This is the pool of consultants available through the AIM Higher programme. AIM will match you to the consultant who is best placed to help with your question.
Isilda Almeida
Isilda Almeida is an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Consultant and a PhD Heritage Science student at the University of Brighton. Isilda is experienced in audience engagement, strategic planning, project management and is very passionate about supporting museums to make their service more inclusive and relevant to communities, particularly underserved audiences. Isilda designs and delivers Equity programmes and consultancy, for cultural and sector support organisations such as Sussex Dance Network; Artswork; Museum Development Programmes across the UK, and others. She is also an AIM New Stories New Audiences mentor.
Rob Avann
Rob Avann is a values-led charity consultant and interim CEO with over 8 years’ experience as a charity chief executive and more than 16 years as a trustee across a range of sectors. He supports charities and not-for-profits with leadership, governance, mentoring, and strategy, drawing on a deep commitment to integrity, compassion, inclusion, collaboration, and flexibility.
Rob works with organisations as an Interim CEO, leadership mentor, and strategic advisor. His services include governance reviews, strategy development, board facilitation and recruitment, training, incorporation and legal structure changes, and funding readiness support. He also mentors first-time and underrepresented CEOs, bringing both lived experience and insight from his time as a local authority commissioner.
A Strategic Applicant Consultant for The Fore and an associate member of Consultants for Good and Interims for Impact, Rob is also a dedicated volunteer—serving as a pro bono mentor and advisor for ACEVO, the Cranfield Trust, and the Greater London Authority’s Equitable Volunteering Forum. He was a trustee of the Collections Trust (2017–2024) and remains deeply passionate about history and heritage.
Hilary Barnard
Hilary Barnard is a highly experienced organisational, and business planning consultant working with museums and heritage organisations throughout the UK. Hilary’s work for AIM Higher has concentrated on complex governance situations where his knowledge of charity law and good practice and his skills as a mediator and investigator have been particularly relevant. He has conducted over 70 governance reviews, including 25+ within the museum and heritage sector.
Hilary is the co-author of Successful Museum Governance (AIM 2020) and of Turnaround And Closure (AIM 2024) – with Ruth Lesirge.
Hilary’s strategic consultancy with charities and not for profits has included support to develop new business models, align board, staff and volunteer practice with the changing conditions, and advance partnership working and appraise merger opportunities.
Hilary is an experienced Chair of Trustees, and a former Senior Visiting Fellow at Cass (now Bayes) Business School. He has co-designed and co-delivered the AIM Spark! Leadership programme (8 series 2021-26), the AIM Induction programme for new museum Trustees (8 series 2021-26) and the AIM Museum Leaders and Museum Enablers residential development programmes (2016-18). He is a member of The Experience Network and a former charity Chief Executive.
Alisa Bellingham
Alisa Bellingham has worked in the museum sector since 1996, firstly specialising in museum education before becoming manager of the Museum of Cannock Chase in 2005. She is an assessor for the Sandford Award for Heritage Education, and a Board member of the Museum Development Midlands Oversight Board.
Having spent 29 years working in a small museum, firstly as part of the local authority and then as part of a charitable trust since 2012, Alisa has plenty of knowledge and hands-on experience of the particular challenges and opportunities experienced by small museums. She developed the museum into an award-winning community venue, which won several Visit England Accolades, the Sandford Award for Heritage Education six times, and was successful in obtaining large grant awards from Arts Council England, AIM and NLHF.
Alisa is ideally placed to support and mentor small museums through her own extensive experience in the field. She can support with working towards financial sustainability in small museums, museum education and engagement, customer service, maximising resources and providing high quality experiences. Making a little go a long way and maximising resource is her specialism, and she is also down to earth and friendly, so works well with volunteer-led museums and those without a lot of prior museum experience.
Catherine Brys
Catherine Brys is an experienced consultant known for bringing a rich mix of perspectives and skills to her work with organisations of all sizes. Her expertise spans conflict resolution, strategy development, stakeholder engagement, and visitor experience.
A twice-accredited conflict resolution professional, Catherine holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Mediation & Conflict Resolution (University of Strathclyde) and is a certified Good Relations Practitioner. She has extensive experience in formal mediation, coaching individuals through difficult conversations, and facilitating resolution between parties in complex situations.
Catherine also specialises in strategy and vision development. With an MBA (Strategy specialism) from the University of Strathclyde, she approaches strategic planning as a co-design process, ensuring board and staff ownership throughout.
In stakeholder engagement, Catherine uses a range of tools—from surveys and deep-dive interviews to co-creation sessions—to surface meaningful insights and create inclusive, open dialogue.
