Chair of Board of New Contemporaries in 2016. She gave a large collection of contemporary costume to the Victoria and Albert Museum, displayed in the One Woman’s Wardrobe exhibition (1998–99).

Jill was Executive Producer of Normal Conservative Rebels: Gilbert & George in China directed by David Zilkha, which received a gold medal at the Chicago Film Festival and was shown at the Edinburgh Film Festival (1996), Tate Britain (1997) and the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (1997–8). In 2012, Lady Ritblat gave a gift of contemporary dress to the Design Museum through the Art Fund, marking the museum’s first significant fashion acquisition.

Lady Ritblat was made an OBE in 2017.

Rolf first studied business administration in London and San Francisco and for the past 20 years has focused on furniture design. Rolf is now a well-known designer and artist, recognised for his distinctive approach. He has had a number of single and group exhibitions in the USA, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Austria and the UK. Rolf’s pieces are inspired by the world of fine arts, rather than the decorative ones, distancing himself from the design excesses of recent years and avoiding superfluous embellishment. The conceptual, not the decorative aspects are all important to him.