The senior management team at Brunel’s SS Great Britain in Bristol has been given a huge boost as ambitious plans for future expansion start to take shape.
Director of Creative Services, Patsy Connor, Director of External Affairs, Nerys Watts and Director of the Brunel Institute, Tim Bryan have been selected to enhance the Bristol-based charitable trust, which is already a major driver for tourism to the city.
Patsy Connor joins from the BBC, where she was most recently Director of BBC South West and Head of Development and Events, UK, and brings substantial experience of leading audience engagement in the region and across the nation. Patsy will drive the Trust’s creative ambitions, starting with a major campaign to mark the 50th anniversary of the SSGB’s extraordinary homecoming to Bristol from The Falklands in 2020.
Nerys Watts will head up the Trust’s external affairs and will develop opportunities for funding and partnerships, including for the Albion Dry Dock Project – an exciting expansion of the heritage and visitor experience that will double the footprint and boost the region’s tourism offer significantly over the next five years. Nerys was previously South West Regional Director and Head of Engagement for London & South at the National Heritage Lottery Fund.
Tim Bryan, who joins the Trust from the British Motor Museum where he was Head of Collections, and previously STEAM, the museum of the Great Western Railway, steps into a new position which will drive expansion of the SS Great Britain Trust’s education and research programmes and oversee the conservation of the nationally Designated Brunel collections.
Commenting on the appointments, Matthew Tanner, CEO of the SS Great Britain Trust said:
“Patsy, Nerys and Tim bring a wealth of experience to the Trust at a crucial time and will bolster a strong and dedicated team as we work towards an exciting future at Brunel’s SS Great Britain.”