She also supports organisations in transforming visitor experience. Taking a holistic and practical approach, she helps teams define success and improve every aspect of the customer journey, far beyond traditional customer service.
Emma Chaplin
Emma Chaplin is a highly experienced and respected museum professional, having led AIM from 2018-21 and run a successful consultancy business from 2009-18, building on senior management and curatorial roles in independent and local authority museums. Her work is characterised by energy, professionalism and a deep knowledge of the museum and heritage sector and its networks. She takes a pragmatic approach to ensure the best possible outcome whilst building confidence and skills for the future.
Her skills, knowledge and experience, relevant to the AIM Higher Programme, include governance review, business planning, advocacy, collections development, writing funding applications and developing new projects.
Dr Cara Courage
Dr Cara Courage SFIPM FRSA is a leading specialist in socially engaged practice, evaluation and impact, progressive museum models and placemaking, with over 25 years’ experience supporting museums, galleries and cultural organisations to embed community voice and public value at their core. She works with boards, executive teams and practitioners to strengthen governance, co-create inclusive strategies, and evidence the social, cultural and civic impact of their work.
A former senior leader at Tate and current Chair of Phoenix Art Space, Cara has shaped sector-wide thinking on civic purpose, participation, place-based working and values-led evaluation. She supports organisations navigating change, complexity and growth, combining strategic rigour with deep community engagement and robust, proportionate approaches to impact and learning.
Internationally recognised for pioneering trauma-informed and citizen-led approaches, Cara is the author and editor of several Routledge titles on placemaking and social practice. Her work brings together creative insight, operational expertise and critical evaluation to help organisations demonstrate impact, make confident decisions and build sustainable futures.
Finella Devitt
Finella Devitt is adept at developing business models which achieve a fine balance between ‘culture’ and ‘commerce’ to maximise sustainability. She typically supports clients navigate through often very challenging but essential periods of change. Whilst it can be easy to generate endless income generation ideas, Finella’s analytical approach helps clients identify those which will optimise operating profit AND fit with vision. She places huge importance on the people aspect of business planning (be it volunteers, staff, trustees/directors or external partners/advisors) to ensure organisations have the experience, expertise and enterprising culture needed to deliver growth
Finella is Director of Azure Oxford working across the UK / Ireland. Many of the business models she has developed for clients have supported major capital and revenue funding applications.
Her former roles include Chief Executive of the House for an Art Lover where she developed a highly successful commercial revenue model, Chief Executive of Loch Lomond Shores, a £60m National Park-based development, where she created revenue-boosting partnerships, Chair of the trading subsidiary of the Centre for Contemporary Art and Board Observer for Collage Arts in London.
Anna Dinnen
In the course of over 25 years working in the arts and cultural sector across England and Wales with organisations of varying size and focus, Anna has developed particular expertise in strategy development, business planning and business modelling, and organisational development. Her consultancy portfolio also includes programme research and design, evaluation, leadership training, and facilitation for both funders and arts organisations. Anna loves to bring creativity and an analytical brain to working with individuals and teams so that they can take stock, reset and re-energise with a clear sense of direction and ambition. Prior to freelancing, Anna was Senior Programme Manager in the Digital Arts and Media team at Nesta and worked for 12 years in Arts Council England’s Organisational Development team supporting change across the funded portfolio and within ACE.
Jonathan Durnin
Jonathan Durnin has over 30 years of experience in economics, heritage, and culture, with a strong track record in evidence-led research, strategic advice, and organisational development for museums. He has supported institutions across the UK with business planning, infrastructure investment, audience development, and advocacy.
His work includes leading research on museum admissions for AIM, ACE, and UK governments, developing the AIM Economic Impact Toolkit, and evaluating major initiatives such as the Museum Development Programme and the redevelopment of Nottingham Castle.
Jonathan is committed to sharing his expertise through mentoring and coaching, drawing on his extensive experience with museums and heritage organisations from Cornwall to the Orkneys. His areas of expertise include organisational sustainability, governance, business modelling, and funding strategy.
He is known for building long-term client relationships—most notably working with Dippy the Dinosaur on tour and in Coventry for over seven years—and for providing dynamic, responsive support to help organisations achieve their goals.
Jonathan is a Fellow of the Regional Studies Association, a member of the Association of Independent Museums and the Museums Association, and an AIM Higher Mentor. He is also a board member for Leicestershire Music Hub and a volunteer with Leicester Wheels for All.
