Welcoming our new board members!
The Conservatoire is delighted to welcome five new Board members with a range of very helpful and impressive skills and experience, including Finance, Customer Insight and Digital development. Crucially they are all committed to the arts, whether having Masters’ Degrees in Musicology, children or childhood learning at the Conservatoire, diplomas in Piano, Grade 8 in Flute, or making and collecting Art. They will join new Co-chairs Jane Burton and Clare Cornwell, alongside Nathan Homan and Emma Smillie. We look forward to utilising their skills and expertise, alongside our new Executive Director, Patrick Holden, who has also recently started at the Conservatoire.
To find out more about our new and existing Trustees, please visit Trustees & Board Members | The Conservatoire.
Mhairi Baxter
Following completion of her undergraduate master’s degree in physics, Mhairi started her career in Risk Management, initially based in Glasgow. She has been playing musical instruments from a young age, both solo and as part of several groups, and holds an ABRSM Grade 8 in Flute. She is passionate about the impact that music and the arts can have on communities and bringing people together.
Duncan Campbell
Duncan is Global Insight Director for Merlin Entertainments, one of the world’s leading providers of daytime family entertainment.
He has 30+years’ experience as a strategy and insight specialist in the leisure industry, working in markets across Europe, USA and Asia-Pacific.
Passionate about the potential for arts participation to promote individual fulfilment and build strong communities, Duncan is a keen amateur painter and maker, collector, and enthusiastic supporter of a diverse range of classical music and arts organisations.
Simon James
Simon grew up in South East London and regularly attended the Conservatoire for lessons, exams and concerts.
Over the last 30 years Simon has developed proven experience in commercially oriented Board-level finance and risk roles, within businesses spanning world-class consultancy and FCA regulated investment banking, and public sector health.
He is passionate about the performing arts and the real difference it can make to people’s lives and is keen to support the Conservatoire as it reaches out further in its local community.
Simon is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Institute of Directors and Royal Society of the Arts.
Tom Lee
Following his original training as an architect, Tom switched to a career in publishing and educational product management where he has worked for the past 30 years. He has held product leadership roles at Pearson where he was responsible for the BTEC suite of qualifications, and at Trinity College London where he had global responsibility for the full product portfolio across music, drama and English language operating in over 60 countries. In his spare time Tom likes to indulge his passion for music, and has worked as a freelance cellist, singer and conductor. Tom lives with his wife, two teenage children and two dogs in Kent.
James Radford
James has spent the last 15 years working with a range of sporting and charitable organisations, from Sport England to St John Ambulance, focused on using audience understanding to increase participation and social impact.
James has got to know the Conservatoire through bringing up his young family in the Blackheath area over the last decade. That includes rediscovering the joy of piano duets with his two daughters. He is committed to helping increase access to music and the arts for more people of all ages to enjoy positive experiences.