About

David Packer
Chair
I began to pursue a museum career in 1997, and I have been very fortunate. Shortly after a student placement in the Collections Development department at the National Maritime Museum, a vacancy arose there for an Assistant Registrar, and I then spent five enjoyable years in Greenwich, developing a love for the well-hidden, sometimes idiosyncratic world of the registrar. Moving to the V&A registrar team broadened horizons in scope and complexity, and after an Exhibitions department secondment I was able to take up the post of Registrar. Ten years in South Kensington have led to six years in Cambridge at the Fitzwilliam Museum. From the start, I have benefited from the vast experience and solidarity of my colleagues, so readily shared within the UKRG: to take up this post is my latest piece of good fortune, and I hope to serve others just as well for the next two years.

Hannah Kauffman
Secretary
I am currently Touring Exhibitions and Partnership Manager at the British Library, developing their UK and international touring programme and learning how different libraries are to museums! I have been a Registrar for 11 years – starting as a Loans Assistant at the National Portrait Gallery in 2008 before moving to the V&A Museum in 2011 where I managed the V&A’s large and varied loans out programme and team of Assistant Registrars. In my career to date I have worked on all aspects of loans, acquisitions, exhibitions and tours and look forward to sharing this experience with UKRG and getting to know my lovely colleagues on the committee. As Secretary, I am particularly excited about administering the bursary scheme and enabling more members to attend the UKRG’s amazing programme of events and other international conferences.

Rebecca Drummond
Treasurer
I am currently a Curator at the National Museum of the Royal Navy. I have been part of the team since 2016. My role is really varied and includes working on many aspects of collections management, including loans, acquisitions, exhibition and rationalisation. Prior to this, I started my career at the Scottish Maritime Museum, undertaking a collections review. In October 2020, I completed a 12 month secondment as an Assistant Registrar at National Museums Scotland. This was a great experience and I’m very much looking forward to building on the knowledge I gained by being part of the UKRG committee and taking on the role of Treasurer.

Jill McKnight
Corporate and Development Officer
I am the Assistant Registrar at the Royal Armouries. I am based in the museum at Leeds and work across all three of our sites, including the Royal Armouries at the Tower of London and Fort Nelson. I work with amazing colleagues and objects, helping to manage our loans, acquisitions and policies and procedures. My interest in collections management began while working as Collections Team Administrator at the Royal Armouries and from there I completed the brilliant Registrar Traineeship programme, delivered by the Royal Armouries, Leeds Museums & Galleries and University of Leeds, and kindly supported by Arts Council England and Crown Fine Art, which included the opportunity to spend time at Crown Fine Art London and Amsterdam, learning from their expertise. Following this, I was the Art Exhibitions Officer at Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, organising exhibitions and events at the Laing Art Gallery, the Hatton Gallery and Shipley Art Gallery. I am greatly looking forward to joining the UKRG Committee and getting to know our corporate members better as the Corporate and Development Officer.

Eirini Koutsouroupa
Events Officer
My current role as Project Coordinator: Loans & Exhibitions at the British Museum has given me the unique opportunity to work on various temporary and touring exhibition projects. I find great joy in learning about museum collections, as well as working collaboratively with colleagues from UK and international institutions to deliver complex exhibition projects that aim to engage diverse audiences and present the history of different cultures. Through my roles in administration, I had the opportunity to participate and contribute to ambitious research and excavation projects in Egypt and Sudan, and organise small and large scale events. I am very excited to be part of the UKRG Committee, and look forward to my new role as Events Officer and meeting more members of the UKRG community!

Ilenia Scerra
Events Officer
I am the Assistant Registrar at the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology in Oxford, where I have been working in a variety of roles since 2015, from cataloguing the Eastern Art collection to supervising evening events. When I first started as administrative assistant for the Registrars Department, I had virtually no idea that I was going to collaborate with the very people working the magic behind exhibitions worldwide! I have then gradually moved into assisting all areas of loans, including in-house and touring exhibitions, as well as coordinating the extensive long-term loan programme to Colleges and Departments at Oxford University. I look at the UKRG as the most inspiring platform for co-operation and support within the sector, and I am ever so thrilled to have the opportunity of giving my contribution to its useful and exciting events programme.

Joanna Weston
Membership Secretary
I am currently an Exhibitions Assistant at the National Gallery, responsible for the smooth delivery of a diverse range of exhibitions both at Trafalgar Square and for international touring exhibitions. I thoroughly enjoy organising exhibitions to promote the appreciation of art for all. Prior to this, I worked for a fine arts logistics company, coordinating the transportation of museum objects nationally and internationally, from contemporary installations to antiquities. I have also been a Collections Art Handler for an auction house, where I handled unique objects and undertook collections management. As Membership Secretary, I look forward to meeting members and helping to contribute to the invaluable work of the UKRG.

Mark Healy
Professional Development Officer
I began my career as a secondary school art teacher, before changing focus in my career and moving into the museum and gallery sector in 2016. I joined Tate in March 2019 as Assistant Collections Registrar, where I have gained a wide range of skills working on displays, acquisitions and long loans. I believe that my experience in both collection management and education will be greatly beneficial in identifying clear learning aims and objectives to create engaging professional development programming with the UKRG. With the current climate, and the prevalence of social, economic and environmental issues, I believe that professional development and training is as important as ever, and I am grateful of the opportunity to contribute to this through my role as Professional Development Officer with the UKRG.

Abi Pole
Supporting Officer
I started my museum career as an Administration Assistant then worked my way up to Assistant Registrar; I’m now the Exhibitions Manager at Compton Verney, responsible for the logistical development of all temporary exhibitions and some outdoor commissions. We hold up to six exhibitions every year, a mixture of large self-generated multi-lender shows and toured in exhibitions; as well as touring some of our own exhibitions throughout the UK. Being part of a small team, my experience is varied and I have worked across all facets of loan management; dealing with a wealth of artworks, historic and contemporary, maintaining strong relationships with other institutions, private lenders, and artists themselves. Working on exhibitions means the landscape is ever changing and constantly fascinating. I’m really pleased to be joining the UKRG committee, and continuing the welcoming and supportive approach that I’ve consistently encountered over the years.

Wietske Veenhuis
Web Editor
I currently work as Assistant Registrar for exhibitions at the National Galleries of Scotland. Together with the team we make sure that all the exhibitions at the different venues of the NGS are running smooth and are well planned. We collaborate with museums, institutions and private lenders around the world to set up a large variety of exhibition ranging from Old Masters to Photography and exiting Contemporary displays. Previously I worked in the commercial art sector in Scotland where I learned a great deal of web design, marketing and customer relations. As web editor I hope to keep you up to date on the latest items that the UKRG are working on through the e-bulletin and keep our social media accounts going strong.

Joseph Borges
Web Officer
I am a Project Coordinator within the British Museum’s Loans and Exhibitions team, working with colleagues across the Collection Care department to ensure the safe lending and borrowing of objects for the Museum’s in-house exhibitions and those touring internationally. I have previously worked at the National Portrait Gallery assisting their Registrar primarily in the acquisitions process, and through UKRG, I have been delighted to make connections and gain valuable knowledge from colleagues across the UK. It is therefore a privilege to join the committee as Web Officer, and I look forward to contributing to the UKRG’s role as a hub for professional expertise across the sector.