Ciara Eastell
Ciara Eastell OBE is a highly experienced consultant, coach, and facilitator working across the cultural, heritage, and creative industries sectors. With a 25-year career in public service and leadership—most notably as the founding Chief Executive of Libraries Unlimited—Ciara has, over the past six years, built a thriving consultancy supporting museums, galleries, and heritage organisations across the UK.
Ciara’s clients include the Foundling Museum, Royal Cornwall Museum, The Box, Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Barnsley Museums Service, Compton Verney, Wellcome Collection, and Tate. Her work spans mentoring museum leaders through major transformation, strategic reviews to boost sustainability and income, and delivering leadership development and team coaching. She has worked with Tate in various roles over the past 6 years, including a recent 18-month assignment working closely with the Director of Tate Britain on a programme of culture change.
A trained and accredited coach and action learning facilitator, Ciara has coached and mentored museum professionals and teams, helping organisations develop high-performing, resilient leadership. She has also held academic and advisory roles, including Professor of Practice at the University of Exeter Business School, National Council member of Arts Council England, and governor at Arts University Plymouth.
Louise Emerson
Louise Emerson has worked at CEO and senior management (Natural History Museum) in Museums and the Arts for 25 years. Louise helps organisations focus, think differently, take difficult decisions and progress. She specialises in all stages of strategic and business planning; including organisational refocus and change, income generation and fundraising, developing audiences, Board development, establishing partners. She has worked with several AIM members since 2020 and on the AIM New Stories New Audiences programme as well as delivering webinars for The Heritage Alliance.
She is a National Lottery Heritage Fund consultant, an accredited Coach and Mentor (senior level practitioner EMCC), a Help to Grow consultant and mentors with AMA, Universities or Warwick, Leeds & Kingston, and has an MBA.
Andrew Evans
Andrew Evans is a fundraising, business development, and governance expert who has worked with a wide range of museums to solve difficult problems. Before becoming a consultant and mentor, his last ‘real’ job was as Director of Development at National Museums Liverpool and, previously, Head of Fundraising and Communications at Bluecoat arts centre Liverpool. As a consultant Andrew’s clients have included museums led by volunteers without their own venues, to some of the world’s largest museum groups. Andrew particularly enjoys supporting smaller organisations in rethinking their approach to generating income and looking at governance issues and practical ways of working that can solve problems and unlock growth.
Andrew is Vice-President of the National Library of Wales, trustee of the Equilibrium Foundation grant making trust, and of Civic Voice. He lives in North Wales – but is a great fan of a train (he’s very excited that one of his current clients is Rocket all Aboard) and will happily travel to your nearest station!
Stephen Feber
Stephen Feber worked across the museum sector nationally and internationally since 1980 as a curator, consultant, director, and chief executive. Over four decades, he established or developed five major independent museums and visitor attractions, including Quarry Bank Mill, The World of Glass, Eureka! The National Children’s Museum, Magna Science Centre (Stirling Prize winner), and Heartlands in Cornwall. He also led the creation of York Museum Service and facilitated its transition to trust status.
Alongside this, Stephen delivered over 40 consultancy projects for organisations such as the RAF Museums, Heritage Alliance, SPAB, Jersey Heritage, Luton Culture, and the Imperial War Museums—bringing end-to-end experience from concept and design to funding, construction, and the operation of financially sustainable attractions.
Deeply committed to sector leadership, Stephen co-founded the Museums and Resilient Leadership programme with Andrew Lovett, which supported over 65 museum professionals between 2012 and 2022. He was also a founding member of Directing Change in 1990, an annual leadership retreat for senior museum professionals. Stephen is a graduate of the Getty-funded Museum Leadership Institute, a seasoned board member, and a trained Samaritans listening volunteer.
Christine Fogg
Christine Fogg is an experienced independent consultant, specialising in leadership and management development at CEO/Director and governance level. She has a successful consultancy track record in voluntary sector work focused on strategic planning and leadership, OD and change management.
Previously the CEO of a national charity and two smaller, community focused organisations, Christine is now a Consultant and Visiting Fellow within the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Bayes Business School, also working independently and in association. She completed an MSc in Voluntary Sector Organisation and Social Policy at the LSE and is an ILM Level 7 qualified and experienced coach and action learning facilitator.
Her consultancy includes leadership, governance and strategy support for a wide range of charities, including programme design, coaching and facilitation on leadership development. With a deep personal interest in charity governance, Christine has served as a trustee of several voluntary organisations, was Chair of the Royal Free Charity and has recently joined the board of her local Citizen’s Advice.
