Reimagining the country house
Our wonderful team of staff and volunteers make Harewood the special place it is by combining a passion for heritage with innovative ideas that engage and inspire our visitors.
Board of Trustees
Strategic decisions regarding the Trust’s future are taken by our Board.
Members of the Lascelles family are a key part of the Trust’s Board, and whilst they must always be in the minority, they work alongside the majority of non-family Trustees to provide guidance and continuity, in order to share responsibility for the Trust’s long-term sustainability and fulfilment of charitable aims.
Board members embody a wide range of skills and expertise including extensive senior experience in the fields of collections care, finance, arts, culture and heritage, business, fundraising, diversity, education, marketing and communications.
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Lady Emily Shard
Chair of the Board of Trustees, Harewood House Trust and Board of Directors, Harewood House Trading Limited
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Michael Bates
Chair of the Board of Directors, Harewood House Trading Limited and Board of Trustees, Harewood House Trust
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Iwona Blazwick
Board of Trustees, Harewood House Trust
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Jeremy Burton
Chair, Finances & General Purposes Committee, Harewood House Trust
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Arif Ahmad
Board of Trustees, Harewood House Trust
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Diane Howse
Countess of Harewood, Board of Trustees, Harewood House Trust
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David Lascelles
Earl of Harewood, Board of Trustees, Harewood House Trust
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Rachel Mapplebeck
Board of Trustees, Harewood House Trust
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Andrea Nixon MBE
Board of Trustees, Harewood House Trust
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Nima Poovaya-Smith OBE
Board of Trustees, Harewood House Trust
Trading Board of Directors
Alongside the Board sit a number of committees, with delegated authority for specialist areas, as well as the separate Harewood House Trading Limited.
All profits of the Trading company are paid to the charity for the sole purpose of supporting the Trust in delivering its charitable aims.
Michael Bates
Chair of the Board of Directors, Harewood House Trading Limited and Board of Trustees, Harewood House Trust
Lady Emily Shard
Chair of the Board of Trustees, Harewood House Trust and Board of Directors, Harewood House Trading Limited
James Penfold
Board of Directors, Harewood House Trading Limited
David Rowe
Board of Directors, Harewood House Trading Limited
Paul Tidswell
Board of Directors, Harewood House Trading Limited
Martin Barden
Board of Directors, Harewood House Trading Limited
Representation matters
Research highlights that the arts, culture, and heritage workforce in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland is significantly less ethnically diverse than the general workforce. According to the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre’s (Creative PEC) 2021 report, Arts, Culture and Heritage: Audiences and Workforce, 90% of individuals in the sector are white, compared with 85% in the wider workforce.
At Harewood House Trust, we recognise this imbalance and are committed to diversifying our team through inclusive recruitment practices, providing training for staff and volunteers and embedding a culture of mutual respect.