Who we are
President
Lord Lee of Trafford
President
Lord Lee of Trafford was the founder Chairman of ALVA, a role he held since his appointment in 1990. He stood down at the 30th AGM in September 2020, and was elected as the association's President. [more...]
Vice-president
Baroness Patience Wheatcroft
Vice President, and former Chair of ALVA
Baroness Wheatcroft was appointed a Board director of ALVA in 2012 and succeeded Lord Lee as Chair of ALVA in 2021. She held the role of Chair of the Board of ALVA between 2020 and 2024. [more...]
Staff
Bernard Donoghue OBE
Director
Bernard Donoghue has been the Director of ALVA since September 2011 following a career in advocacy, communications and lobbying, latterly at a senior level in the tourism and heritage sector. Mobile: 07740 622355[more...]
Email: [email protected]
Lucy Santos
Finance and Business Manager
Board
Helen Bonser-Wilton
Chief Executive, Leeds Castle, Kent.
Helen is the Chief Executive Leeds Castle, Kent. Leeds Castle has been described as the 'loveliest castle in the world' and it is a member of Treasure Houses of England. Prior to joining Leeds Castle in March 2021 Helen had been Chief Executive of The Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth. Helen joined the board of ALVA in September 2020.[more...]
Geoff Spooner
Senior Vice President and General Manager; Warner Bros Studio Tour London
Geoff is the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the award-winning Warner Bros. Studio Tour London 'The Making of Harry Potter'. He has previously had senior roles at Warwick Castle, Legoland Windsor and the BA London Eye. Geoff joined the ALVA Board in February 2022.
Sharon Pickford
Director of Support and Revenue, The National Trust
Sharon has been the Director of Support and Revenue at the National Trust since 2018. Prior that she was Members and Donors Director at the National Trust since 2015. Before joining the Trust has senior operational and marketing roles at 02, British Gas and Wayra. Sharon joined the Board of ALVA in March 2022.
Simon Addison. Interim Joint-Chair, ALVA
Interim Joint-Chair, ALVA. Business Manager, Roman Baths and Pump Room, Bath
Simon is the Business Manager, Roman Baths and Pump Room, Bath, and heads the finance and business planning functions at the Roman Baths. He is responsible for business analysis, pricing strategy and leads the benchmarking work.[more...]
Louise Halliday
Director of External Affairs, Royal Albert Hall, London
Louise joined the Royal Albert Hall as Head of Marketing and Digital in 2013, and was promoted to Director of External Affairs in June 2018. Louise’s responsibilities include Marketing, Press, Branding, Insight, Ticketing Services and the Archive. From December 2022 Louise has also been responsible for Visitor Services, Security, Merchandise and Retail.
Samantha Potts
Visitor Experience Director, Royal Opera House, London
Samantha is Visitor Experience Director at the Royal Opera House, over-seeing Front of House, Box office and the Tours programme. Samantha began her career in the cultural sector working as a Theatre Administrator in a regional theatre in Southampton.[more...]
Lisa Robshaw
Head of Marketing and Sales, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
As Head of Marketing and Sales at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), Lisa has responsibility for the marketing, sales, membership and adoption and events and experiences teams that work across Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park. Prior to joining RZSS, she held positions at Historic Environment Scotland and Continuum Attractions.
Helen Ireland
Director of Marketing and Communications, National Museums Scotland
Helen is the Director of Marketing and Communications at National Museums Scotland and was previously Director of Marketing and Communications for Scottish Opera.
Aaron Ward
Director of Public Engagement, National Museums Northern Ireland
Aaron is the Director of Public Engagement at National Museums NI. In this role, he oversees the strategic development of public programmes and initiatives, ensuring that museums serve as valuable public resources and deliver the maximum benefit to the community. [more...]
Sandra Lynes Timbrell
Director of Visitor Engagement, St Paul's Cathedral, London
Sandra is the Director of Visitor Engagement of St Paul's Cathedral, London. She became a Board director of ALVA in 2024.[more...]
Iain Standen
CEO, Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire
Iain Standen started work as the CEO of the Bletchley Park Trust in January 2012, after 28 years as a commissioned officer in the British Army. He was appointed a Board Director of ALVA in 2024.[more...]
Lorraine Rossdale MVO. Interim Joint-Chair, ALVA
Interim Joint-Chair, ALVA. Head of Event Management and Marketing, Westminster Abbey, London.
Lorraine has been the Head of Event Management and Marketing at Westminster Abbey since 2012, and joined the ALVA Board in February 2018. Lorraine has previously held Director roles at Historic Royal Palaces.[more...]
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