David Gaimster
David Gaimster is an established executive director, advisor and thought leader in museums and the cultural heritage, having worked in senior roles across the UK and overseas. He has a track record of delivering positive transformation – physical and digital and organisational – enabling cultural institutions to extend their reach, achieve greater sustainability, relevancy and impact, and to thrive in what feels like a relentlessly uncertain operating environment.
David has worked for over 30 years in senior leadership, curatorial, policy and research roles for museums, heritage organisations, universities and for central government, 20 years of these as a CEO of four major museums in London, Glasgow, New Zealand and Australia, with staffing ranging from 30 to 300. He is a Fellow of the Museums Association (FMA). Whatever your size or need, David’s lived experience as a cultural CEO can help you to resolve complex issues with advice and support ranging from visioning, strategy, master and business planning, service reviews, collections and digital strategies, content and interpretation pans to mentoring and board development. David combines evidence driven and people centred approaches that ensure the best results and impact.
Sara Hilton
I’m a highly experienced mentor and critical friend, and have worked as specialist advisor for the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Architectural Heritage Fund and AIM for many years, supporting organisations of all shapes and sizes. As well as commissioned work, I’m also Chair of the Museum Development SW Regional Advisory Board.
As an accredited coach, I love working with museum leaders, trustees and managers to challenge assumptions and encourage innovative thinking – I will not bring top-down consultant solutions, but will support you to find your own solutions. I support organisations of all sizes with:
- Governance and board development
- Strategy and organisational change
- Strategic partnerships – engagement, stakeholder perceptions and impact
- Project development – project visioning, project mentoring, project health-checks and investment readiness
- Crucial conversations – supporting the sometimes difficult, but necessary conversations that may be needed to enable change
Sam Hunt
Sam Hunt is based in the South West. He has extensive experience of working with heritage organisations across the UK – large and small. Previous appointments include Executive Director of AIM, Chief Executive of South West Museums, Libraries and Archive Council and Head of Bath Museums Service. He is a trustee of the National Maritime Museum Cornwall and Lyme Regis Museum, and a Fellow of the Museums Association. His specialisms are visioning and strategic planning, options studies, governance, and organisational reviews, change management, staff and trustee recruitment.
Reyahn King
Reyahn King is an experienced mentor, facilitator and culture consultant. As such, she can offer mentees structured time to reflect and plan in sessions with individuals and/or teams. Reyahn’s recent facilitation work with senior staff and trustees has included sessions for Birmingham Museums, Bailiffgate Museum and the Falconer Museum.
As a consultant, Reyahn specialises in strategy development, developing realistic, achievable visions in consultation with stakeholders and teams. Recent strategy clients include London Transport Museum and the Hunterian at Glasgow University.
Reyahn was formerly CEO of York Museums Trust, Director of Art Galleries at National Museums Liverpool, Head of Interpretation and Exhibitions and a curator at Birmingham Museums. Reyahn also worked for the National Lottery Heritage Fund and is now a Heritage Fund RoSS framework consultant for public engagement.
Reyahn was a mentor for the Museums Association Associateship scheme for over 20 years. She is a qualified coach as well as a facilitator trained by ICA and the International Futures Forum.
Alex Lindley
Alex Lindley is the director of Alchemy, an Organisation and People Development consultancy that specialises in working with clients in the cultural and Not-for-Profit sectors. Alchemy works with organisations that value the flexible and bespoke service that a micro-consultancy can offer. We focus on helping people and organisations to reach their full potential, whether that be through organisational development research and consultancy, leadership development training, coaching or mentoring.
Christina Lister
Christina Lister is a marketing and audience development consultant, a Trustee of Kids in Museums, a school governor and author of the book Marketing Strategy for Museums.
Christina’s experience and interests are centred around reaching, attracting and retaining audiences for heritage and cultural organisations. This includes marketing strategy, positioning, campaign planning, monitoring and evaluation; audience development plans; audience and non-user research and consultation; and membership recruitment and retention.
Christina has been a mentor on projects run by AIM, the Arts Marketing Association, the Social Enterprise Academy and several museum development organisations, and enjoys supporting and empowering people. Christina’s 20+ years’ experience spans smaller organisations such as the Museum of East Dorset, the Museum of Cambridge, and Jane Austen’s House; and larger organisations including the Science Museum Group, London Museum and Art Fund.
Heather Lomas
Heather Lomas specialises in helping boards with visioning, reviewing structures and leadership and culture, including coaching and mentoring support for chairs. Click here for Heather Lomas’s website.
“Key areas I can help with are governance issues, business planning, cashflow, organisational changes and business continuity thinking and general coaching for key staff and trustees.”
