Trustees of the British Museum
The Prime Minister has re-appointed Penny Hughes and George Iacobescu as Trustees of the British Museum for a period of four years from 1 July 2011.
Biographical Details
Penny Hughes
Penny Hughes is currently a Director of Home Retail Group plc, Cable & Wireless Worldwide plc, Wm Morrison’s Supermarkets and Royal Bank of Scotland. Penny is also President of the UK Advertising Association. She graduated from Sheffield University and held early jobs with Procter & Gamble and the Milk Marketing Board before joining Coca-Cola. During 10 years with Coca-Cola Penny was Commercial Director during the merger of Coca-Cola UK and Schweppes. In 1993, at the age of 33 she became President Coca-Cola UK and Ireland. In 1995 Penny left Coca-Cola to develop her portfolio of interests. Penny has held a number of important non-executive positions including The Body Shop plc, Trinity Mirror plc, Vodafone plc, GAP Inc USA, SEB in Sweden and Reuters plc.
George Iacobescu
George Iacobescu CBE is Chief Executive Officer of Canary Wharf Group, a company with assets of approximately 6 billion pounds which has developed 15 million square feet in 33 buildings with a further approximate 8 million square feet to follow. Canary Wharf is internationally recognised as the largest inner city regeneration project in the world and has become the centre of London’s third business district with high quality office accommodation, over 200 shops, bars and restaurants within three retail malls and 20 acres of landscaped open spaces. George was appointed by the Secretary of State to the Defence Reform Unit in charge with the reorganisation of the MOD, appointed Commander of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen in 2003, appointed to the Board of Trustees of the British Museum. He is Vice Patron of the Royal British Society of Sculptors, Companion of the Chartered Management Institute, Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration from the University of East London, Advisory Board of the UK Academy of Finance, Founding contributor and Co-Chairman of Teach First, Director of London First, Director of Gateway to London, Director of Wood Wharf General Partners Ltd, Graduate in Civil and Industrial Engineering from Bucharest, Romania.
Notes to Editors
The British Museum holds in trust for the nation and the world a collection of art and antiquities from ancient and living cultures. Housed in one of Britain’s architectural landmarks, the collection is one of the finest in existence, spanning two million years of human history. The Board of Trustees of the British Museum has statutory duties under the British Museum Act 1963 and Museums and Galleries Act 1992 for the general management and control of the Museum and for the appointment of the director.
The posts are not remunerated. Reasonable expenses can be claimed.
These reappointments have been made in accordance with the OCPA Code of Practice. Neither candidate has undertaken any significant political activity during the past 5 years.