Dawn Airey, a veteran media executive who co-founded Channel 5 and held top roles at Sky, ITV, Yahoo!, and Getty Images, has been appointed as the new Chair of Arts Council England (ACE). She will succeed Nicholas Serota, who has led the public funding body since 2017, with her four-year term approved by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy beginning on 1 August. The appointment follows a critical independent review of ACE by Labour peer Margaret Hodge, which prompted the organization to overhaul its strategic framework.
Airey's appointment is significant because it marks a shift from a museum director (Serota) to a media and business leader at a pivotal moment for ACE, which faces a mandate to distribute funding more fairly and transparently across England. Her background in commercial media and digital content, including her tenure as CEO of Getty Images, signals a potential focus on efficiency, reach, and digital transformation in arts funding. The role is one of the most influential in UK cultural policy, and Airey's experience outside the traditional museum sector could reshape how the council supports the arts.