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Mark Read to join Natural History Museum's Board of Trustees
The Natural History Museum is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Read to the Board of Trustees, from 1 June 2022.
Lord Green, Chair of the Trustees of the Natural History Museum says: “Mark Read brings a wealth of experience from the commercial, digital and communications industries and his expertise will be invaluable as we continue to grow and strengthen our technological capabilities and commercial ventures.
“Commercial revenue helps to support the Museum’s 350 scientists’ pioneering research, care for our internationally important collections and drive forward our mission of creating advocates for the planet and building a world in which both people and planet can thrive.”
Mark Read is CEO of WPP, one of the world’s leading marketing and communications companies, having held multiple leadership positions since he joined in 1989.
As Head of Strategy and then CEO of WPP Digital, Mark was responsible for many of WPP’s first moves into technology. In 2015, he became Global CEO of Wunderman, which he transformed into a leading creative, data and technology agency. Earlier in his career, Mark co-founded internet start-up WebRewards and specialised in media and marketing as a principal at consultancy Booz Allen Hamilton.
Mark was recognised as a HERoes Champion of Women in Business for the fourth consecutive year in 2021 and was named #1 in the 2022 Empower Advocates list which recognises leaders who create diverse and inclusive business environments. He was voted the industry’s Most Influential Person of 2019 in Econsultancy’s Top 100 Digital Agencies report and in 2021 and was awarded Fellow of the IPA status for outstanding services to the industry in the IPA's New Year's Honours.
Mark Read says: “As communities, business and governments work together to solve the climate crisis, people want to understand how their lifestyle choices impact on the world around them. The marketing, technology and creative industries have shown how impactful communications and innovative business models can help shift opinion, change behaviour and create consumer demand. I’m honoured to be joining the Natural History Museum’s Board of Trustees as the organisation maximises its commercial partnerships and harnesses the latest technologies to educate society and inspire the next generation.”
The new appointee joins the other current members of the Board of Trustees: Chair - The Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint; Dame Frances Cairncross DBE FRSE; Hilary Newiss; Robert Noel; Simon Patterson; Prof Sir Stephen Sparks CBE FRS; Prof Dame Janet Thornton DBE FRS; Prof Yadvinder Malhi CBE; Harris Bokhari OBE; and Dr Sarah E Thomas. Sir Patrick Vallance will be the successor to Lord Stephen Green as Chair of the Board of Trustees. Patrick is due to join the Board in October 2022 as Chair Designate and take over as Chair early in 2023.
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Notes for editors
For more information on the Museum’s governance and Trustees please visit the Natural History Museum’s Website: www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/governance.html
Natural History Media contact: Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5654/ (0)779 969 0151 Email: press@nhm.ac.uk
About the Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum is both a world-leading science research centre and the most-visited indoor attraction in the UK last year. With a vision of a future in which both people and the planet thrive, it is uniquely positioned to be a powerful champion for balancing humanity’s needs with those of the natural world.
It is custodian of one of the world’s most important scientific collections comprising over 80 million specimens accessed by researchers from all over the world both in person and via over 30 billion digital data downloads to date. The Museum’s 350 scientists are finding solutions to the planetary emergency from biodiversity loss through to the sustainable extraction of natural resources.
The Museum uses its global reach and influence to meet its mission to create advocates for the planet - to inform, inspire and empower everyone to make a difference for nature. We welcome millions of visitors through our doors each year, our website has had 17 million visits in the last year and our touring exhibitions have been seen by around 20 million people in the last 10 years.