Francis Maude, Chair

An architect and conservation specialist. His many projects have included the Palace of Westminster and the Temperate House at Kew (both World Heritage sites), as well as the Parliament and President’s House in Trinidad, the Jai Vilas Palace in Gwalior, India and the City Hall in Georgetown, Guyana.

Lucy Denton

An architectural historian and writer with twenty years’ experience in the arts and heritage sectors. She has worked for Sotheby’s and written for Country Life. Her research at various historic sites has unearthed evidence which has transformed their understanding and interpretation.

Rowenna Malone

An Associate and Heritage Consultant at Purcell. Projects include work for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in north-east India and a Heritage Strategy for South Georgia. Her academic work explored the history of monument conservation and the re-presentation of museums in India.

Nicolette Duckham

An architectural historian who has over 30 years experience in the heritage sector and as a building conservation officer in London and Cape Town. She wrote her thesis on the domestic work of Sir Herbert Baker, which was inspired by her mother's work as an artist and architectural historian in South Africa.

Peregrine Bryant

Chairman of the Friends of the Georgian Society of Jamaica and vice-chairman of the UK Georgian Group. A leading conservation architect, he started his own practice in 1994 after working with Jeremy and Patricia Benson. He is an expert in the historic buildings of Jamaica, which he visits regularly.

Rachel Tranter

An experienced director of heritage, arts and culture with specialisms in capital projects for listed buildings, fundraising and education. Formerly Head of Arts for the LB of Richmond upon Thames, currently she is the Director for GEM, the Group for Education in Museums, and Development and Projects Manager at Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance.

Prince Henry Ajene

Prince Henry Ajene is an architectural graduate and director at Henry Ajene Studio. Prince works across the disciplines of architecture, urbanism and product design to create culturally responsive spaces that enrich the lives of diverse people and communities. Working on a variety of projects within the UK and West Africa, Prince has expertise in residential, art, mixed-use development, urban research and regeneration. Currently working with Elsie Owusu Architects (EOA), Prince leads the UK design team for Guest Artist Studio, an arts complex for the British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare CBE, RA. Prince co-produced an exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum and was nominated by the RIBA, as one of the inspirational young black architects of the future. Prince also holds the role of Secretary on CHF's International Advisory Committee.

Tara Inniss

Dr Tara Inniss is a Lecturer in the Department of History and Philosophy at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus and Director of the UWI/ OAS Caribbean Heritage Network (CHN). She holds a PhD in Caribbean History from The UWI, Cave Hill Campus and a Masters in International Social Development at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. Dr. Inniss has served as a delegate for the Government of Barbados on the World Heritage Committee. She is also a member of Barbados' Research Teams for UNESCO World Heritage Property Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison and the Nomination for The Industrial Heritage of Barbados: The Story of Sugar and Rum.

Kelvin Ang

Kelvin has two decades of experience in architecture and conservation at the URA (Singapore’s national planning, land use and building conservation authority).He obtained his Graduate Diploma (Architecture) and MSc. in Sustainable Heritage, both at the Bartlett School, University College London. Kelvin has led a multi-disciplinary team to deliver several key conservation projects including the legal protection of over 700 buildings and the showcase restoration of the 19^th century ‘National University of Singapore - Baba House’ at 157 Neil Road. He is currently piloting a people-public partnership approach to integrating the conservation of tangible and intangible heritage for one of Singapore’s key historic neighbourhoods – Kampong Gelam. Kelvin is also serving on the Management Committee of the NUS ArcLab (dedicated to the training of conservation professionals). Kelvin also sits on CHF's International Advisory Committee.

Karin Taylor

A Chartered Town Planner and Landscape Architect, Karin has forty years’ experience in planning, landscape and heritage both in local government and with the UK National Trust, where she was Head of Planning. Alongside her current role as an Examining Inspector for the UK Government, Karin acts as volunteer planning adviser for the National Trusts of Jersey and Fiji.

Philip Davies, Consultant Executive Director

An international heritage and planning consultant and former Planning and Development Director at English Heritage, he has been in the forefront of managing change to many of England’s most important historic buildings and places for over 40 years. A best-selling author of twelve books, and an expert on the architectural heritage of the Commonwealth, he is both the founder and former Chairman of the Commonwealth Heritage Forum. A tireless global champion for heritage conservation, he has travelled worldwide providing expert guidance on the conservation of Commonwealth architecture.