Rosemary Lynch
Rosemary Lynch’s approach to consultancy is founded on forty years’ experience in the arts, museum and education sectors, specialising in leading and managing people and change. As Tate’s Director of Collection Care, she was responsible for the care of the national collection and the delivery of Tate’s worldwide programme andwas an advocate for programmes designed to build skills and share collections and knowledge across the UK. Throughout her career, she has re-imagined services, working on the ground and with the board/external partners to develop new vision and strategy, including six years as a member of Tate’s Executive group. She has an excellent record in delivering ambitious objectives within tight budgets and working collaboratively to transform teams and cultures.
Rosemary has been working as an independent consultant, mentor and coach since 2021, focusing on strategic approaches to leadership challenges. She has a clear understanding of the relationship between vision, strategy, people, culture and resource and how these elements interact to “create the conditions” for success. She enjoys using her cross-sectoral knowledge to support diverse organisations with stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, sustainable business modelling and successful cultural change. Her professional experience and core values of openness, inclusivity, rigour and accountability are the cornerstones of her practice.
Lucy Marder
Lucy Marder is an organisational development consultant with museums and arts at the centre of her practice. She helps organisations align governance, strategy and processes, strengthening board confidence and culture to support effective change and long‑term resilience. Her practical, creative, collaborative approach uses interactive workshops, serious play methods and structured planning tools to make complex issues accessible and secure ownership of results.
Earlier in her career, Lucy worked on redevelopment teams for two Museum of the Year award winners, launching new art galleries in each. She also spent several years in Museum Development, advising hundreds of museums and serving as South East Leadership and Workforce theme lead.
Lucy has supported governance and policy improvements across the cultural, voluntary and public sectors. Recent work includes: NLHF‑supported governance review of Pink Singers; facilitating Museum Development Midlands’ Trustee Network; governance change management at Russell‑Cotes; governance training for Wessex Museums Trust and the Gosport Heritage Generator.
Lucy is a Chartered Management Consultant, MBA, qualified Executive Coach and Associate of the Museums Association. She serves on a museum Board.
Client feedback: “Really high quality work, attention to detail and open to discussion.” “Fun, friendly and assertive – able to deliver hard messages while inviting collaboration.”
Hilary McGowan
Hilary McGowan is one of the UK’s leading consultants working in the museum and heritage sector, Hilary has run her own business since 1996 so has great depth and breadth of experience in managing, developing and leading organisations through changing times. Her background as a museum director in York, Exeter and Bristol gives her a pragmatic approach. She is a specialist in governance and leadership, and works through creating customised workshops, coaching, mentoring alongside a range of tailor-made support. Hilary is the author of the AIM Success Guide for Board Away Days.
Her recent publications (co-written with Piotr Bienkowski) are Managing Change in Museums & Galleries: a Practical Guide, 2021 and the new Leadership of Inclusive & Sustainable Cultural Organisations, 2025, both published by Routledge.
Julie Molloy
Julie Molloy is currently the Managing Director of NGG. With excellent personal leadership, management expertise and over twenty years operational experience at Director Level, she has held positions of consistently increased responsibility in Arts and Business. Julie has proven experience in strategic development, planning and implementation, driving and managing significant change programmes focused on increasing organisational capability and effectiveness. A talented and natural leader who, throughout her career, has ensured that individuals reach their full potential within their organisation. Julie has strong technical skills in Financial Planning, Business Management and Process Improvement. Her entrepreneurial commercial approach is underpinned by significant specialist knowledge in operations, experiential retail, buying and merchandising, brand development and book publishing.
Julie steps down from her role as Managing Director in Autumn 2022 to embark on a portfolio consultancy career.
Colin Mulberg
Colin Mulberg has over 30 years practice working across museums, arts, heritage and natural environment in the UK and internationally. He specialises in supporting venues of all shapes and sizes to make the most of all their assets and reach their true potential.
Colin works collaboratively with governing boards, trustees and senior management to review and improve their short-, medium- and long-term resilience. Support Includes:
- Reviewing current earned income steams; highlighting most fruitful activities; identifying possibilities for expanding current activities and introducing new income opportunities.
- Supporting project development and delivery, including capital and National Lottery projects – reviewing project phases and lifecycle, resource demands, staffing structure, decision process, schedule, bottlenecks, delivery risk, etc.
- Mentoring and training governing boards and staff to understand the visitor viewpoint and move towards a visitor-focus.
