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.
Sir Robert was director general (1995-2008) and deputy director general (1982-1995) of the Imperial War Museum (IWM), which he joined in 1968. He contributed to many of its major developments including the establishment of IWM North in Trafford, the opening and further extension of the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, the modernisation of IWM's London headquarters and the creation of its permanent Holocaust Exhibition and the American Air Museum and AirSpace at IWM Duxford.
Sir Robert was chairman of the National Museums Directors Conference from 2000-6 and the National Inventory of War Memorials from 1995-2008, deputy chairman of the Museums Documentation Association from 1998-2006, and a member of the National Historic Ships Committee until 2006. He retired in 2008 and serves on the boards of a number of museums and heritage organisations.
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 is chairman of the North West Development Agency. He is pro-chancellor of the University of Lancaster and a member of the National Learning and Skills Council. In 2006 he became a member of the Lake District National Park Authority and was awarded HRH The Prince of Wales' Ambassador Award for the North West. He is also chair of the Lowther Castle and Gardens Trust and chair of the Churches Trust for Cumbria.
Other interests include being the non-executive chairman of Westmorland Limited and chairman of Liverpool Culture Company. He became chair of Carlisle Renaissance and chairman of Peel Media, the company developing the Mediacity project in Salford, in 2008 and in 2009 he was awarded a CBE in recognition for services to business and the community in the North West.
Christopher is emeritus professor at the Courtauld Institute of Art. He is a fellow of the British Academy, a trustee of the Estorick Collection of Italian Art and a fellow of the Association of Art Historians. 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 co-curated the exhibition 'Henri Roussea: Jungles in Paris' at Tate Modern, the Grand Palais, Paris, and the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC in 2005-6, and curated 'Objetos vivos: Figura y naturaleza muerta en Picasso' at the Picasso Museum, Barcelona, in 2008-9. He has been a trustee of National Museums Liverpool since April 2001.
Nisha is a practising barrister based in Liverpool, working in the area of child protection. She lectures nationally in the area of forensic pyschology. An active member of the Northern Circuit and the Family Law Bar Association, Nisha is also a treasurer of the Merseyside Lawyers Christian Fellowship.
She is married to the Hungarian international classical guitarist Zoltan Katona, who moved from London to Liverpool, due to Nisha's dedication to the city. In addition to working full time in the county courts of the North West, Nisha manages the Katonatwins guitar duo for their European tours and produces and directs their music videos. She also manages a property portfolio in the Aigburth area.
Nisha has a keen appreciation of the arts and together with her husband, has devised and run an arts education programme for schools in San Francisco. She also runs an Indian cookery course with her mother, Dr Meena Biswas, under the name of 'Two Brown Ladies'.
Norman 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 company) 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 a 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.
Alexis 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 , a board member of FACT 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 and St George’s Hall Charitable Trust.
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 was a board member of the Northwest Regional Development Agency, the North West Cultural Consortium, the Manchester Asian Business Forum and the Commonwealth Film Festival and held a non-executive directorship at Granada Television Limited. He currently chairs the Arts Council North West and is a governor of the University of Manchester and the Manchester Grammar School.
Anil retired as a justice of the peace at the Manchester Magistrates Courts after twenty years service in July 2008. In October 2002 he was elected president of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He was awarded an OBE in January 2001 for services to business and is a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester.
Eva 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 was appointed as justice of the peace in the County of Liverpool in 1994 and became deputy lieutenant of Merseyside in 2002. He is managing director of Fo Ho Finance Investment Co Ltd and finance director of Hondo Trading Co Ltd.
He has served as a board member of the Ethnic Minority Business Forum for the Department of Trade and Industry (2004-2007) and as vice chairman of the North West Ethnic Minority Business Forum (2006-2007). He was also a member of the BBC's Advisory Council for the North West (1998-2003).
Over the years he has acted as consultant and adviser to many cities in China and many local Chinese companies and organisations, as well as housing associations, youth organisations and community bodies. He is a prominent businessman in the North West and a leading member of the Chinese community.
The Trustee Register of Interests is available to download here.