The Trustees of The Friends

Sir David Verey CBE

Sir David Verey CBE is the chair of The Friends of Leighton House and also chair of the Advisory Committee of the Government Art Collection. He was chair of Tate, and then of Art Fund. He was a trustee of The British Council and was formerly the lead non-executive director at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Previously, he was CEO and chairman of Lazard London. He was awarded a Knighthood in 2015 for Arts Philanthrophy.

Lady Verey

Emma Verey is an Oxford graduate who spent her early career teaching, since then she has been Chairman of the Friends of Moorfields Eye Hospital, the Central London representative of the National League of Hospital Friends, on the Development Board of the Bodleian, a director of the commercial arm of the RHS, a Trustee of LHA London, the Watts Gallery and of the Kensington and Chelsea Foundation. Her interests include art, opera, tapestry, gardening and hens…

Dr. Melanie Gibson BA (Oxon) MA, PhD (SOAS, London University)

Executive Trustee of the Gingko Library and Editor of the Gingko Art Series. She convenes the Islamic Art module of the Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art at SOAS. She was formerly head of the Art History department at New College of the Humanities, London. Since 2005 she has lectured on the ceramics and glass of the Islamic world for SOAS, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Courtauld Institute and the Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar. Her publications focus on the ceramics and glass of the Islamic world as well as the reception and use of Islamic pattern in 19th-century British design.

Dante Vanoli, Dip Arch Kingston (1972) RIBA. Architect Accredited in Building Conservation (AABC)

Dante Vanoli is an accredited senior conservation architect experienced in specialist heritage refurbishment and adaptive use projects. For the Dept. Environment, as project architect, he job ran the Fire Damage Restoration Contract at Hampton Court Palace (1989/92), followed by Apsley House Interior Refurbishment (1992/95). At Purcell from 1996 to 2016, Vanoli first helped to secure lasting commissions with St James’s, Kensington and Hampton Court Palaces. Elsewhere, he innovated enhanced accessibility at the Dickens Museum, Danson House and Kew Palace while recovering their lost, deficient historic interiors. His work at Leighton House was awarded RIBA and Europa Nostra Conservation Awards (2011/12), and he assisted St Pauls Cathedral Surveyor (2010/12). Vanoli writes and lectures on case studies, designs exhibitions and mentors architectural students.

Tamsin Wallendahl BSc (University of Reading), MRICS

Tamsin Wallendahl has over twenty-five years investment experience, predominantly at Schroder Investment Management where she was a Director. She was a UK equity fund manager for twelve years and subsequently Senior Client Director responsible for Local Authorities, Corporate pension schemes including FTSE 100 companies, UK subsidiaries of major US, European and Japanese multi- nationals and for major UK charities. She also served as Head of Balanced Property Product in Schroders property business. She was a Governor of the Lady Eleanor Holles School, Hampton, Middlesex for five years and more recently volunteered with a Charity partner in the UN resettlement programme in Amman, Jordan participating in a unique project to resettle the Yazidis from Northern Iraq.

Cathy Giangrande

Cathy Giangrande is a special advisor to the cultural sector with a focus on world heritage sites and museums. Besides over 30 years of fundraising for these sectors globally, she has worked as a conservator and research scientist in museums and participated on numerous underwater archaeological excavations in the Mediterranean. She is a trustee of the Ethiopian Heritage Fund and a proponent of venture philanthropy and its role in transforming lives. She is an author of books and papers on conservation, collecting and museums and, as a champion of craft, runs Makers & Museum tours to Japan, Denmark and Finland.

Karen Moore LLB (Hons), CA

Karen is a chartered accountant with the majority of her career spent as a corporate adviser in London. She was Finance Director of Lazard London before becoming Chief Operating Officer of the investment banking division in London. She stepped down from Lazard in 2007 to focus on her family of 4 children and has since worked in a variety of charity trustee roles. Currently she chairs a sports charity running a large grass roots multi sports hub in London and is the Finance Trustee of The Friends.

Jo Banham

Jo Banham is an independent lecturer and curator. She was Head of the Adult, Students and Creative Industries programmes in the Learning Department at the Victoria & Albert Museum from 2006-16, and before that, Head of Learning at the National Portrait Gallery, Head of Public Programmes at Tate Britain, and Head of Adult Learning at the Royal Academy. Her curatorial and research posts have included Curator at Leighton House, Archivist at Arthur Sanderson & Sons, and Curator of historic wallpapers at the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester. She has edited and written several books on art and design – including William Morris & the Middle Ages (1986), Victorian Interior Design (2000), Encyclopaedia of Interior Design – 2 vols (2002), Dictionary of Artists Models (2006) and William Morris and the Arts and Crafts 1837-1914 (2017). She lectures regularly on V&A courses and study days and contributes to conferences and research seminars on 19th-century design. She is is Director of the Victorian Society Summer School and has taught at BA and MA level for Birkbeck College and University College, both University of London, the Open University, and Manchester Metropolitan University. 

David Moody

David Moody is Director of Strategy and Business Development at BBC Studios. BBC Studios is the BBC’s commercial subsidiary with revenues of £1.4 bn responsible for all its production and programme sales activities as well as its commercial TV channels globally. David joined the BBC in 2002 and has held a variety of roles since then, including setting up and leading the Digital Media division of BBC Worldwide. Prior to joining the BBC, David held a number of strategy and commercial roles in the media sector. David has a degree in Modern History from Oxford.

Joanna Bergin

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Joanna Bergin studied music from a young age, playing clarinet and flute as well as singing. After a chance encounter led to her global career as a fashion model, actress and reporter, she went back to her true passion of classical singing ten years ago and continues to perform around Europe at various prestigious venues. She became a Trustee in the spring of 2019 in order to assist with the development of the music programmes at the houses.

Catherine Boël

Catherine is an Art Historian specialising in British Nineteenth Century Art. Her passion led her to pursue two Masters, first in 'Modern and Contemporary Art' in Belgium and then in 'Victorian Literature, Art and Culture' at Royal Holloway. After her studies, she moved to London, where she gained experience working in a wide range of artistic institutions, including Sotheby’s, Christie’s, the Natural History Museum’s 'Centre for Arts and Humanities Research', the British Museum, Gunnersbury Park Museum and Pitzhanger Manor. Her fellowship in the British Museum’s Prints and Drawings department gave her the chance to study prints with world specialists as well as delve into the Museum’s wonderful collection of Victorian drawings. During the pandemic, Catherine turned to her other passion, drawing, and began a career as an illustrator. Her work is heavily inspired by the Pre-Raphaelites’ style as well as their love of myths, legends and nature.

May Calil

May is a founding partner at Marks | Calil, a cultural consultancy that supports creative businesses and arts organisations as they look to drive forward their strategic objectives and spot intelligent opportunities for growth. She was previously Membership Director of Cromwell Place from 2017–22 and has spent over a decade working in arts development; holding posts at the Royal Academy and Tate and working with clients including the British Council, Brunswick Arts, Bold Tendencies, Cass Sculpture Foundation, Create London, Frieze and the Showroom. Of Lebanese origin, May has a Master’s degree from SOAS in Islamic art and architecture, focusing on the Ottoman period. She has extensive experience in non-executive roles, currently as Chair of Chisenhale Gallery and having also sat on the boards of Auto Italia, Liverpool Biennial, the Chinati Contemporary Council and as the founder of the Royal Academy Young Patrons.