Colin is a Fellow of the Museums Association (FMA) and a senior leader in the sector. He has extensive experience as a registered NLHF Consultant and a strong track record of developing and managing visitor-facing projects.
John Nicholls
John Nicholls is a specialist consultant supporting small to medium-sized arts, cultural, and heritage organisations through transformational change. He works closely with trustees, volunteers, staff teams, and stakeholders to shape strategic vision, strengthen governance, innovate programmes, and embed sound financial and operational practices.
With deep experience across AIM member organisations, John advises on governance structures (charities, CIOs, CICs, etc.), trading subsidiaries, and policy development. He has led numerous business options appraisals to drive revenue diversification and improve financial resilience and regularly supports organisations developing business plans—often for the first time.
John also brings expertise in strategic partnerships, placemaking, and trustee succession planning, backed by over 25 years of board experience, including as Chair. Known for his credibility and approachability, he is committed to helping clients explore new opportunities with curiosity and clarity.
A seasoned fundraiser, John has secured significant revenue, capital, and strategic support from public, lottery, philanthropic, and corporate sources. His primary fundraising focus is engaging High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs), where he also supports organisations in building a sustainable culture of major donor stewardship.
Judy Niner
Judy Niner has worked with numerous UK museums and heritage organisations, large and small, primarily focusing on fundraising and income generation. She was a trustee of the Roald Dahl Museum & Story Centre and the Waterways Trust. Since 2011 she has chaired the board of trustees of Cogges Manor Farm in Oxfordshire through a period of survival and stabilisation, preparing the organisation for exciting future development and long-term sustainability.
Judy is happy to help with income generation and trading activities, fundraising, relationships and stewardship, communications and defining board roles and responsibilities.
Andrea Nixon
Andrea Nixon MBE FRSA is a highly experienced executive director and cultural consultant with a strong track record in change management, strategic place-making, governance, partnership programming, business development, and fundraising. She has worked with a wide range of clients across the UK cultural sector, including the National Trust, National Museums Liverpool, Arts Council Collection, and the English Civic Museums Network.
Since founding her consultancy in 2018, Andrea has led cultural strategies for places from Salisbury to Birkenhead and supported numerous museums and galleries in developing sustainable visions and operations.
Previously, she was Executive Director of Tate Liverpool (2006–2018), where she led major transformations in programming and business models during Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture year. She also served as Director of Development for Tate London (1998–2006), contributing to the creation of Tate Modern and Tate Britain.
Andrea has held national board roles with Arts Council North, the Crafts Council, and The Audience Agency, and chaired the V&A Dundee Advisory Council through its pre- and post-opening phases. She is currently Chair of the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatres, a Trustee of Harewood House Trust, and a Director of The Reader CIC. She was awarded an MBE for services to the arts in 2019.
Sarah O’Grady
Sarah O’Grady is a non-practising solicitor, former chair of an NGO and manager in a public sector regulator, she works with charities to improve governance and related operational matters, developing practical tools. She specialises in governance reviews, board skills and effectiveness, leadership development and coaching and, as an accredited mediator, conflict management. She can also provide support with constitutional matters and help boards seek and implement legal advice.
“The support I could give is on governance, operational matters such as policies and risk management, difficult relationships and situations and coaching especially of chairs.”
John Roberts
John Roberts is a highly experienced consultant and mentor. Currently vice and co-chair of two charities and has help senior and executive positions in the public and private sectors. Passionate about the heritage and visitor attraction sectors, he has assisted with the detailed business review and development, review and redesign of governance policies and procedures, strategic planning, marketing, human resource planning, finance planning and successful applications for significant funding from the Arts Council and Heritage Lottery Fund. John approaches his work in a supportive, professional manner acting as a critical friend.
Mairead O’Rourke
Mairead O’Rourke is a consultant, facilitator, and coach with over arts 20 years’ experience in the museums and heritage sectors. Her work includes undertaking lottery funded organisational and governance reviews, supporting the development of business plans and developing research and guidance.
She enjoys working with boards of trustees and teams to find consensus and clarity in times of transition. Mairead’s publications include ‘Making the Most of Your Museums: A Guide for Councillors’ and she has undertaken research projects for The National Archives, Arts Council England and The Art Fund.
Mairead is an Accredited coach and has been a trustee of two heritage organisations. She is a trustee of the Museums Association Support Fund and a Museum mentor.
Debbie Read
Debbie Read is a fundraising specialist and helps boards to shape governance to tackle their financial realities. She is experienced in working with boards where personal relationships get in the way of successful governance and can also motivate well balanced boards to move to the next level of organisational development. This includes translating dry trustee recruitment approaches into an attractive, but realistic sell on behalf of the museum.
