Following an open recruitment process, Tim Allan succeeds the founding Chair of V&A Dundee, Lesley Knox, who led the museum’s board during the period which saw Kengo Kuma appointed as architects for the now iconic building design.
Philip Long, Director of V&A Dundee, said Allan has been appointed at a “particularly exciting moment,” with the museum preparing to mark its one year anniversary.
“Our founding Chair Lesley Knox has contributed enormously to the many successes V&A Dundee has already enjoyed,” he continued. “On behalf of everyone who works at V&A Dundee, or who has contributed to the formation of this world-class museum, I would like to welcome Tim and give our sincere thanks to Lesley.”
Who is Tim Allan?
No stranger to the city’s landscape, Allan is the owner of an organisation which is said to have invested “significantly” in the regeneration of Dundee’s waterfront over the last decade. He is also well acquainted with the museum itself, having been Vice Chair of V&A Dundee’s successful fundraising campaign for £15 million – the largest ever for a Scottish cultural project.
Allan serves as President of Scottish Chambers of Commerce alongside a range of roles in business and philanthropy. He also sits on the board of investment syndicate Archangels, which ploughs funding into Scottish start-ups.
A member of the Scotland Committee of the BIG Lottery Fund for seven years, and formerly the Chair of Young Enterprise Scotland, Allan is well-versed with the challenges cultural institutions face in securing funding. Further to the aforementioned roles, he also served as President of Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce between 2014 and 2016, and has also been a member on the Court of the University of St Andrews since 2015.
Upon the announcement, Allan stated that V&A Dundee has “already proved itself to be a transformative project for Dundee, Tayside and Scotland,” adding, “this continues my relationship supporting the project over many years, including helping fundraise for V&A Dundee’s construction.”
The entrepreneur went on to say: “As a business owner and investor I have seen the very real impact of V&A Dundee on raising international awareness of this great city, and I look forward to the museum continuing to support the regeneration of Dundee as well as attracting visitors from all over the world.”
Looking back on her stint at the helm of the museum, outgoing Chair, Lesley Knox, said it had been “a real privilege to have been involved in the creation of V&A Dundee”. The support from founding partners, the Scottish Government and donors, she added, “made this incredible project possible and has been matched by the enthusiasm and creativity of everyone in Dundee.” Knox concluded by saying she looks forward to the museum being “even more successful over the years to come”.