Sarah Neville, Consultant Project Development Co-ordinator

Having worked in regeneration, construction sector marketing and museums, Sarah first became involved in heritage skills training as Project Manager for Re-Making Leeds. This gave practical training and work experience to over 400 students across a range of traditional skills. Most recently, Sarah worked for Historic England’s Hamish Ogston Foundation Heritage Building Skills Training Programme, negotiating contracts for site-based training, including the Wentworth Woodhouse summer school.

Sarah, an IHBC member, holds a Professional Development Diploma in Historic Building Conservation and Repair from West Dean College and won the Historic England/John Ashurst Prize 2019.

Ashley Bochman, Consultant Training and Skills Co-ordinator

An experienced learning and development consultant, Ashley joined the Commonwealth Heritage Forum in August 2022. Ashley has a decade of experience working for corporate and higher education organisations in the UK and US and has delivered numerous learning and development projects. She is passionate about the heritage sector, incorporating sustainable practices into heritage management and forging partnerships to interpret and conserve historic sites. Ashley graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in International Politics and is a member of several Scottish heritage societies.

Rudylynn de Four Roberts

Chair of ICOMOS Trinidad and Tobago National Committee since 2012 and President of the Citizens for Conservation, Trinidad & Tobago since 2009, Rudylynn is a registered architect and a member of the Caribbean Heritage Network.

Formerly a member (1993-1999) of the Board of Architecture Trinidad & Tobago, she was President and Fellow of the Trinidad & Tobago Institute of Architects, a member of the Cabinet Appointed Archaeological Committee (1992 -2009), a Council member (2000-2009) of the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago (Chair of its Landmarks committee) and a member of the Advisory Board of the Caribbean School of Architecture, Jamaica, (2007-2008). Rudylynn graduated in Architecture from Howard University, Washington DC, USA.

Gwynn Jenkins

Gwynn Jenkins, PhD, FRGS is a consultant in heritage architecture and cultural anthropology based in a once-derelict Chinese shop-house in George Town, Malaysia since 1995. She is involved in culturally diverse education and conservation projects from Anglo-Indian bungalows, Chinese shop-houses, an Indian Muslim Tomb and a Sikh temple – ‘restoring in context’. Having contributed to the UNESCO nomination dossier for George Town and Melaka, she joined the State Government’s Technical Review Panel and the GT World Heritage office Consultative Panel.

Recognising the value of cultural articulation, the tactile, visual and audible expressions of each site manifest in ‘traditional ways of building’, Gwynn continues to research the technical influences and urban evolutions along the early trade routes from Calcutta to Canton.

Bonani Kakkar

Born and raised in Calcutta, Bonani Kakkar graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Masters in Public Health and is an Eisenhower Fellow (1991). She has worked extensively on heritage conservation, both natural and built. Natural heritage work has focused on land use policy, such as protection of wetlands and open spaces while the focus on built heritage has encouraged people to feel pride in their city in order to actively participate.

In 1990 Bonani founded People United for Better Living in Calcutta (PUBLIC), an NGO promoting citizen action. PUBLIC’s strategies for heritage conservation have included advocacy, such as encouraging the city to conduct open-house events in heritage buildings, school-level activities and public interest litigation.

James Lesh

James Lesh researches urban history and heritage conservation with a focus on Australian cities. He is particularly interested in the history and theory of heritage conservation, the relationship between heritage and development, and the conservation of marginalised and everyday heritage places. His writing has appeared in online and print media as well as in academic outlets.

James holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne and an MA from the University of London. He has lived and worked in Melbourne, Sydney, London and Manchester.

Yasmeen Lari

A Trustee of Transparency International - Pakistan and Founder Chair of INTBAU Pakistan, Yasmeen is also Chair and Chief Executive of the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan (HF). Under the Sindh Cultural Heritage Act 1994, the result of a campaign by HF, over 1,200 British-period buildings in Karachi have been notified as protected heritage - the shared heritage which endows Karachi with its a unique character. HF is leading a civil society undertaking, involving scientific cleaning of heritage façades along with street festivals, leading to the creation of landscaped pedestrian trails and historic precincts adding interest and liveability to Karachi’s historic core.

Yasmeen received the UN Recognition Award 2002, for the promotion of culture and peace and the World Habitat Award, 2018.

John Ward

Trained as an architect at University College, London, John moved to Canada in 1990 and completed a Masters in the Conservation of the Built Environment at the Université de Montréal. Since 1996, John has lived and worked in Ottawa, firstly with the Heritage Conservation Services, Public Works Canada, and after 2010, as a Preservation Development Advisor with the Canadian Conservation Institute. Currently John is involved in planning for major projects relating to rehabilitating the Canadian Parliamentary and Supreme Court buildings.

