Trustees

Meet our Board of Trustees

  1. The Board of Trustees are elected individuals that support the Museum’s endeavours. Our Trustees play an important role in the leadership of the Museum, and we greatly value the experience, objectivity, expertise and commitment our Trustees bring.

    The current Chair of the Board of Trustees is Duncan Bedhall. Our current Deputy Chairs are Jonathan Badyal and Caroline Southall. 

Meet our Trustees

  1. Hasan Azfal

    Hasan is currently Assistant Director for Sourcing and Procurement at NHS Blood and Transplant, leading teams in providing value-for-money commercial solutions that meet the needs of the NHS’s users.

    Hasan has had a varied and diverse career in central government as a civil servant, having worked in a number of departments including the Ministry of Defence, Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, Cabinet Office, and the Department for Education.

    Hasan read Political Economy at the University of Birmingham and Philosophy of Science at the London School of Economics. Outside of professional interests, Hasan takes a keen interest in current affairs, travel and history.

     

  2. Jonathan Badyal, Deputy Chair

    Jonathan Badyal is a partner at Trafalgar Strategy, a global strategic advisory firm, where he advises CEOs and world-renowned creatives on strategy, communications and reputation. 

    With a particular passion for India, he is also working on exploring the country as both an import and export market for the UK's arts and creative industries, building a wide network of senior stakeholders.

    He joined the partnership after spending eight years at Universal Music, the world's leading music company, in a wide-ranging senior executive role. As Director of Communications for the UK business, he advised on strategy and culture change as well as managing a wide range of communications initiatives. He also oversaw multiple CSR initiatives while overseeing key relationships with government and the wider creative industries.

    Prior to his role at Universal Music, Jonathan spent five years advising the UK's Culture and Digital Minister on policy, communications and stakeholder relations, where he developed deep insights into arts and creative industries policy. 

    Jonathan's board experience includes his current roles as Deputy Chair at Black Country Living Museum and Non-Executive Director positions at Manchester United Foundation and the National Academy for Social Prescribing.

    He is also a Senior Adviser to Saxton Bampfylde - the global executive search company - in their Arts, Culture and Creative Industries practise. He was previously on the Tate Modern Advisory Group and was recently recognised in the PRWeek UK Power Book 2025. 

  3. Katy Baker

    Katy has over 15 years’ experience in the not-for-profit sector, including many years’ experience as a Youth Worker, working with some of the country's most disadvantaged young people.

    Previous roles include Managing Director at Summit House Support, Regional Manager at UpRising, Regional Partnership Manager at UK Youth, and Programme Manager for Catch 22.

    Katy now works as a freelance consultant working with charities and non-profits around strategy, fundraising and governance. Katy also founded and runs her own music charity – Metal For Good.

    Born in Birmingham, Katy actually grew up in rural Wales and now lives in the Black Country.

    Katy's family are all from the Midlands – her grandfather was born in Dudley and worked as a jeweller in the city's jewellery quarter. Katy has a History degree and an MBA in Strategic Management from Aston Business School. Katy is also a trustee for the Achieve Equity Foundation.

  4. Duncan Bedhall, Chair

    Duncan spent much of his career working in Commercial Real Estate around the Black Country and Birmingham.

    More recently he was the Senior Partner of Fisher German, one of the largest privately owned property management and consultancy businesses in the UK.

    He holds a degree in Estate Management and qualified as a Chartered Surveyor in 1990. Now working as a Consultant, Duncan helps property related businesses make more money in a sustainable manner.

    Duncan has deep roots in the Black Country, coming from a family of chain makers from Cradley. His interests include British history, motorbikes and travel, preferably all at the same time!

  5. Sally Bourner

    Sally served with West Midlands Police for 30 years, retiring in 2020. She undertook operational roles (to the rank of Chief Superintendent) across the region.

    She has extensive experience of partnership working, crime reduction, serious crime investigation and covert policing. She led large and diverse teams through complex, challenging and constantly changing times.

    Sally concluded her career as Commander for Dudley, working on community engagement, intervention and prevention.

