Aerospace Bristol Welcomes Four New Trustees and a new Chair of its Trading Board

Aerospace Bristol has announced the appointment of four new trustees to its charity board, plus a new Chair of the Bristol Aero Collection Trading Board.

The Board of Trustees oversees the governance of Bristol Aero Collection Trust and its museum, Aerospace Bristol, which is home to the last Concorde ever to fly, a varied collection of important aircraft, artefacts and archives spanning more than a century, and an exhibition that tells the story of the local people who achieved extraordinary things at Filton.

As a charity, Aerospace Bristol aims to preserve Bristol’s aerospace heritage and inspire future generations to pursue careers in science, engineering and technology.

Sir Iain Gray CBE, Chair of Bristol Aero Collection Trust, said:

“On behalf of the board and everyone at Bristol Aero Collection Trust, I’m delighted to welcome these five highly experienced, committed and enthusiastic new board members. Together, they bring a wealth of skills and experience that spans the aerospace sector, museums and archives, marketing and communications, retail, and the construction industry. Their contributions will be invaluable as we look to continue our recent success and build a bright future for Aerospace Bristol.”

Sally Cordwell, CEO of Aerospace Bristol, added:

“Our four new trustees and our new Chair of the Trading Board join Aerospace Bristol at an enormously exciting time. We’re seeing record growth in visitor numbers, with almost 110,000 visitors to the museum in the last 12 months, including nearly 12,000 children on school visits, and we have ambitious plans. I look forward to working closely with each of them and benefiting from their expertise alongside the ongoing support of our existing board members.”   

The four new trustees joining the Bristol Aero Collection Trust board are:

·         Peter Chivers: Peter came to Bristol as a BAC apprentice in the late 1970s. He enjoyed a long career in aerospace, holding senior engineering positions for a number of UK firms, before returning to Airbus at Filton in 2001. He became CEO of the South Gloucestershire based National Composites Centre in 2010. Peter retired from full time employment in 2018, but has continued to volunteer in various positions, most notably as a Trustee of the Engineering Development Trust.

·         Rachael Corver - Head of Marketing & Communications for The National Archives: Rachel brings 20 years of leadership experience in marketing, communications and public engagement spanning archives and museums, higher education, and healthcare. She is currently Head of Marketing & Communications for The National Archives, one of the world’s major archives and leader of the UK archive sector.

·         Jack Williams - Executive Assistant to the Airbus Commercial Aircraft UK Country Manager: Jack joined Airbus in 2016 as part of the company’s Programme and Project Management graduate scheme. Born in Bristol, Jack has fond memories of Filton and a passion for both the aerospace industry and the South West.

·         Robert Yeandle – Chair of John Perkins Construction Limited: Co-founder of John Perkins Construction, Robert served as Managing Director of the company for 28 years and has been Chair for the past three years. In his role as Chair he has focused on the long term resilience and well-being of the business.

The new Chair of the Bristol Aero Collection Trading Board is:

·         Lloyd Hughes - Director of PDSA Trading and the Head of Retail and Buying for PDSA: Lloyd has extensive experience of commercial activities in the charity and museum sector. He has spent time with national and international retailers, operating from the shop floor to the board room, moving more recently into the charity sector managing a wide range of commercial and trading activities.