Duncan Wilson has been appointed as the first chief executive of Historic England, a new organisation formed by the division of English Heritage into a government body and a charity.
On 1 April Historic England will begin work as a government body and English Heritage will operate as a charity.
Previous to his appointment, Duncan worked as director of the Somerset House Trust and the Greenwich Foundation and led the change of use of the Old Royal Naval College from MoD site to tourist attraction.
Sir Laurie Magnus, chairman of English Heritage, said: “As English Heritage divides into two distinct organisations, it is vital that we have someone who has wide and practical experience of heritage to lead Historic England forward.
“Duncan has a tremendous blend of skills that will command the respect of staff and of our partners and stakeholders. He will inherit a body in fine health, but facing some significant challenges. The commission looks forward to working with him to meet these challenges over the next few years.”