Joanna Ridout
Joanna Ridout offers over 35 years’ experience in senior management and as a trustee/director in the independent creative sector including museums, galleries and the performing arts. She has a practical and wide-ranging understanding of the challenges in running small to medium-scale cultural organisations and working with boards of trustee/directors. She specialises in bespoke facilitation, planning and mentoring and is also an Action Learning expert (advanced ILM endorsement).
She has worked with 100+ organisations in strategic planning across staff and board teams, including helping them to articulate purpose, manage change and build understanding across operational management and governance. She was the Lecturer for the vocational MA in Arts and Cultural Management at the University of Winchester from 2015-2021.
Examples of Joanna’s work include Hampshire Cultural Trust as part of Arts Council England’s Catalyst ‘Inspiring a Culture of Philanthropy’ programme across museum management teams, Manchester Palace Theatre and Opera House Trust and Ambassadors Theatre Group, the Independent Theatre Council and Harlow Art Trust.
Kate Rolfe
Kate Rolfe is a dynamic, creative and action-focused consultant, with particular expertise in marketing and audience development, commercial planning and new revenue sources, and responsible recruitment for the cultural sector. Kate’s approach is practical, objective and creative; as a consultant she wants to help her clients feel they are having a moment of freedom from their everyday, seeing their challenges with fresh eyes and feeling invigorated to try out new solutions with their teams. Thanks to having always worked at the cross-section between commerce and culture, she knows how to help clients navigate multiple (and sometimes conflicting) priorities, using Design Thinking techniques to help clients overcome ongoing barriers.
Kate runs The Revels Office, a commercial, audience and organisational development consultancy for the cultural sector. Kate also recently set up Equality In Focus: Arts Edition, as a tool to help the sector consider their approach to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Marilyn Scott
Marilyn Scott is based in the South East and is happy to travel across the UK. Marilyn is an independent heritage and arts consultant working with the Cultural Consulting Network She has experience of supporting boards with all kinds of governance review including trustee skill audits, recruitment, succession planning and process and procedure. She has also supported reviews of governance structure and strategic planning and works as a mentor to boards and chairs.
Rachel Shepherd
Back in 2016, I dipped my toe into freelance fundraising almost by accident. While I was working as the Head of Development for a museum, a local hospice needed grants and trusts support while they recruited for a permanent role.
“Just one day a week,” they said. “Maybe a few months.” 12 months later (recruitment was tough back then!), they found the right person and I’d discovered something important: I absolutely loved this way of working.
Here’s what I learned: Coming in with fresh eyes meant I wasn’t caught up in the “we used to do…” or “we tried that before…” culture. I could look at the fundraising situation clearly, work with the team to create a realistic way forward, and then hand it over to them. The key? Empowering their staff to fundraise for themselves, not just doing it for them. Small charities don’t need someone to swoop in and save the day. They need sustainable, robust fundraising they can own.
Since then, I’ve worked with charities across heritage (my background – I was a Senior Manager at an independent museum for over 10 years), healthcare, hospices, animal welfare, and social justice. These days, I support small-medium sized charities with practical fundraising strategies, grant writing, donor relationships, and getting boards engaged with fundraising. I work in person with charities in the West Midlands and online with anyone across the UK.
I’m a very keen tea drinker and always up for a chat about fundraising.
Helen Smith
Based in the South West, Helen Smith brings over 27 years of leadership and management expertise to the cultural and heritage sector. She has a track record of transforming challenging organisations into award-winning attractions.
Helen’s diverse experience spans prominent heritage sites like St. Michael’s Mount, The Severn Valley Railway, and The Tank Museum, alongside hands-on management of smaller museums. Her expertise lies in governance, leadership development, business strategy, nurturing a positive culture, driving commercial performance, and change management. She understands the impact an effective culture can have on a team.
An energetic, positive, and creative consultant, Helen is direct in her approach and dedicated to helping organisations achieve positive change.
Beyond her operational successes, Helen has also successfully fundraised for and delivered significant projects throughout her career. Her achievements have been recognised with two national ‘Enjoy England’ awards, one for ‘Innovation and Resilience’ in 2022 and another for corporate events business development in 2007. Helen holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Management Studies (DMS) and a BA (Hons) in Communication Arts.
Dr Sabina Strachan
Dr Sabina Strachan is a consultant, trainer and collaboration expert who has worked with strategic stakeholders for 25 years across heritage, culture, the creative industries and higher education. She is practical in her approach and skilled at helping people get to the root of issues. She uses inclusive, visual and creative methods to solve problems, step-by-step processes to help navigate complexity, and collaborates with clients to determine what approach is going to work best for them.
