Tim Reeve leaves V&A to lead English Heritage

Tim Reeve has been named the new chief executive of English Heritage, the UK charity dedicated to conserving over 400 historic locations, including Stonehenge. Previously, Reeve worked at English Heritage starting in 1996 as a registry assistant and later as the director of historic properties from 2005 to 2013. He takes over from Geoff Parkin, the interim chief executive since July 2025, following Nick Merriman's resignation. Merriman's tenure included a contentious restructuring that cut 7% of the workforce, approximately 180 positions, from a total of 2,535. At the V&A, where he was chief operating officer, Reeve played a key role in creating V&A East Museum and Storehouse and V&A Dundee, which opened in 2018. His exit coincides with a staff vote for a strike at V&A East Storehouse due to working conditions. V&A director Tristram Hunt commended Reeve's impactful leadership since 2013. By 2023, English Heritage became self-financing and no longer receives regular funding from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Visitor numbers at its paid sites declined to 5.75 million from 6.1 million in 2023-24, with membership slightly decreasing to 1.19 million. Conservation expenses across all properties reached £50 million.