Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Sandra Dinneen, Paul Farmer, Patrick Newberry, Susie Thornberry, and Richard Upton have been appointed as Commissioners of Historic England from 1 January 2018 until 31 December 2021.
The Commission is the governing body of Historic England and has overall responsibility for the National Heritage Collection, which is managed by the English Heritage Trust on its behalf.
Sandra Dinneen
Sandra has a background in Economic Development and has been Chief Executive of South Norfolk Council since 2008, where she has driven a commercial focus throughout the organisation. She is currently Managing Director of Big Sky, a Property Development and Management Company, and Build Insight Consultancy Services, a Building Regulations Consultancy. Sandra also has a keen interest in Education and inclusion and is a Trustee of a Multi Academy Trust and Governor of a FE College. She has a keen interest in Historic Buildings, in particular their role in, and relationship with, economic growth, education and inclusion.
Paul Farmer
Paul is Chief Executive of Mind, the leading mental health charity. He is Chair of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO), and a trustee at Lloyds Bank Foundation which invests in charities supporting people to break out of disadvantage at critical points in their lives. Paul was Chair of the NHS England Mental Health Taskforce which created the current mental health Five Year Forward View for the NHS in England, and he co-authored Thriving at Work for the government, setting out how to transform mental health in work places. Paul has an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of East London, is an Honorary Fellow of St Peters College, Oxford, and The Royal College of Psychiatrists, and was awarded a CBE in the New Years Honours 2016.
Patrick Newberry
Patrick holds a number of non executive directorships in the financial and professional services sectors, sitting on or chairing a number of audit and risk committees. He was a partner in PwC for 25 years, working in the financial sector in the UK, USA and Continental Europe also serving as a member of PwCs Supervisory Board, Chair of the Strategy, Governance & International Sub-Committee and a member of the Audit and Risk Committee. He was also a Board member and former President (2010-2011) of the Management Consultancies Association. In the not for profit sector, Patrick is a Governor of The Cornwall College Group and Vice Chairman of the Cornish Buildings Group and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Susie Thornberry
Susie is Assistant Director at Imperial War Museums where she leads public engagement for adults, young people, schools, and families across the five museums. Her extensive experience in arts, museums, and heritage includes roles with Historic Royal Palaces, Artichoke, and Battersea Arts Centre. In 2016, she was producer of Londons Burning, a festival to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London, including London 1666 a 120-metre-long sculpture created by hundreds of young Londoners which was spectacularly set alight on the River Thames.
Richard Upton
Richard was the founder of the specialist regeneration property developer, Cathedral Group and was previously a co-founding Director of Mount Anvil. He has extensive experience in the field of complex regeneration projects through the UK. He was appointed as Deputy Chief Executive of U+I Plc in July 2015. Richard has served as a member of Historic Englands London Advisory Committee since 2012 and has campaigned extensively for sustainable restoration of heritage buildings, including the campaign to save Smithfield Market which he successfully fought and funded; the historic market buildings will now house the new Museum of London.
Commissioners of Historic England are remunerated 4113.00 per annum.
These appointments have been made in accordance with the Cabinet Offices 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.
Sandra Dinneen, Paul Farmer, Patrick Newberry, Susie Thornberry and Richard Upton have declared no such political activity.