John has been a member of ICOMOS Canada since the mid-1990s and in 2011 joined the ICOMOS Shared Built Heritage International Scientific Committee, which includes colonial and transnational built heritage, in which he has served as secretary since 2015.

Isatu Smith

Isatu Smith is a Sierra Leonean Heritage Preservation and Management professional with a BA Hons. Degree (Geography) from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone and an MA in International Heritage Management from the University of Birmingham UK.

The Managing Director of the West Africa Heritage Consultants S.L. Ltd, Isatu is also Local Coordinator of the World Monuments Fund’s Old Fourah Bay College Project and was Project Manager of the WMF Bunce Island programme. A former Chairperson of the Monuments and Relics Commission of Sierra Leone, she serves with numerous other heritage agencies.

Umi Lovecraft Baden-Powell

Umi Lovecraft Baden-Powell is a Dominican British architectural designer, creative strategist and activist. She works with the Design Council as a Design Associate specialising in Place Shaping & Community Led Design. She is the Founding Director of insider-outsider, an emerging not-for-profit design consultancy.

Umi’s expertise lies in the fields of citizen-led development, place shaping, inclusive design, community engagement, diasporic discourse, and creative strategy. She has almost a decade of experience specialising in Humanity Centred Design (HCD) undertaking research and design projects that contribute to improving people's lives, particularly those who are traditionally marginalised by environmental, social and spatial injustices.

Hamdan Abdul Majeed

Hamdan Abdul Majeed is Managing Director of Think City in Malaysia. Also involved in the Sustainable Penang Initiative, he hopes to make his native city more liveable and sustainable. Previously Director at Khazanah, Hamdan led their northern regional office, seeking strategic investment to catalyse growth. He is interested in the development of civil society in Malaysia, the political economy of Third World and Islamic Economics and holds a degree in Economics and Management from the University of London.

Hamdan has twice received recognition as a young leader for his work in urban development; first by the World Cities Summit in 2012, then in 2014 he was awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship.

Dr Vibhuti Sachdev

Dr Sachdev qualified as architect in 1989 from SPA, Delhi, completed her Phd in 1996 from University of London, and has worked as a conservation consultant, writer and designer. She has taught at the University of Sussex, and written four books and several articles on the subjects of Jaipur, traditional knowledge systems, Indian cities and Indian modernities. She has worked and written extensively on the city of Jaipur, focusing on its planning, architecture and craft traditions. Since publishing these books, Dr Sachdev has been a consultant on the restoration of the Jal Mahal in Jaipur, was the design curator for the artwork of its pavilions and the co-curator of the exhibition ‘Painted Pleasures’. Her latest book is on the Festivals at the Jaipur Court.

Graham Jacobs

Graham Jacobs is a practicing conservation architect and heritage specialist based in South Africa. He has lectured part time at the University of Cape Town and is co-convener of a pioneering course on conservation in Lesotho. He is an advisor to the International Finance Corporation and European Bank for Reconstruction and Redevelopment, and his work includes a heritage project in Kazakhstan. His passion is to harness heritage to empower underprivileged communities.

Patricia Elaine Green

Patricia Elaine Green is member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), also its International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes, and co-convener of its Working Group on Historic Urban Landscape. Honorary member of Asociaciόn Paisajistas América Central y Caribe (APAC) and executive member of Monuments and Sites of the Greater Caribbean (CARIMOS), also UNESCO international expert consultant on cultural heritage. An independent scholar, Pat is former Head of the Caribbean School of Architecture at the University of Technology, Jamaica with PhD in architecture, heritage and the city (Universidad de Sevilla, Spain); Masters historic preservation (University of Pennsylvania, USA); and AA Diploma (Architectural Association School of Architecture, UK).

Brent Fortenberry

Brent Fortenberry is Director of Historic Preservation and Christovich Associate Professor of Historic Preservation at Tulane University School of Architecture. Brent specializes in the vernacular architecture of the British Atlantic world and contemporary issues in historic preservation and cultural heritage. His most recent research focuses on the cities and port towns of the Greater Caribbean.

He earned a BA in Anthropology from William & Mary, a MA in Historical Archaeology from Bristol University, a MSc in Historic Preservation from Clemson University, and a PhD in Archaeology from Boston University.