The Thackray Museum of Medicine is today announcing that CEO, Nat Edwards is leaving the museum to take on an incredibly exciting post, leading the Royal Armouries as their new Director General and Master of the Armouries.
Since joining Thackray in 2018, Nat has overseen a £4million refurbishment of the museum and our reopening in May 2021. He presided over a rebranding of the museum, establishing it as the UK’s leading independent medical museum – recognised, among other things, as the first museum in the world to become a public COVID vaccination centre and as a finalist for the 2021 Art Fund Museum of the Year. Prior to that he has accrued over 30 years’ experience working in museums, heritage and visitor attractions. His career spans institutions such as the Science Museum Group, National Library of Scotland, National Trust for Scotland and Glasgow Museums.
Quote from Dr Neil Kaiper-Holmes, Chairman of Thackray Museum of Medicine
“Nat has been an outstanding Chief Executive for our museum. He has led us through our refurbishment and extended closure due to Covid with skill, dedication and ingenuity. He is recognised as a font of knowledge in the sector and has the respect of colleagues as a true innovator, who is always aware of the needs of the communities in which he works.
I will miss his influence and presence tremendously on a personal and business level but wish him all the very best in this next exciting and challenging step of his career.”
Nat Edwards, outgoing Chief Executive, said:
“One of the wonderful things about working in museums is that, however many years you spend in them, they never fail to amaze and surprise. I’ve certainly encountered plenty of that in the Thackray. It’s a real wrench to leave behind such a unique museum. I don’t think I can recall working with any museum team with such a strong sense of purpose and such a remarkable willingness to throw themselves at each and every challenge with gusto – and there have been a few challenges over the last couple of years. They are a special bunch of people and it would take something very special to drag me away from them. I count myself exceptionally lucky to have found something that is very special in the Royal Armouries
