Andrew has 30 years senior-level experience working across the museums, leisure, tourism, arts, heritage and protected landscape sectors. He moved into museums after 11 years working for the Lake District National Park, joining York Museums as Head of Visitor Services in 1996. Senior roles at STEAM – Museum of Great Western Railway in Swindon (as founding General Manager), and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art (Deputy Chief Executive), Newcastle-Gateshead followed. He started in his current role as Chief Executive of the multi-award-winning Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, West Midlands in August 2009.
Since 2019, he has chaired the Association of Independent Museums (with 1,250 members across the UK). In March 2022, he was elected Deputy Chair of the National Museum Directors’ Council, representing the UK’s national museums, alongside British Library, British Film Institute, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and The National Archives and 40 of the UK’s largest regional museums.
He was appointed to Chair the West Midlands Tourism Board by Andy Street, West Midlands Mayor, in 2020.
He is also Chair of the Dudley Towns Fund Board (a regeneration body), and Chair of West Midlands Arts Trust. In July 2022, and was appointed a Director of West Midlands Growth Company; a public-private-sector partnership charged with creating new jobs, attracting inward investment, and encouraging tourism in Birmingham and the West Midlands.