Our board and staff

Danny Homan has over 20 years of experience within the culture and heritage sectors. Recent senior leadership roles include Chief of Staff at The Big Lottery Fund where he was responsible for strategy and governance across the charity and Communication and Development Director at Historic Royal Palaces in London. Danny lives in Hove and London and has been a BDBF Trustee since 2014. He is Chair of the Board and sits on the Finance Committee.  

Sue has a wealth of experience across many aspects of public service and academia. Currently, she is Director of Innovation & Business Partnerships at the University of Sussex, where she leads a team to mobilise the University’s expertise and knowledge to make tangible improvements to people’s lives and business success. As a former senior civil servant and local government official, Sue has driven UK industrial and regional policies and programmes; led EU and other international negotiations and set up local, community-based support schemes.

Nicola is currently the Director, London and South East, for the National Trust and has led a number of large, high performing teams at senior executive leadership level in media, communications, publishing, legal, professional services, heritage and not-for-profit sectors. She also has an advisory role on the Old Royal Naval College. Nicola joined the Board in September 2022.

Ross is a Brighton-based former Deloitte partner, now holding a portfolio of non-executive, advisory, angel investor and trustee roles. He is passionate about live music and the arts, and has been a regular attendee at Brighton Dome and Festival events for many years. Ross joined the Board in September 2022 and is a member of the Finance Committee.

Melanie’s background as a Barrister and a Tribunal Judge has given her a particular interest in children and young people.  She has extensive experience as a judicial trainer and has written on issues of diversity and equality. She joined the Board in September 2019 and currently chairs the Safeguarding Committee. Melanie lives in Piddinghoe ,East Sussex.

Chris qualified as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse in London, and spent 15 years in investment banking, latterly as Chief Administrative Officer of Credit Suisse First Boston with global responsibility for IT, Finance and Settlements.  He retired from the City in 2001 and spent several years running an organic cattle and sheep farm He has been Chair of Governors at Arts University Bournemouth, a trustee and chair of Finance Committee of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, a trustee and past Chair of Told by an Idiot. Chris is Chair of the Finance Committee

Peter had been advising across the Royal London Group since 2012, He has an established track record of executing business strategy through an innovative, solution-driven, and decisive approach to legal service delivery. He works closely with Board and Executive Committee members and frequently liaises with the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority on behalf of Royal London. Peter joined the Board in September 2022 and is a member of the Finance Committee.

Jackie is the second City Council representative and is a member of the Labour Party. Jackie is the opposition spokesperson on the City Council’s Children, Young People and Skills Committee. She is also a member of the City’s Arts and Creative industries Commission.

Liz has extensive experience in branding, communication and digital innovation gained in high profile creative businesses and management consultancy organisations. She was recently appointed as Group Chief Integration Office at Landor, a global brand and design agency. Prior to this she was the Accenture Song MD & Client Group Lead. Liz is on the Board of ‘The Place’ which provides contemporary dance education and a theatre centre, designed to develop, nurture and celebrate dance for all, and sits on WACL (Women in Advertising and Communication Leadership Board). Liz joined the Board in December 2022.

Stewart is director and CEO of the De La Warr Pavilion (DLWP) Charitable Trust, with a 30 year career in cultural organisations, including the Museum of London and Crafts Council. He has established DLWP as a major music venue on the live circuit, with appearances by Kae Tempest, Jah Shaka, Wyes Blood, Napalm Death, Sun 0))), Pixies, John Grant, Cat Power, Patti Smith and Goldfrapp, amongst many others. Stewart also played a key part in the establishment of OUTLANDS, the national experimental music network representing diverse organisations – from ‘NPO to DIY’, including Fat Out, Supersonic Festival, Fuse, KARST and MK Gallery. The network is now an Arts Council England funded client in its own right.

Alison is an arts and travel journalist who worked at the FT and the Sunday Times before becoming a Labour councillor for Regency ward in 2023. She is policy lead for city centre renewal, and currently sits on the licensing and planning committees, as well as the people and place oversight and scrutiny committees. A student at Sussex University in the 1980s, she and her husband have lived in Hove since 2003. Alison is one of two Brighton & Hove City Council councillor appointments to the Board.