Who - British Council

Chairman Lord Ballantrae with staff at Yaba, Nigeria

Who

Read about some of the people who have shaped our organisation over the years

Founder

Sir Reginald 'Rex' Leeper of the Foreign Office founded the British Council in 1934

Chairs and Chief Executive

Who was head of the British Council in which year? Find out from our lists of chairs and Chief Executive

British Council people

Read about some of our most influential figures of the 1940s: Nancy Parkinson, who enabled us to welcome visitors to the UK, Lilian Somerville, promoter of contemporary British art, and Harry Harvey Wood, who brought the Edinburgh Festival to Edinburgh