Our people | Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration

Dalwardin Babu served as a senior officer in the Metropolitan Police for 30 years and was the first chair of the National Association of Muslim Police.

Peter Barron is Head of Communications at Stripe. He worked for 20 years in TV, including as editor at BBC’s Newsnight and deputy editor at Channel 4 News.

Richard Bawden retired from accounting firm KPMG in 2011 after over 30 years with the firm, including 18 years as an audit partner specialising in the media and telecoms sector.

Samantha Colt is the Creative Industries Sector Lead at the global Board recruitment platform, Nurole. She was previously a Partner and Head of Arts, Culture and Heritage Practice at global search firm, Odgers Berndtson.

Marion Deuchars is an illustrator and author. She is a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale and a Royal Designer for Industry.

Ellie Head is Head of the IWM Institute, the Imperial War Museum’s innovation hub. She was previously Head of Business Development and Senior Producer at Intelligence Squared, and initially trained and practiced as a solicitor.

Clive Hinds is a retired PwC audit partner, having been with the firm for 34 years. Since retiring he has worked with a number of charities as a finance trustee or as an adviser.

Oliver Jeffers is a celebrated visual artist and author. His paintings have been exhibited around the world, his books have been published in 49 languages and he has been awarded the Bologna Ragazzi Award, the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize Gold Medal, the Blue Peter Book Award, Irish Children’s Book of the Year, an Emmy, a BAFTA and the MBE.

Melanie J. Johnson is a barrister and partner at global law firm Kirkland & Ellis. She was previously Trustee of the Conservatoire of Dance and Drama and the Stock Exchange Operatic and Dramatic Society.

John Kampfner (Chair) is an author and journalist working in media, politics, international affairs and the arts. He is Executive Director of the UK in the World Programme at Chatham House.

Munesh Mahtani is a senior lawyer, specialising in regulatory and technology matters. He has worked in law for over 20 years, including at large multinational and scaling technology companies.

Pam Raynor has a background in finance, most recently, as COO and CFO of Conde Nast Publications Ltd. She currently sits on the Board of the Henry Moore Foundation and is a Member of Council of Goldsmiths College, University of London.

Stella Toonen is an arts programmer and researcher. She is Director of Culture Within Newham, the Arts Council-funded arts engagement programme for the borough of Newham. Stella recently completed her PhD on co-creation strategies in community engagement work in museums.

Claudia Zeff (Deputy Chair) is an art director, editor and Creative Consultant to Quentin Blake. She is editor of Thames & Hudson’s Illustrators series and author of Quentin Blake – A Year of Drawings.

All Things Studio, Gallery Designer (3D) – All Things is a London-based practice that specialises in the planning and design of exhibitions and interpretation for museums, cultural institutions and historic sites in the UK and internationally. They create spaces that support and interpret collections, engage and inspire audiences and help institutions to communicate their identity and contemporary relevance. Previous clients include the Design Museum, the British Museum, Manchester Jewish Museum and English Heritage.

Core Five – Core Five are an independent award-winning cost consultancy.

Earnscliffe Associates, Access Consultant – Earnscliffe is a leading access consultancy working with arts organisations, museums and heritage sites and leisure and residential spaces. Clients include the V&A, the Design Museum, Tate Modern, Tate St Ives and the Museum of London.

Eckersley O’Callaghan, Structural Engineers – Eckersley O’Callaghan are an international practice delivering intelligent engineering solutions to complex briefs. Projects include the V&A’s Europe 1600-1815 Galleries and Stamford Bridge Stadium. They received the 2021 IStructE Award Winners for Construction Innovation and Structural Transformation, and the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation in 2010 and for International Trade in 2018.

Fraser Muggeridge Studio, Wayfinding – Fraser Muggeridge studio is a graphic design company based in London that works in a wide range of formats, from artists’ books and exhibition catalogues to posters, marketing material, exhibitions, websites, film titles and music, the studio prioritises artists’ and writers’ content over the imposition of a signature style. Previous clients include Jeremy Deller, Tom Odell, Matt’s Gallery, Focal Point Gallery and Art Monthly.

Heather Whitt, Evaluator – Heather supports Museums and Arts organisations to weave creative evaluation into their projects in people-centred ways that add value and enjoyment. Her recent projects have explored the ways in which engaging with the Arts and museums can impact wellbeing and mental health, drawing on a variety of evaluation techniques including reflective practice, visual toolkits and the storytelling methodology. With 15 years' experience across Arts evaluation, engagement, and project management, Heather has worked countrywide with organisations including Barbican, The British Museum, London Museum, and Hull Maritime.

Liz Fraser-Betts, Evaluator – Liz is a nationally connected strategic arts consultant and coach with over 18 years of experience in the arts. Formerly managing Learning departments in galleries and museums, she founded Dot Dot Dash Coaching and Consultancy in 2019. As an accredited coach, Liz creates safe, generative thinking spaces that unlock potential and tackle challenges, enhancing organisational awareness and insight. Her approach integrates coaching culture with creativity, ensuring ethical, vibrant, and visually accessible evaluations. Past clients include Royal Opera House, National Trust, London Transport Museum, Engage, AND and GEM.

Max Fordham, Building Services Engineers – As service engineers, Max Fordham’s practice focuses on the internal environment of buildings and their performance, from daylighting and acoustics to building physics and sustainability. They are pioneers in sustainable, low energy and low carbon building design, placing the climate emergency at the heart of their work. Projects include the Courtauld Gallery, Alexandra Palace, Tate Britain, Tate Modern Switch House and Tate St Ives.

Tim Ronalds Architects, Project Architects – Appointed through an architectural competition, Tim Ronalds Architects specialise in arts, education and public projects. They design buildings with outstanding quality and character in which people can enjoy creative work. With a strong reputation for complex projects, including sensitive locations and listed buildings, their work is award-winning and published and exhibited in the UK and internationally. Past projects include Hackney Empire, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Wilton’s Music Hall, Grange Park Opera House and Ironmonger Row Baths.

Wolfe Hall, Gallery Designer (2D) – Wolfe Hall is a narrative and research-led design studio founded by Luke Hall and Jason Wolfe. They collaborate internationally with cultural institutions and clients working in the arts, fashion and academia to create collectable publications, exhibitions, brand identities, typefaces, signage, wayfinding and digital platforms. Exhibitions they have recently designed include The Cult of Beauty (Wellcome Collection), Alice Neel: Hot Off The Griddle (Barbican) and Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Natural History Museum).