THE Board of V&A Dundee have appointed a new director.
Leonie Bell is taking over the role from founding director Philip Long OBE.
Leonie is currently strategic lead for the Future Paisley Partnership at Renfrewshire Council.
She also chairs the advisory board of Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art and is a trustee of the Edinburgh International Festival.
Announcing the appointment, Tim Allan, chair of V&A Dundee’s board, said: “We are delighted that Leonie has accepted this leading role at V&A Dundee, leading its awakening from the COVID 19 lockdown into a new era.
“She is a very experienced, charismatic leader with a passionate background in design and what it can do for communities and places as well as enhancing our position in the world.
“Leonie was born in Dundee and grew up in nearby Fife. She has real authenticity, knowledge, energy and understanding of the museum, its importance to Dundee and Scotland, and of the cultural sector in Scotland and the UK.”
Leonie said: “Like so many, I have watched V&A Dundee flourish in its first two years, and it is a huge privilege to lead the museum into its next phase.
“V&A Dundee is an emblem of the city’s design and industrial heritage and a bright beacon for its future.
“The role of design in navigating this future is fundamental and V&A Dundee, with the wider design community, has a critical role to play as we adapt to, and debate, the ideas, influences and social and economic challenges of our time.”
