Harewood helm for Mansell
LEEDS Chamber of Commerce chief executive Richard Mansell is to
take helm at Harewood House.
Mr Mansell will become the new executive director of the
Harewood House Trust next year responsible for overseeing all
aspects of the trust's activities.
He has been in charge of the city's Chamber of Commerce for
the last seven years, during which it has grown rapidly and led the
way in creating initiatives to improve the city and drive its
growth.
Gary Williamson, currently operations director of the Chamber of
Commerce, is to become acting chief executive, pending a formal
recruitment process.
Harewood House, near Leeds, is one of Britain's most popular
and historic stately homes attracting tens of thousands of visitors
a year.
It is the home of the Queen's cousin, Lord Harewood, who is
40th in line to the throne.
The trust has been headed by Lord Harewood's eldest son
David Lascelles, who will become a trustee.
The Harewood House Trust is a charitable educational trust
responsible for maintaining and conserving the house, grounds and
collections for the public benefit. It is one of Yorkshire's
most popular visitor attractions and runs a groundbreaking and
award-winning series of cultural and educational programmes.
Announcing the changes Harewood House Trust chairman David
Lascelles said, “I'm delighted Richard has agreed to join
us. His depth of business experience and range of contacts both in
the region and further afield will complement and support our
existing strengths across the whole range of visitor services –
curatorial, education, events, gardens and bird garden – and will
help us to move forward and plan for the future on an economically
sound and sustainable basis.”
Mr Mansell, who starts in his
new role on February 1, described it as a “fantastic
challenge”.
“I am leaving Leeds Chamber of Commerce with mixed
feelings. I have enjoyed the experience and the challenge and I
believe that I leave Leeds Chamber in a much stronger position than
that which I inherited in 2001.
“However, I am delighted to have been offered the position as
executive director of the Harewood House Trust and view this as a
fantastic opportunity, though the new role and its objectives will
indeed be a challenge. Harewood House is undoubtedly a national
treasure and I believe its value to the local economy is grossly
understated.
“It has never really become a fundamental part of the life
of the city; in particular relationships with corporate Leeds have
not been of a substantial nature. That's all part of the
challenge that I'm taking on, so I'm not disappearing,
I'll be back in a new guise.”