    Sally has always been passionate about supporting people in their personal and professional development. She was a national assessor with the College of Policing for over 10 years and continues to work with them as an associate.

    Since retiring, Sally combines work with a wide range of volunteering, including her role as a trustee at Black Country Living Museum since 2021.

    In her working life Sally helps people from under-represented groups, who want to join the police, practice and prepare. She also undertakes leadership development and diversity and inclusion work with clients beyond policing.

  6. Janet Chapman

    Janet enjoyed a long executive career working in financial services in the UK and the USA. She held senior roles in Citigroup, Nationwide Building Society and Mistubushi UJF. Since retiring in 2023, Janet has found roles that reflect her passion for the role of arts, culture and education in our society and serves as a Trustee at the Museum of the Home in East London, the Regal Theatre in Tenbury Wells and as a governor of Coventry University. She also serves on the Board of the Tipton & Coseley Building Society where she is a strong supporter of the building society movement and an advocate for the importance of member-owned businesses in financial services

    Born and raised in Coventry, Janet has strong ties with the West Midlands and has many happy memories of visits to BCLM. She is honoured to be invited to serve as a trustee of a museum that celebrates the proud industrial heritage of the region. 

  7. Councillor Matt Follows

    Councillor Matt Follows joins the Board as the representative for the Association of Black Country Authorities (ABCA). He is currently Chairman of Economy and Environment OSC at Walsall Council and has been a local councillor for Bloxwich West since 2015. 

    In his Black Country hometown, Matt has helped lead various projects including launching the official Bloxwich Flag and promoting the town’s historical features and green spaces. He is also a trustee of the Walsall Museum and Art Galleries Development Trust, supporting The New Art Gallery in Walsall.

    Matt is a Press Officer for the Conservative Party working across the West Midlands. He holds a Masters in Contemporary History and a Masters in Public Management from the University of Birmingham. 

  8. Dr Nicola Guy

    Nicky is currently the Deputy Director for Culture in the Welsh Government, where she leads on museums, libraries and archives, and previously arts and sport. Her team leads on the new Priorities for Culture, oversees the relationship with the national cultural bodies and is the sector development agency for museums, libraries and archives across Wales (with functions akin to ACE for these sectors in England). She is Welsh Government’s senior sponsor for the disabled staff network.

    Nicky has been a Civil Servant for over 18 years, having worked in a range of UK Government departments before joining the Welsh Government. At DCMS, Nicky led the sponsorship of 15 museums, the British Library, and National Historic Ships, and the relationship with university museums. She has also enjoyed short secondments, including to National Museums Liverpool and Raleigh International in Borneo, where she met her husband.

    Nicky has studied at Durham, Indiana and the Open Universities, culminating in a PhD in the history of Albanian independence, on which she has also published, and an MBA. She has worked at Durham, York and the Open Universities on modern European and British history courses. She is currently a trustee for Ecpat UK, a small charity that advocates for and supports trafficked children.

    Nicky was born in Solihull and grew up in Shropshire, attending Wolverhampton Girls’ High School, and now living in Shropshire again. As a mum of two young children, she is passionate about ensuring children, especially girls, know and understand their history and heritage and how it has shaped how we live today and in the future.

  9. Louise Jones

    Louise is currently the Chief Finance Officer at Dudley College of Technology and has worked in the Further Education sector for over 20 years, in Birmingham and the Black Country.  

    In addition to being a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, she holds a degree in Economics and Management from Cardiff University and a Professional Graduate Certificate in Education from Wolverhampton University. 

    Louise has a keen interest in contributing to the regeneration of Dudley town centre through her work at the College and at the Museum, particularly ensuring that young people from all backgrounds are able to get full access to education and the important heritage of the Black Country.

  10. Ruth Levesley

    Ruth is Chief Executive of Kapella (formerly Relate Birmingham & Black Country), a local charity providing services to help people have better relationships and improved wellbeing.

    Ruth is responsible for overall service delivery across the West Midlands and South Staffordshire and has many years’ experience of charity management including setting up new services, partnership working and income generation. She is passionate about ensuring services are accessible to all.

