Claudia Kenyatta CBE joined Historic England as Director of Regions in 2018. Before this Claudia spent two years as a Director in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, most recently as Director of Corporate Strategy where she was responsible for strategy and planning, governance, evidence and analysis and oversight of the Department’s 45 Arm’s Length Bodies.

She joined DCMS senior civil service in 2007 with roles leading heritage, arts, museums and digital policy, sponsoring bodies such as Arts Council England, Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and national museums, and delivering national commemorative and ceremonial events.

Previously she worked in a range of Government Departments, with roles on social exclusion policy, neighbourhood renewal and in private office. Claudia was awarded a CBE for services to heritage, including her leadership of the Historic England’s groundbreaking high streets renewal programme.

Alongside her role at Historic England, Claudia is Chair of the Board of Trustees at Battersea Arts Centre in London and, with Emma, a member of the Mayor of London’s Cultural Leadership Board.

Emma Squire CBE joined Historic England in November 2023 starting a job share with Claudia Kenyatta as Director of Regions. Before this Emma spent nearly six years as Director of Arts, Heritage and Tourism at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport where she was responsible for policy on the art market, culture, heritage, tourism, libraries, museums, treasure and cultural diplomacy.

Her role included sponsoring 28 Arm’s Length Bodies and agencies such as Arts Council England, national museums like the National Gallery and the V&A, VisitBritain, Historic Royal Palaces and The Royal Parks as well as the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England itself.

Emma led for Government on the £1.59bn Covid pandemic Culture Recovery Fund that supported over 5000 cultural and heritage organisations to survive the pandemic and for which she was awarded a CBE. She also led on programmes from the UK City of Culture competition to the Cultural Development Fund.

Emma has been a senior civil servant since 2009, with roles on local growth, trade and as Principal Private Secretary to the Business Secretary. Alongside her role at Historic England, Emma is Chair of the Board of Trustees at Bridport Museum in West Dorset and, with Claudia, a member of the Mayor of London’s Cultural Leadership Board.

Manus Deery was appointed acting director of the Historic Environment
Division in September 2025 following a 25-year career within the Division as
an architect, Senior Conservation Architect and then Principal Conservation
Architect/ Assistant Director. Over the last ten years he has managed the
Division’s strategic team including grants, advice, research, policy, and world
heritage issues as well as enforcement, scheduled monument management,
and archaeological licencing. In the ten years before this he managed the
Division’s listing team and listed building planning responses in the northern
half of Northern Ireland. At the start of his career in the Division he was an
area architect dealing directly with planning, grants and advice within a
defined area.

Manus qualified as an architect in 1994 and was awarded a Diploma in
Architectural Conservation, with distinction, from the Royal Society of Ulster
Architects in 2001. He worked for a private architectural practice (McCormick,
Tracey, Mullarkey) from 1994 to 2000 mainly on historic buildings, and from
1997- 2000 was part of a small team recording buildings for the Division’s new
listing survey.

Manus lives in Derry~Londonderry in the northwest of Northern Ireland and
has held a number of exhibitions of watercolour sketches and developed a
website (‘Marksoftime’) highlighting the rich heritage of the city and
surrounding counties. In 2013 he wrote and illustrated a book of the same
name, which was published as part of the Derry~Londonderry UK City of
Culture celebrations.

Mr Stephen Uphill is the current Chief Executive of Historic Environment Scotland. 

Dr Kathryn Roberts is Chief Executive of Cadw. Cadw, the Welsh word for “to keep” or “to protect”, is aptly named. As the Welsh Government’s historic environment service, it works to protect, conserve and promote Wales’s rich and diverse heritage for current and future generations. Cadw is part of the Welsh Government and is answerable to Heledd Fychan MS, Trefnydd, Chief Whip and Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport.

Cadw manages 132 historic properties across Wales including some of Wales’ most iconic castles, abbeys and industrial sites. Amongst Cadw’s top attractions in Wales are the World Heritage castles of Caernarfon, Conwy, Harlech and Beaumaris in the North and Caerphilly, Chepstow and Tintern Abbey in the South. As the Welsh Government’s historic environment service Cadw is also responsible for providing guidance, advice and support to ministers and the Welsh heritage sector and is a key partner in the governance of the three Welsh Industrial World Heritage Sites – Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales. Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal and Blaenavon Industrial Landscape. Cadw’s mission is to protect, promote and sustain Wales’s historic environment, supporting skills development, public enjoyment and economic prosperity for current and future generations.