Trustees reappointed to the Board of National Museums Scotland

The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, Ms Forbes, today announced the reappointment of Motaram Mimi Brophy, Graeme Gibson and Professor Ian Wall.

Trustees

Motaram Mimi Brophy is the manager of Hollister, a large store in the St James Quarter in Edinburgh. Mimi specialises in business development, visual merchandising, marketing and talent management and holds a Master of Arts in History from the University of Aberdeen.  As a young, mixed-race woman she is excited to bring a fresh set of perspectives to the Board and is committed to the continued effort of diversifying and enriching the collections of museums, as well as reaching a wider audience.

Graeme Gibson is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Edinburgh Airport Limited with particular focus on long-term financial planning and forecasting, funding, financial control, risk, capital investment and governance. Graeme is a Chartered Accountant (ICAS) and member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers. He is also a Trustee for an Edinburgh-based organisation The Welcoming, which provides services to migrants and refugees to learn English, find jobs and access local services.

Professor Ian Wall is a Chartered Surveyor with widespread experience of social and commercial property development together with long experience in Public Engagement in Science. Currently Chair of the William Morris Society and a Board Director of the Borders Forest Trust, the Hutton Institute, Newbattle Abbey College Trust and Edinburgh Science.

Reappointment

The reappointments will be for four years and will run from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2029.

The reappointments are regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner.

Remuneration

The reappointments are part-time and have a time commitment of 12 days per annum.

Appointments to the National Museums Scotland Board are not remunerated.

Other ministerial appointments

Motaram Mimi Brophy, Graeme Gibson and Professor Ian Wall do not hold any other public appointments.

Political activity

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.  However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity within the last five years (if there is any to be declared) to be made public.   

Motaram Mimi Brophy, Graeme Gibson and Professor Ian Wall have had no political activity in the last five years.

Background

National Museums Scotland is one of the leading museums groups in Europe. It cares for a multi-disciplinary collection of over 12 million objects, bringing together the arts and sciences, and the cultures of Scotland and the world, alongside the diversity of the natural world. The organisation has approximately 500 staff across five sites. It is a Scottish Charity (no. SC 011130) and a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) sponsored and supported through Grant-in-Aid by the Scottish Government and governed by an independent Board of Trustees. It receives around £28 million of Scottish Government funding annually. National Museums Scotland’s priorities reflect its statutory duties to care for the items it holds, and to make them accessible through providing education, encouraging research, and promoting public awareness. Its four museums (the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street in Edinburgh, the National War Museum in Edinburgh Castle, the National Museum of Flight in East Lothian and the National Museum of Rural Life near East Kilbride) are enjoyed by millions of local and international visitors each year.

As a national centre of excellence, the organisation is committed to widening access to and participation with its collections, reaching out across Scotland, the UK and internationally. This includes an extensive programme of: touring exhibitions; loans; community-based partnership projects, often within disadvantaged areas; training and skills development, including developing young people; the provision of advice and support to the museum sector; administering the National Fund for Acquisitions; and operating the Treasure Trove scheme. The cultural, social, educational and economic value of its work is wide-reaching, creating impact on people’s lives through sharing the fascinating stories of the millions of remarkable objects it cares for in Scotland’s National Collection.