George Osborne was appointed on Wednesady 24 June 2021 as the new chair of the British Museum and joined the board of trustees, today, Wednesday 01 September. He will, succeed Richard Lambert as chair from 04 October 2021.
The British Museum has added George Osborne's biography on their web site, you can follow the link here to read it.
A long-time member of the Conservative Party, George Osborne began his political career working on John Major’s 1997 re-election campaign. He was elected as MP for Tatton, Cheshire, in 2001 and was a crucial part of David Cameron’s cabinet during the coalition government of 2010-2015.
After the Brexit referendum, Prime Minister David Cameron stepped down and George Osborne returned to the backbenches under Terresa May’s leadership.
In 2017, he announced he would not stand for re-election in the general election of the same year, and instead moved to journalism, serving as editor of the Evening Standard newspaper until 2020. He is currently a partner at Robey Warshaw investment bank and chair of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.
Hartwig Fischer, Director of the British Museum said, “I am very happy to welcome George Osborne as our Chair. George Osborne knows the Museum well and values the trust the Museum enjoys around the world. He understands the active role the British Museum is playing in the recovery of the country, creating opportunities for everyone to discover the collection as their own - onsite, through loans to their local museums and online.
Under the current leadership of Sir Richard Lambert, we have laid the groundwork for the masterplan, to embark on the biggest transformative project in our history, and to renew our displays. Together with my colleagues I look forward to working with George to continue to ensure that the British Museum is the most innovative, accessible and inspiring museum of the world, for the world.”
George Osborne, Incoming Chair of the British Museum said, “I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the team at the British Museum - and so honoured to have had the opportunity to apply for this role, and to have been chosen by the Trustees to become their Chair. All my life I have loved the British Museum. To my mind, it is quite simply the greatest museum in the world. It’s a place that brings cultures together and tells the story of our common humanity. Richard Lambert will be a very hard act to follow, but I look forward to working with Hartwig and the impressive team he leads at the museum. I hope to bring my experience, energy and passion to this incredibly exciting role.”
The British Museum’s Board of Trustees
The Museum’s Board of Trustees comprises up to 25 members. One Trustee is appointed by Her Majesty The Queen, fifteen are appointed by the Prime Minister, and five appointed by the Trustees themselves. The remaining four Trustees are appointed by the Secretary of State for DCMS on the nominations of the presidents of the Royal Academy, the British Academy, the Society of Antiquaries of London, and the Royal Society. The Chair is elected by the Board independent of government.
https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/governance
The British Museum
Founded in 1753, the British Museum was the first national public museum in the world. The collection tells the stories of cultures across the world, from the dawn of human history, over two million years ago, to the present. Objects range from the earliest tools made by humans and treasures from the ancient world to more recent acquisitions from Africa, Oceania and the Americas, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, as well as the national collections of prints and drawings, and coins and medals. In addition to work in London, the Museum takes part in an extensive programme of loans, tours and collaborative work, both across the UK and throughout the world.
To read the Museums Association article on George Osborne's appointment follow the link here and the article in the Evening Standard, here
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