Sabina supports museums to overcome a diverse range of challenges: from audience diversification, volunteer recruitment, team development and effective governance to strategy development, partnership and income diversification to capital project business cases, stakeholder management and operational development. She has worked with a wide range of organisations, from small volunteer-run centres to local authority services, such as the Alasdair Gray Archive, Scottish Fisheries Museum and Hartlepool Museums & Archives.
Sabina formerly headed up the Scotland office of BOP Consulting and has worked in heritage management and research development. She is a Creative United CIC business advisor, SWAN Autism trustee and Out of the Blue Arts & Education Trust trustee/director.
Dr Matthew Tanner
Dr Matthew Tanner MBE is a distinguished UK cultural consultant with more than 30 years’ experience in the museums and heritage sector. Described by Arts Council England as “one of the most outstanding cultural leaders of recent times,” he is widely recognised for his leadership in transforming Brunel’s SS Great Britain into a multi-award-winning museum and visitor destination during his tenure as CEO of the SS Great Britain Trust (2000–2023).
Matthew has led major capital projects, created nationally significant museums and archives, and developed innovative strategies for conservation, governance, and audience engagement. He advises museums, and cultural organisations—through Ttandem Consulting LLP—on strategy, capital project delivery, governance, and funding.
Hon Vice President (and a former Chairman) of the Association of Independent Museums, he also mentors senior staff and trustees, and he brings deep insight and a proven track record of high-impact delivery. A former President of the International Congress of Maritime Museums, he is a leading authority on historic ship conservation and maritime heritage interpretation. He is a former President of the International Congress of Maritime Museums, is a board member for HMS Victory (NMRN). His client list includes the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, Lloyd’s Register Foundation, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and Wells Cathedral.
Joe Traynor
Joe Traynor is the former Head of Museum Development at Scotland’s national museum development body, Museums Galleries Scotland. He has worked in national, local authority and independent museums and galleries. Believing passionately that the museum sector should be relevant to communities, Joe works in partnership to make sure that museums are the best they can be.
He is experienced in strategy and business planning, governance reviews, audience and collections development and fundraising. He is an experienced and approachable trainer and mentor in all things museum.
Claire Turner
Claire Turner brings over 30 years’ experience of working with museums, cultural and community organisations, festivals, tourist boards and local authorities. She has been both CEO and Trustee of a number of independent charities and is currently Chair and Founder of a new small charity. She coaches, mentors and supports independent organisations who have very few members of staff and reply on volunteers to deliver their goals, and can bring particular benefit to organisations of this type.
Claire has a passion for encouraging and supporting creative thinking, and prides herself on being able to help Boards identify the real challenges that may be preventing them from achieving their goals. She specialises in working with boards on organisational purpose, diversity, leadership, income generation and stakeholder engagement.
Claire has the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Post-Graduate Diploma in Marketing and is currently studying for the Institute of Leadership & Management’s Level 7 (Masters Equivalent) in Executive Coaching & Mentoring with the University of Bangor Business School. She is based between Manchester and North Wales.
Iain Watson
Iain Watson OBE is a cultural consultant and visiting professor at Newcastle University, based in the north east of England. He has extensive experience in leading and working with museums of varying sizes and budgets, with a variety of complex governance arrangements including joint local authority, university, independent and national. He also has experience as a board member of several cultural organisations, again operating with very different budgets.
Iain is currently mentoring in small and large museums and supporting a creative tech start-up. He is available to work with boards and senior staff on strategic change, leadership and governance, and prides himself on strong problem solving skills, the ability to communicate complex ideas in a simple manner and a reflective approach to learning and development.
Dr Alexandra Woodall
Dr Alexandra Woodall is a values-led cultural consultant, formerly Head of Public Engagement, Curatorial and Collections for York Museums Trust. She has managed creative programmes in museums and galleries for almost 25 years and has undertaken consultancy in the UK and internationally. She also has extensive academic and teaching experience. A strong advocate for workplace wellbeing, she is co-founder of GLAM Cares (a support network for community engagement practitioners) and instigated the MA’s Sticks and Stones research on bullying in the sector. She is based in Sheffield.
Alex is highly experienced at supporting organisations to be values-led and audience-focused, particularly through creative facilitation and co-production. She has expertise in:
- enabling teams to develop audience-focused strategy and vision
- facilitating idea generation (often using objects)
- mentoring staff, trustees and volunteers through challenging circumstances.