The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has appointed
and Helen Bonser-Wilton as
Members of the VisitEngland Board.
Helen Bonser-Wilton
Helen Bonser-Wilton has been Chief Executive of Leeds Castle
Foundation since 2021. The Foundation looks after
exceptional built and natural heritage assets, with a highly
diversified business that welcomes over 550,000 day visitors
& 100 Hospitality Functions annually, as well as thousands of
overnight guests to the extensive accommodation
portfolio.
Helen is also a Director of Visit Kent and Association of Leading
Visitor Attractions (ALVA).
Between 2015-2021, Helen was Chief Executive of the Mary Rose in
Portsmouth, King Henry VIII's flagship, raised from the bottom of
the Solent with 19,000 Tudor artefacts. Helen oversaw the
completion of the award winning, purpose-built Museum for this
Tudor treasure and guided the Trust safely through the COVID
pandemic.
From 2004-2015, Helen worked in a variety of senior roles at the
National Trust, leading Marketing and Commercial in Devon &
Cornwall, Programme Director for the £18m Tyntesfield Project in
Bristol, National Change Programme Director and Operations
Director in the South West.
After qualifying as an Interpreter/Translator in German and
Spanish, Helen started her career in advertising, before becoming
Group Brand Manager for Akzo Nobel (Crown Paint) and Bernstein
Kitchens.
Dr OBE
Dr OBE has been Chief Executive of
Newcastle Gateshead Initiative (NGI) since 2020 and is
responsible for leading the organisation, which promotes
Newcastle, Gateshead and the wider region as a place to visit and
invest.
Sarah's leadership has seen NGI become one of England's first
accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnerships and secured a £2.8
million boost from the UK Government to lead England's first
Destination Development Partnership Pilot (DDP).
As a member of the government's Visitor Economy Advisory Council
and chair of the Visitor Economy Regional Growth Taskforce, Sarah
has been a leading voice representing the country's visitor
economy. She continuously advocates for greater representation
for the visitor economy in national and regional economic
strategies and champions the potential of the regional visitor
economy to drive investment, skills, jobs and
regeneration.
Sarah has worked for over 20 years in economic development and
devolution including as CBI Director of Regions and Nations,
bringing together industry and government to drive economic
growth and innovation. Sarah started her career as a lawyer with
Clifford Chance in London, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Alongside her
legal qualifications, Sarah's academic achievements include an
MSC in Urban Regeneration, an MBA and most recently, a doctorate
from Durham University for her PhD assessing the social impact of
small businesses in rural communities.
Sarah is an elected member of the Council of the National Trust,
an independent advisory board member at North East Museums and
chairs the Ryder Architecture Employee Owned Trust Board.
Helen Bonser-Wilton and have been appointed for terms
of five years, commencing on 1 September 2025.
Remuneration and Governance Code
Members of the VisitEngland Board are remunerated £3,300 per
annum. 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.
Helen Bonser-Wilton and have declared no 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.
