Royal Armouries Museum
Neil Grant
Reappointed as Trustee from 1 October 2022 to 30 September 2026.
Neil Grant studied archaeology at the University of Reading before training as a Chartered Accountant. Since then he worked in industry for a number of years before becoming Head of Corporate Finance and
Performance for English Heritage and then its successor organisation, Historic England. Neil has written a number of books for Osprey Publishing, focusing on small arms development and military history. He also regularly contributes articles to Tracklink, the magazine of the Tank Museum. He is currently the Chair of the Ordnance Society, an academic group dedicated to the study of historic artillery, and visits coordinator for Friends of the Tank Museum.
He is particularly interested in mediaeval horsemanship and sword fighting techniques, both of which he has written about and demonstrated at living history events. He is also interested in the use of technology to improve and deepen the museum experience.
Paul Kirkman
Reappointed as Trustee from 28 September 2022 to 27 September 2026.
Paul Kirkman is a consultant to cultural and heritage organisations with 30 years top-level experience in public policy and cultural sector leadership. Paul was Director of the National Railway Museum in York from 2012 to 2017, where he returned the world-famous Flying Scotsman to operation and established a partnership with the City Council for a 700m brownfield development of land around the museum. From 2005-2012 Paul had a range of senior roles at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, including leading on the 2010 Spending Reviews and responsibility for policy and funding for the National Museums and Arts Council England. He was Head of Policy of Planning at the Natural History Museum between 1999 and 2001, at the launch of its Darwin Centre development. He had three spells at HM Treasury and was Private Secretary to the Director General of the Confederation of British Industry, working for Howard Davies and Adair Turner in the period in the run up to the 1997 election. Paul originally studied Philosophy at Edinburgh University, has an MA in Art History from Goldsmiths College and was a fellow of the Clore Leadership Programme.
Jonathan Sands
Reappointed as Trustee from 28 September 2022 to 27 September 2026.
Jonathan is the Chairman of creative brand agency, Born Ugly and formally the majority shareholder of global brand design agency Elmwood. His work has taken him all over the world from New Zealand to North America and throughout Asia and Mainland Europe advising some of the biggest brands on the planet. His businesses have won more Design Effectiveness Awards than any other alongside awards for Best Company To Work For by The Sunday Times and The Yorkshire Post and various individual awards for business leadership. He is a former council member of both the RSA and the Design Council where he served for ten years and a former Chairman of the Design Business Association.
Jonathan has also been a Visiting Professor of Innovation at Huddersfield University where he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science in 2002. In 2011 he was awarded an OBE in HRH The Queens New Year Honours list for his services to the creative industries.
Beyond the creative industries Jonathan is also Non Executive Chairman of the digital veterinary business Vet Ai which uses artificial intelligence to diagnose pet illness through the Joii APP and finally he is a trustee of the Royal Armouries where he Chairs their commercial arm RATE.
Remuneration and Governance Code
Trustees of the Royal Armouries are not remunerated. This appointment has 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. Neil Grant, Paul Kirkman and Jonathan