Trustees
Prof Phil Redmond CBE is probably best known as the creator of three of Britain's longest-running drama programmes: Grange Hill, Brookside and Hollyoaks. He has also written extensively for radio, television and stage and is currently a regular columnist for the Liverpool Daily Post.
Phil was awarded the honorary chair of media at Liverpool John Moores University in 1989. Since 1993 he has also been a fellow and member of the board of trustees, as well as founding and chairing the International Centre for Digital Content (ICDC), also based at LJMU.
Phil was a founder member of the first regional branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in Manchester and in 1996 was elected as fellow of Royal Society of Arts. In 1997 he was appointed vice chair of the newly created North West Film Commission, becoming a patron in 1999. He was awarded a CBE for services to drama in June 2004.
In November 2006 Phil joined Liverpool's Capital of Culture Board and became deputy chair. He was appointed creative director in September 2007. Both he and his wife, Alexis, have long-standing links with and are major benefactors of National Museums Liverpool.
Sir Neil Cossons has over 25 years experience in the museums sector and is a fellow of the Museums Association. He is the former chairman of English Heritage, a former director of the Science Museum and National Maritime Museum and has also been chief executive of the Ironbridge Museum Trust. He is chairman of National Museums Liverpool's Public Services Committee.
Jonathan has been a leader for creative culture in the North West since 1991, when he set up the innovative Shed design practice. He then founded Urban Splash in 1993 with Tom Bloxham, with a vision of transforming neglected city centre buildings into vibrant new developments. As well as his role of chief executive, Jonathan sits on the Liverpool Architecture and Design Advisory Panel, is a director of Baa Bar Ltd and is still a partner in the award winning practice Shedkm Ltd. He is a member of RIBA, FRSA and ARB. He is chairman of National Museums Liverpool's Capital Programs Committee.
Bryan Gray is the chairman of the North West Development Agency and deputy chair of Baxi Group Ltd, one of Europe's leading heating companies. He is vice president of the European Heating Association and a special professor in the Department of the Built Environment at the Univerity of Nottingham.
Mr Gray joined Baxi in 1993 having previously worked for ICI for almost 20 years. From 1989 he was managing director of an ICI plastics business in the North West. He was chairman of Preston North End Football Club until October 2001, and was founder chairman of the National Football Museum in Preston. He was chairman of CBI North Western Region (2000-2002) and was high sheriff of Lancashire (2003-2004). He is pro-chancellor of the University of Lancaster, deputy lieutenant of Lancashire and a board member of the Liverpool Capital of Culture.
Professor Christopher Green is professor of the History of Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art. He is a trustee of the Estorick Collection of Italian Art and a fellow of the Association of Art Historians and the British Academy. His research interests are European and American art and architecture of the 20th century, particularly French and British painting and sculpture between 1900 and 1945. He has written extensively on Cubism and on Joan Miró and was the curator of the Courtauld Institute's exhibition on Roger Fry. He has been a trustee of National Museums Liverpool since April 2001 and is chairman of the Research Panel.
Norman Kurland was senior adviser to the president of the J Paul Getty Trust between 2002 and 2006, where he was responsible for liaison between the Trust and the Courtauld Institute of Art. Before this he pursued a career in the media, working in television production with Screen Gems Television, then moving to Bryna Productions, (Kirk Douglas’s production) in 1962. From 1972 he was sole proprietor of the Norman Kurland Agency which represented writers and directors in film and television. The company then changed to become the Broder/ Kurland Agency where he served as president (1977 to 2001). He is the director of Scala Publishers and serves as the communications advisor to the Courtauld Institute. He became a trustee of National Museums Liverpool in December 2006.
Professor Margaret MacKeith CBE is a former pro-vice chancellor of the University of Central Lancashire (1995-99). Prior to that, Professor MacKeith was dean of the Faculty of Design and Technology from 1990-95. She is now Company Secretary to Boone's Chapel Ltd, a Member of Icomos and the Institute of Environmental Science and a fellow of RTPI, RSA and RGS. She has served as a commissioner of the Royal Fine Art Commission, and as a member of the North West Regional Flood Defence Committee. She has been a trustee of National Museums Liverpool since February 2000 and is chairman of the Audit Committee.
Professor Sarah Palmer is the director of the Maritime Studies Institute at the University of Greenwich. Previously she was head of the History Department at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London (1994-98). She has served as a Labour Party Councillor for Kent County Council (1985-92) and Maidstone Borough Council (1973-76). She is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and Royal Society of Arts, vice-president of the Marine Society and Sea Cadets, chair of the British Commission for Maritime History and a member of the Greenwich Forum, the Economic History Society and the Society for Nautical Research. She has been a trustee of National Museums Liverpool since February 2000.
Alexis Redmond is the chief executive of Mersey Film Limited. She is a qualified chartered accountant, with extensive experience of business and management as well as experience in media, public relations and community relations. She is a trustee of the Alder Hey Imagine Appeal and Liverpool John Moores University and a director of the Publishing and Licensing Agency Ltd, The Tirley Garth Company Ltd, Nationwide Broadcasting Ltd, Nationwide Media Company Ltd, New Media Age Ltd,
North West Television Ltd, Blue Streak Productions Ltd, Merseyfilm Ltd, NML Trading Ltd, Riverside Housing Repairs Ltd, The Riverside Group Ltd, Riverside Consultancy Services and St George’s Hall Charitable Trust. Alexis is chairman of National Museums Liverpool's Finance Committee.
Anil is a director at Wrengate Limited, a privately held business involved in the importation, distribution and converting of textiles. Born in Bombay, India, he has a law degree from King’s College, London and is a chartered accountant. Anil is a board member of the Northwest Regional Development Agency and the North West Cultural Consortium, the Manchester Asian Business Forum and the Commonwealth Film Festival together with a non-executive directorship at Granada Television Limited. He is a member of the Regional Skills Partnership, a governor of the University of Manchester and the Manchester Grammar School and justice of the peace at the Manchester Magistrates Courts. In October 2002 Anil was elected president of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He was awarded an OBE in January 2001 for services to business.
Eva Wisemark is managing director of Optima Management Services Ltd, which provides strategic and business restructuring advice, as well as investment advice to private equity. She is a senior executive educated in Sweden and the US with diverse international experience gained in both Europe and North America. Eva is a non-executive director of Kingfisher Wood Products Ltd, a member of the Northwest Industrial Development Board and a commissioner of the US-UK Fulbright Commission. She is director of Business in the Arts North West and was formerly chairman of the Institute of Directors (IoD), Northwest Region. She is also a founder and trustee of the Magadi Maasai Learning Fund, Kenya. Eva has a strong interest in both fine and decorative arts and is a fellow of the RSA and a member of the Museums Association and the Institute of Directors. She joined National Museums Liverpool as a trustee in 2002 and is chairman of the Human Resources Committee.
Brian Wong has been managing director of Fo Ho Finance Investment Co Ltd since 1997 and is economic adviser for Kaiping City and Jiangmen City Overseas Investment Bureaus in China. He was founder, then chief executive, of the Liverpool Chinatown Business Association Liverpool (1989-), founder of Chinese North West Council (2001) and association manager of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce and Industry (1998-). He is a board member of the Ethnic Minority Business Forum (Department of Trade and Industry), vice-chairman of the Ethnic Minority Business Forum (North West Development Agency) and official interpreter for the Home Office Immigration Service. He has been a board member of Granby Toxteth Development Trust and an advisory council member of BBC Television North West. He has been a justice of the peace since 1994 and became deputy lieutenant of Merseyside in 2002.
The Trustee Register of Interests is available to download here.