Chair of the Board of Governors

Description

Southbank Centre is publicly funded and commercially active, locally rooted, nationally and internationally ambitious, beloved by both Londoners and those across the UK and recognised around the world.

2026 marked our 75th Anniversary, and our year-long celebration is reaching millions in London and around the UK, demonstrating our resolve to make a tangible difference to the lives of our artists, audiences and local communities. This year we aren’t just celebrating 75 years of history; we are setting a magnificent stage for the next 75.

It’s a great time to join the Southbank Centre. We are seeking a Chair of the Board of Governors who:

Has a genuine belief in the importance of arts and culture in British public life, and a personal commitment to Southbank Centre’s place within it;

• Brings proven commercial and strategic capability in leading and delivering visionary change, not managing the status quo;
• Is a proven fundraiser with the relationships and the confidence to ask at the level of major gifts and capital campaigns;
• Is experienced in chairing and the governance of a complex organisation, with the authority to build a confident, high-performing Board and
• Has senior standing across Government, Arts Council England and key civic bodies, and a willingness to use it.

Please see further job role details here.

Need reasonable adjustments? Please contact us so we can help make the application process accessible to you. Be sure to include the job you are applying for and your full name.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV and a maximum two page supporting statement to southbank@egonzehnder.com as soon as possible.

Preliminary interviews with our Executive Search Partners, Egon Zehnder, will take place throughout September and October.

All applications must be submitted by 8am on Monday 12 October 2026.

About Southbank Centre

We’re the UK’s largest centre for the arts, and a charity that is proud to bring millions of people together on London’s South Bank. Our mission is to make a difference to the lives of artists, audiences and communities through the variety of our programming and spaces. We look after an 13-acre site, which includes the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Purcell Room, and the Hayward Gallery.

If this role appeals to you, and you want to work with us to make the Southbank Centre the world’s most exciting centre for the arts, we would love to hear from you. We know that experience can look different for everyone, and encourage you to share your relevant skills with us whether they are from within the Arts or gained in other sectors.