Board of Trustees | British Council

The Board of Trustees are the guardians of the British Council’s purpose and are ultimately accountable for the organisation.

They hold the Senior Leadership Team responsible for the organisation’s performance, strategy and policy. The trustees meet six times a year. Edited minutes of their meetings are available to the public.

There are five formal sub-committees to the Board. Click on any to read the respective terms of reference:

Protocols (PDF 129kb) are in place to support the effective and consistent operation of the sub-committees. We also publish annually the register of interests (PDF 130kb) of the Board of Trustees.

Trustees

Sarah Sands

Sarah Sands became Deputy Chair in September 2022, and is currently acting chair. She is a former editor of The Sunday Telegraph, the Evening Standard and BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Professor Wendy Alexander

Wendy Alexander is the Scottish Government’s Trade & Investment Envoy for Higher Education and Vice-Principal, International at the University of Dundee.

Mark Beddy

Mark Beddy is Chair of English Touring Opera and of London Symphony Orchestra Productions. He was previously a senior audit partner at Deloitte LLP.

Sir Stephen Deuchar CBE

Sir Stephen Deuchar was director of Art Fund, the national charity for art, from 2010 to 2020. Previously he was founding director of Tate Britain.

Yasmin Diamond CB

Yasmin Diamond is Executive Vice President of Global Corporate Affairs at IHG.

Thomas Drew CMG

Thomas Drew CMG is the Director General, Defence & Intelligence at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

Richard Hookway

Richard Hookway is an experienced international business executive. He is a also a NED at Royal Vopak, Parkland Corp and Chair of Swim England.

David Lefevre

David Lefevre is Director of the Edtech Lab at the Imperial College Business School and a serial entrepreneur.

Rageh Omaar

Rageh Omaar is International Affairs Editor of ITV News and presents the channel's flagship News at Ten programme and current affairs programme 'On Assignment'.

Malcolm Press

Professor Malcolm Press is Vice-Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University, having worked previously at the Universities of Birmingham, Sheffield, and Manchester.

Clare Reddington

Clare Reddington is CEO of Watershed, co-Director of Bristol and Bath Creative R&D and a Visiting Professor at University of the West of England.

Dame Seona Reid DBE

Seona Reid was Director of the Glasgow School of Art (1999 - 2013) and is Chair of National Theatre of Scotland and Vice Chair of Wasps Studios.

Sushil Saluja

Sushil Saluja is an international business leader with 30 years’ experience of technology-led transformation and education. He is also a Governor of the University of Greenwich.

Fiona Salzen

Fiona is a finance professional with a strong interest in charity effectiveness who has been an independent member of two British Council Board Sub-Committees.