The Secretary of State has confirmed the appointment of Andrea Nixon MBE as the new Chair of National Museums Liverpool (NML) for a four-year term.
Nixon, a well-respected figure in the UK’s arts and heritage sector, brings extensive leadership experience to the role, having worked on a range of high-profile projects spanning change management, cultural strategy, business development, and fundraising. Over her career, she has helped shape cultural initiatives in locations from Middlesbrough to Neath Port Talbot and collaborated with institutions including the National Trust and the Arts Council Collection to develop long-term visions and sustainable operations.
Before launching her own consultancy in 2018, Nixon was Executive Director of Tate Liverpool, where she oversaw the gallery’s operations and growth. Between 1998 and 2006, she also served as Director of Development for Tate in London, playing a pivotal part in the establishment of Tate Modern and Tate Britain.
In addition to her professional roles, Nixon has held several volunteer leadership positions. She has served as a trustee at Arts Council North, the Crafts Council and The Audience Agency, and was Chair of the V&A Dundee Advisory Board from 2015 to 2020. Currently, she is Chair of the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatres (a role she will step down from in November 2025), a Trustee of Harewood House Trust, and a Director of The Reader CIC. She was recognised with an MBE for services to the arts in 2019 and lives in Liverpool with her family.
The appointment follows the procedures set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments and is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
In line with the Code, appointees are required to disclose any significant political activity over the previous five years, including public speaking, holding office, recordable donations, or candidacy for election. Andrea Nixon has not declared any such activity.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) oversees around 400 regulated public appointments across 42 bodies, including Arts Council England, Theatres Trust, the National Gallery, UK Sport and the Gambling Commission. It continues to encourage applications from a diverse range of candidates across the UK.
