Nicholas Cullinan’s appointment was approved by the board of trustees and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Nicholas Cullinan, the new director of the British Museum, has said he will oversee “the most significant transformations, both architectural and intellectual” when he takes up the role in the summer.
The outgoing National Portrait Gallery director replaces former Victoria and Albert Museum head Sir Mark Jones, who was made interim director following the resignation of Hartwig Fischer over the thefts at the London-based institution.
Mr Cullinan’s appointment was announced on Thursday after it was approved by the board of trustees and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
He said: “One of the greatest museums in the world, it is an honour to become the next director of the British Museum.
“I look forward to joining its wonderful and dedicated staff and to work with its hugely impressive board in leading it into a new chapter.
“This will encompass the most significant transformations, both architectural and intellectual, happening in any museum globally, to continue making the British Museum the most engaged and collaborative it can be.”
He added that he wants to “pay tribute to my predecessors, most recently Sir Mark Jones, and look forward to building on their extraordinary achievements”.
Mr Cullinan faces an in-tray that includes the fallout from around 1,500 artefacts found to be missing, stolen or damaged at the museum, and overseeing its renovation.
He was appointed director of the National Portrait Gallery in April 2015 and has overseen the three-year refurbishment of the Trafalgar Square museum and its reopening.
Mr Cullinan previously worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Tate Modern in London.
Museum chairman George Osborne said the trustees chose Mr Cullinan as he “brings proven leadership today and great potential for tomorrow”.
“He has shown his capacity as director of the National Portrait Gallery to oversee both a major physical renovation and a compelling renewal of purpose in a way that doesn’t take sides, but brings people together – and won universal acclaim,” Mr Osborne added.
“We believe he can achieve this, and more, on the bigger scale of the British Museum as we undertake a once-in-a-generation redevelopment. In doing so he can build on the solid foundations laid by Mark Jones, to whom we owe a huge debt of gratitude for stepping into the breach last year.
“I could not be more thrilled for Nick and more excited for us as we enter this new chapter in the long story of the British Museum with confidence, and back on the front foot.”
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Art historian Mr Cullinan, who studied at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, was awarded an OBE for services to the arts in the 2024 King’s New Years Honours list.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “I look forward to Nick sharing his vision for the museum, including how he will strengthen its world-leading partnerships, deliver the next phase of its major capital project, and ensure the museum’s magnificent collections are enjoyed for generations to come.
“I want to thank Sir Mark Jones for his leadership and providing stability to the organisation during a difficult period.”
