New Board member for British Museum

23 December 2004

The Prime Minister has appointed Sir Ronald Cohen to the Board of the British Museum with effect from 1 January 2005 for a period of four years.

Biographical Details

Sir Ronald Cohen is a founding Partner and Chairman, Apax Partners Worldwide, 1972 to date.  Sir Ronald has a strong business background and expertise in venture capital. Apax Partners Worldwide are a leading global private equity investment group. He is currently chairman of the Social Investment Task force.   

A leading figure in the field of venture capital Sir Ronald has founded and played a principal role in various associations including British Venture Capital Association, European Venture Capital Association and the Quoted Companies Alliance. 

He also served as a member of the London Stock Exchange Working Party on Smaller Companies.   An Oxford graduate, where he was President of the Oxford Union, he is an Honorary Fellow of Exeter College.  Sir Ronald has an MBA from Harvard Business School to which he was awarded a Henry Fellowship.

Sir Ronald has made a recordable donation to the Labour Party within the last five years.  He holds no other Public Appointments.

Note for Editors

The British Museum holds in trust for the nation and the world a collection of art and antiquities from ancient and living cultures.  Housed in one of Britain's architectural landmarks, the collection is one of the finest in existence, spanning two million years of human history. 

The Board of Trustees of the British Museum has statutory duties under the British Museum Act 1963 and Museums and Galleries Act 1992 for the general management and control of the Museum and for the appointment of the director.

The post is not remunerated however reasonable expenses can be claimed.