Chief sought to champion castle's global ambition

Jul 2 2009 By Karen Dent, The Journal

ALNWICK Castle and Garden is to appoint its first joint chief executive to run the two organisations and put them on the global tourist map.

The post, expected to be filled by mid-September, carries a "six-figure package" for a "truly exceptional individual" who will "create a unique and world-leading visitor attraction".

Headhunter Veredus is advising the castle, currently run as part of the Duke of Northumberland’s vast Northumberland Estates business, and the garden, which is managed by a charitable trust.

The 15th Century property, bought by the Duke’s family 700 ago, is one of the region’s biggest tourist attractions and has welcomed tens of thousands more visitors a year since the gardens were spectacularly redesigned six years ago and the castle became the setting for films including the Harry Potter series.

Veredus regional director Jonathan Clark said: "They are looking for an exceptional leader, somebody who has the ability to really catalyse and galvanise the development of Alnwick Castle and Alnwick Garden into a global visitor attraction, to absolutely get Alnwick on to the map internationally, so that for people visiting the UK, it will be on their radar screens as a must-visit place.

"It’s a really exciting role to bring both enterprises together to create and ensure the whole is greater than the sum of its constituent parts."