    She has a keen interest in history and heritage and studied the Industrial Revolution as part of her history degree. She enjoys going to historical places and events, especially those that bring history to life and is a regular visitor to the Black Country Living Museum.

  11. Tarlok Singh Mander

    Tarlok runs a finance consultancy, which helps businesses optimise processes and increase profit using a data-driven approach. He spent five years at Amazon where he led the finance function for some of Europe’s largest warehouses.

    Tarlok has over a decade of experience working in finance functions across the public and private sectors, including at Network Rail and Jaguar Land Rover, with expertise in driving operational efficiencies and providing advice on large-scale capital projects.

    Tarlok grew up in Walsall and studied at Wolverhampton Grammar School after which he completed an undergraduate degree in Money, Banking and Finance at the University of Birmingham. Tarlok is a sports enthusiast and currently coaches boxing classes after competitively boxing for nine years himself.

  12. Dileep Singh Marway

    Dileep is a seasoned technology leader with over 19 years of experience, currently working as a Director of Engineering at PebblePad. In this role, he leads the team, drives product/tech roadmap delivery, fosters innovation, and manages operations.

    Dileep’s extensive background includes senior positions across various sectors such as retail, staffing, publishing and sports, where he developed key skills in strategy development, enterprise architecture, and leading complex change programmes.

    A notable achievement in Dileep's career was his time as an Engineering Leader at The Economist. There, he was instrumental in establishing their engineering centre of excellence from its inception in central Birmingham. Beyond his professional roles, Dileep is committed to community engagement, serving as a Board Advisor for Enactus Aston, an organisation that empowers students to tackle societal challenges.

    Growing up in Birmingham and holding an undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Dileep also shares his expertise as an advisor for Harvard Business Review and as a member of the Forbes Technology Council. Outside of his professional life and community work, he is a keen football enthusiast and is a dedicated Aston Villa season ticket holder.

  13. Catherine Murphy

    Catherine is currently Audience Research & Insights Manager at the British Film Institute. She has been working in the field of audience development and marketing for over 10 years, five of them at the Natural History Museum, London where she was Audience Insights Manager.

    Prior to this she had worked with hundreds of arts organisations across the country when she was at The Audience Agency, where she helped develop and launch the Audience Finder programme helping arts organisations develop insights about their audiences.

    Catherine holds an MA in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester and a BA (hons) in History from the University of Sheffield. Growing up in Birmingham she has always had a keen interest in the history of the West Midlands and is particularly keen on widening public engagement with history and the arts.

  14. Emma Norris

    Emma is Membership & Events Coordinator at The Heritage Alliance (THA), based in London and at the forefront of heritage advocacy, policy, and connection. Her responsibilities encompass the production of significant heritage events and the ongoing engagement with THA’s 200+ member organisations across the United Kingdom.

    A former student of the University of Nottingham, Emma holds a degree in Archaeology and Classical Civilisation. Her research interests have centred on the intersection of cultural heritage and international relations, with a specific focus on the role heritage plays in identity and community building.

  15. Caroline Southall, Deputy Chair

    Caroline has over 25 years in the Telecommunications industry, leading large organisations. She is currently the Director of Small & Medium Business at BT Group.

    Caroline is a passionate advocate for Inclusion and was previously the chair of The Women’s Network at Vodafone, where her work was recognised with a place on the 2021 HERoes Women Role Model Lists. She now leads a gender inclusion workstream in BT Business and plays an active role in driving the representation of under-represented, minority groups in her organisation and the wider BT Group.

    Caroline is also a sponsor for early careers and career returners programmes, committing time and energy to mentoring and coaching.

    Working with organisations such as Be the Business, Caroline uses her platform at BT to provide support and advisory services to small businesses and entrepreneurs.

    Caroline’s heart and history is deeply rooted in the Black Country. She comes from a family of glassmakers and engravers, with generations working at firms such as Stuart Crystal and Royal Brierley Crystal and after a short time away pursuing her studies at university, she returned to the region to settle with her family.