Three new Trustee appointments announced

Alison Jones said: 'It is an absolute honour, and a dream come true, to have been appointed to the Board of the British Museum, not least during such a momentous and exciting time in its history. I'm very much looking forward to playing a part in its future success.'

Meneesha Kellay said: 'I am deeply honoured to join the British Museum's Board of Trustees, particularly during this extraordinary moment of transformation for the institution. Museums are places of wonder where we come to appreciate and learn about global cultures. In doing so, we discover more about ourselves, how we are connected to others, and what we have in common. As a dedicated museum curator, I believe in the transformative potential of the arts, and I hope to contribute to broadening participation and strengthening collaboration across our national institutions with this appointment.'

Erdem Moralioglu MBE said: 'It is a privilege to join the Board of the British Museum at such an important moment in its history. Museums are where we encounter the beauty and complexity of the world, and where we find points of connection with one another. I believe deeply in the power of art and culture to inspire, and I am excited to play a part in shaping the Museum's future.'

Alison Jones
Born and raised in Liverpool, Alison Jones is a leading lawyer in the charity and not-for-profit sector. She graduated with a first-class honours degree in law from the University of Manchester and a distinction in the Legal Practice Course at BPP Law School. Alison has built her career at global law firms Hill Dickinson LLP and Womble Bond Dickinson LLP, the magic circle firm Slaughter and May and the multinational technology company Sage. She now leads her current firm Muckle LLP's arts, culture and heritage practice.

Alison has actively contributed to a number of working parties of the Charity Law Association, helping to shape regulatory guidance for the benefit of the charity sector. She has also served on several not-for-profit boards, including the board of Newcastle Theatre Royal and is on the Charity Commission's panel of interim managers. A passionate advocate for arts and culture being accessible to all, Alison is committed to advancing initiatives that support this aim.

Meneesha Kellay
Born and raised in Southall, West London, Meneesha Kellay is a curator and cultural leader working across art, architecture, design and performance. She is currently Senior Curator and Lead Curator of a forthcoming major exhibition at the V&A Museum. Her curatorial practice supports emerging and experimental work through commissions, exhibitions, installations and live programmes.

Meneesha was co-curator of the award-winning British Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale. Previously she led Open House London and public programmes at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Architectural Association School of Architecture. She has also played leading roles in cultural festivals including the London Design Festival and the London Festival of Architecture.

In 2024 Meneesha was awarded a Clore Leadership Fellowship in recognition of her commitment to building platforms that amplify diverse voices within and beyond institutions. She is an advocate for shifting museum practice with a strong interest in the transformative potential of the arts. Meneesha has extensive experience in broadening participation and champions methodologies that foster inclusive cultural environments.

Erdem Moralioglu MBE
Born in Montreal to a Turkish father and British mother, Erdem Moralioglu is the Creative Director and founder of ERDEM, a renowned British fashion house. Graduating with an MA from London's Royal College of Art in 2003, his first womenswear collection debuted in 2006 and quickly gained recognition for its poetic and modern approach to femininity.

ERDEM has received international recognition and a number of industry accolades, including the 2010 inaugural British Fashion Council/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund Award and the 2014 BFC Womenswear Designer of the Year Award. The house opened its flagship store in Mayfair in 2015, followed by two locations in South Korea in 2024 and 2025. A second London store on Sloane Street is due to open in October 2025. In 2020, Erdem was honoured with an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for his contribution to the fashion industry.

Erdem has shown his collections in a series of historically and culturally significant London locations, including the British Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Sadler's Wells, White Cube and the V&A Museum. In 2024, he opened Imaginary Conversations at Chatsworth, an exhibition dedicated to the process of creating the Spring Summer 24 collection and its muse, Duchess Deborah. Pieces from his collections have been exhibited globally at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the V&A Museum in London, and the Palais Galliera and the Louvre Museum in Paris. In October 2025, Rizzoli will publish Erdem Moralioglu's debut book, ERDEM, a monograph released to mark 20 years of the house.

The British Museum is governed by a Board of Trustees. The maximum number of Trustees permitted by the British Museum Act 1963 is 25.

One Trustee is appointed by His Majesty The King, 15 are appointed by the Prime Minister, five are appointed by the Trustees themselves and four are appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on nominations from specified learned societies. Trustees are not remunerated. A full list of current Trustees is available on the British Museum website: britishmuseum.org/governance