Dawn Austwick OBE, Director of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Sue Farr, Executive Director of Chime Communications plc and Sir Trevor McDonald OBE, the well known broadcaster and current affairs commentator join Historic Royal Palaces Board of Trustees. Each brings a much valued level of specialist expertise to this conservation charity.

Two of our longest serving trustees retired on 31st March having served the maximum term possible. Field Marshal the Rt Hon the Lord Inge of Richmond KG GCB DL and Angela Heylin OBE  have generously shared their knowledge with teams across the organisation and made a significant contribution to the life and work of the palaces in the past nine years.

Charles Mackay, Chairman of Historic Royal Palaces said:
“We have been fortunate in enjoying a great deaI of shared experience and expertise from our trustees and these new appointments will continue to build this strong base of support for Historic Royal Palaces.”

Dawn Austwick OBE is the Director of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, one of the UK’s largest independent grant–making trusts (2005 to date). Dawn has a long and distinguished career in the museums and heritage sector as Project Director of Tate Modern from 1995 to 2000 and latterly as Deputy Director of the British Museum.  She started her career with Arts & Business and the Half Moon Theatre before moving on to become a consultant with KPMG for eight years.

Dawn is a trustee of the Woodland Trust and sits on the London Advisory Committee of Arts & Business as well as the Public Interest Group of the Public Management Foundation.  She is additionally a Companion of the Chartered Institute of Management and has an MBA from the London Business School.

Sue Farr is Executive Director of Chime Communications plc where she is currently leading a programme of strategic and business development, having successfully chaired their Marketing Services Division until 2005. With senior marketing and communications experience at both Thames Television (Director of Corporate Communications)  and the BBC (their first ever Marketing Director), she has led a number of groundbreaking strategies and played a key role in the successful launches of Radio 5 Live, along with the BBC’s on-line and digital services (1993 to 2000). She also created and launched Proms in the Park.

Sue brings additional business expertise as a director for both Golin/Harris International and then Vauxhall Motors UK. A Director of The Marketing Society since 1984 she was the first woman Chair in 1991/2.  She is now a Fellow and a member of the Chairman’s Council; she is also a council member of The Marketing Group of Great Britain (having been chairman from 1999 to 2001).  She was Advertising Woman of the Year in 1996, WACL Woman of Achievement in 1997 and was awarded the Marketing Society Grand Prix in 1998.

Sir Trevor McDonald OBE is the well known television presenter who currently leads ITV's flagship current affairs programme, Tonight with Trevor McDonald. He has enjoyed a long and distinguished news and media career with assignments that remain varied and influential. He has reported on the events and people who shape society around the world. He has interviewed some of the world’s most powerful leaders including Nelson Mandela, George Bush and the former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and along the way received many awards and accolades.
Sir Trevor’s charitable work is wide ranging and longstanding. He currently serves in a number of other charitable organisations including National Children's Homes, the Shooting Star Children's Hospice, the Friends of Barnes Hospital and De Paul Trust. He has also helped to promote the work of St John Ambulance, and organisations dealing with awareness of the problems surrounding Sickle Cell, autism and homelessness among young people.