Council Members

Founded in 1934, the British Council is a charity incorporated by Royal Charter aiming to support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. We deliver our mission through uniquely combining the UK’s rich expertise in arts & culture, education and the English language, our global presence and relationships in over 100 countries, and our unparalleled access to young people with a global reach of 589 million people through face-to-face, digital, and publication and broadcast channels.

We operate a substantial English teaching and assessment revenue-generating arm that helps to support our purpose. We are also a public corporation and non-departmental public body that receives approximately 16% of our £1bn annual turnover in grant aid from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), so we have a unique governance structure and operate under public service scrutiny.

Following a challenging time financially during the pandemic and with reductions over the last decade to our government funding, the British Council has actively been transforming both its business model and strategic delivery in order to fulfil its mission at a time when the Prime Minister is seeking to re-set the UK’s relationship with Europe, and the Foreign Secretary is continuing her predecessor’s approach of ‘progressive realism’ in the UK’s foreign policy.

With this background in mind, we are currently looking for trustees with substantive backgrounds in finance, commercial (in particular digital) leadership, and arts and culture to enhance the Board’s strengths in these fields. You will bring experience of operating at a strategic level and of informing high level and complex strategic choices which have implications for the future of an organisation, and will be able to add value at the nexus of business, charity and non-departmental government activity.

Ideal candidates will be fully rounded individuals who combine interest and passion in the overall mission of the British Council with collegiate skills, an enquiring mind and a positive attitude and demonstrably high standards of personal integrity and the ability to maintain and build on the values of the organisation – with an enthusiasm for, and understanding of, contemporary UK life and society. Successful candidates will bring past governance and board-level experience.

We particularly welcome candidates from the devolved nations, the regions of England, those with lived experiences in the other countries in which the British Council operates, and candidates from the Global Majority.

For further details about each Trustee, including the job description, person specification, and information on how to apply, please visit https://plusportal.perrettlaver.com/ quoting the following reference numbers: Arts and Culture Trustee – 8320, Commercial Trustee – 8321, Finance Trustee – 8224.

Candidates wishing to apply should submit a CV (including comprehensive details of key achievements and responsibilities) along with a covering letter which fully addresses the competencies outlined in the role description and person specification. The closing date for applications is 11:59pm on 15 March 2026.

The British Council will be supported in this appointment by the executive search firm Perrett Laver. Any initial enquiries should be directed to Ryann Schutt at ryann.schutt@perrettlaver.com and +44 (0) 20 7340 6224.

Accessibility: For a conversation in confidence, please contact Ryann Schutt at ryann.schutt@perrettlaver.com and +44 (0) 20 7340 6224. Should you require access to these documents in alternative formats, please contact Bharti Aggarwal at bharti.aggarwal@perrettlaver.com. If you have comments that would support us to improve access to documentation, or our application processes more generally, please do not hesitate to contact us via accessibility@perrettlaver.com.

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