Alexandra Butler, Sanjeev Gupta and Marshall Manson have been appointed for terms of four years, commencing on 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2030.
Alexandra Butler
Alex Butler is a digital, data and technology leader with over 20 years’ experience supporting organisations to use technology as a genuine strategic asset. Ranked 22nd in the UK’s CIO100 and recognised with the Industry Award for Responsible AI, she has led large-scale digital and AI transformation across government, higher education, health, social care and sport.
Her career spans some of the UK’s most complex and high-profile organisations. In government, she launched Directgov, the UK’s first single online destination for public services, and at the Cabinet Office delivered Data.gov.uk, delivering over £30 million in efficiency savings. She was the University of Bath’s first Chief Digital and Information Officer and now leads the transformation of Sport England as it embraces technology and data to get the nation moving.
Sanjeev Gupta
Sanjeev is a geologist interested in the processes that shape past and present landscapes. A professor of Earth Sciences at Imperial College London, he is best known for the discovery of how Britain became an island due to catastrophic megafloods as deduced from sonar observations of the English Channel. His work on landscapes of Bronze-age cultures in India linked geology with heritage studies exploring how rivers influenced early urbanization. A pivot to the study of Mars led to working with NASA on Mars rovers searching for evidence of ancient life on the red planet. Here he gained senior scientific leadership experience guiding the exploration of the martian surface. He holds senior advisory roles with the UK Space Agency and international space organisations.
Sanjeev is an enthusiastic advocate for public engagement with science and is a regular public speaker. He has a long-standing association with the Royal Museums Greenwich having contributed to development of several astronomy exhibitions and serving as an ambassador for the museum. A local to the RMG, having lived in Lewisham for many years, he sees great potential in enhancing the museum’s role in the community.
Marshall Manson
Marshall is a globally-minded communications and marketing leader with more than 25 years of experience advising business on communications strategy and execution. Marshall is UK CEO of FleishmanHillard, a global communications advisory firm. He oversees a team of 300 communications professionals and advises businesses and organisations on communications strategies, geopolitical pressures, and critical situations.
Previously, Marshall was a partner at Brunswick where he advised C-Suite clients and supported a plethora of business leaders on how to approach and manage their own communications activities. Before joining Brunswick, Marshall was UK CEO of Ogilvy Public Relations, part of the Ogilvy advertising group. He was also EMEA Managing Director of Digital and Social Media, overseeing specialist teams across Ogilvy’s offices in 44 countries.
Earlier, Marshall worked in U.S. political campaigns for ten years. Marshall has lived in London since 2008 and became a British citizen in 2015. He is an enthusiastic if not very gifted photographer, and is interested in history — particularly maritime history — politics, travel, science, and food.
Marshall is a member of the Diocese of Southwark Council of Trustees, and serves on its Investment Subcommittee.
Clare Anderson has been reappointed as History Trustee and Stephen Deucher as Arts and Heritage Trustee for second terms of four years from 6 June 2026 to 5 June 2030. Lance Batchelor has been reappointed as Navy and Business Trustee for a second term of five years from 6 June 2026 to 5 June 2031.
Clare Anderson
Clare Anderson is Professor of History and Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies at the University of Leicester. Her research focuses on the history of empires, including the history of punishment and forced labour mobility. She has special interests in the Indian Ocean and Caribbean regions and is the author of numerous articles and six books, including Subaltern Lives and the prize-winning Convicts A Global History. Professor Anderson has served on the British Academy’s South Asia panel and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Grants Assessment Panel C, including as Vice-Chair.
She has been awarded research grants totalling over £6m, including from the European Research Council, ESRC, Arts and Humanities Research Council, and British Academy, and has held doctoral partnership awards to work with PhD students in collaboration with the National Maritime Museum, Howard League for Penal Reform, and Salvation Army International Heritage Centre. Clare is currently leading a major Wellcome Discovery Award project, Prisons, Drugs and Mental Health an interdisciplinary global study.
Lance Batchelor
Lance Batchelor has been the chairman of Royal Museums Greenwich since 2023, having joined the board the previous year. He previously spent 8 years as a trustee of the National Gallery.
Lance spent 12 years as trustee and chairman of the White Ensign Charity. He is a vice Patron of RNRMC, the navy’s leading charity. Lance spent 7 years on the Royal Navy board, following his early career as an officer in submarines.
Lance’s professional life has included chairmanship and/or director roles at a number of companies including Pizza Express, Ometria, Reed & Mackay, Burger King and Appello. He was previously the CEO of Tesco Mobile, Domino’s Pizza plc and Saga cruises. He holds a Harvard MBA and has just commenced his history masters at Cambridge University.
Stephen Deucher
Stephen Deuchar’s career in UK arts and museums began at the National Maritime Museum (NMM) in 1985 when he was appointed Curator of Paintings after completing a PhD in the History of Art at the University of London. Later roles in his 13 subsequent years at Greenwich included his organisation of the major Armada (1988) and Titanic (1994) exhibitions and directorship of the Neptune Court Project, prior to his becoming founding Director of the Tate Gallery of British Art (later Tate Britain) from 1998 to 2010, shaping its new role on the national and international stage.
From 2010-20 he was Director of the Art Fund, the national charity for art, doubling its membership through the introduction of the National Art Pass and leading a significant expansion of its grants programme, especially in support of curatorial innovation across the UK museums sector. In parallel, the Art Fund ran a number of successful public appeals to help secure important works of art for the nation including the Staffordshire Hoard of Anglo Saxon treasure for the West
Midlands, the Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I for Greenwich, and Derek Jarman’s Prospect Cottage for Creative Folkestone. He was appointed CBE in 2010 for services to the arts, and was knighted in 2021. He was made an Honorary Commodore of the NMM in 2016.
Remuneration and Governance Code
Trustees of the Royal Museums Greenwich are not remunerated.
These appointments have been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election.
Alexandra Butler, Sanjeev Gupta, Marshall Manson, Clare Anderson, Lance Batchelor and Sir Stephen Deuchar have declared no such political activity.
Notes to Editors
DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies including Arts Council England, Theatres Trust, the National Gallery, UK Sport and the Gambling Commission. We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. To find out more about Public Appointments or to apply visit the HM Government Public Appointments Website.
