Michael Plaut appointed to The Crown Estate Board
The Crown Estate has announced the appointment of Michael Plaut OBE to The Crown Estate Board with special responsibility for Wales.
On the recommendation of the Prime Minister, Michael Plaut has been appointed to The Crown Estate Board, to serve a four-year term effective from 1 July 2026.
As well as the full responsibilities of a Commissioner of The Crown Estate Board, Michael will be responsible for providing advice about the conditions, priorities and opportunities in Wales, including about existing and emerging policies relevant to The Crown Estate’s activities.
Michael is a Welsh business leader with extensive leadership experience in the financial, commercial and non-profit sectors as well as the public sector. He is a non-executive director and Member for Wales at the BBC, Chair of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and a former Chair of the CBI in Wales. He is also Governor at the University of South Wales.
He lives and works in Wales and has an OBE for his services to business and entrepreneurship.
The appointment comes after the passing of the Crown Estate Act 2025, which increased the maximum number of commissioners on the Board from eight to twelve in line with modern corporate governance standards.
This included the provision to appoint a Commissioner who, alongside their wider responsibilities, can specifically support the Board’s ongoing understanding of Welsh interests and issues to make sure The Crown Estate’s strategy continues to take the conditions of Wales into consideration.
The Act also includes provisions to appoint Commissioners to advise on matters relating to England and Northen Ireland. Further announcements about these roles will be made in due course.
This non-executive appointment was made in accordance with the Code of Practice published by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The position is appointed by His Majesty The King, following recommendation by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Prime Minister.
All appointments are made on merit, and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity to be made public. Michael has confirmed that he has not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.
Further information
Non-Executive appointments are made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments and regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.