Sir Diddy is back
Soap opera supremo Phil Redmond is being succeeded as chairman of National Museums Liverpool by the city council's former chief executive, Sir David Henshaw.
Culture Secretary Karen Bradley has appointed Henshaw for a four-year term starting February 13.
Currently chairman of the trust board at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, where battle lines are being drawn over plans to build a housing estate on part of the site, Henshaw also served as chief executive of the Liverpool Culture Company which delivered Liverpool’s year in 2008 as European Capital of Culture.
But Henshaw is perhaps best remembered in Liverpool for his involvement in a lengthy spat with the former leader of the city council Mike Storey, now Lord Storey. The fate of the abandoned Merseytram scheme was at the heart of their fall out.
He was also at the helm in the Municipal Buildings when the proposal for the “fourth grace”. Will Alsop’s Cloud, was abandoned.
There is no pay for the chairman of NML, but, says the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the appointment has been made in accordance with a code of practice requiring holders of such jobs to declare any political activity. It added that Henshaw has declared no political activity.
Born and educated in Liverpool, David Henshaw went on to obtain a degree in public administration and then a masters degree in social sciences at the University of Birmingham.
He has had an extensive career in the public sector with chief executive roles at Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council (1989-1999) and Liverpool City Council (1999-2006).
He also led a major review of child support and of the Child Support Agency for central government (2006-2007) and was involved in the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit Capability Review programme of central government departments.
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