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New Chair appointed at Plymouth Marine Laboratory
14 July 2021
PML has announced the appointment of a new Chairperson. Janice Timberlake – who has been a Trustee of the charity for the past nine years – will succeed Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent, the former Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy who took on the role of Chair of PML in 2015 after serving seven years as a Trustee.
Previously Director of People, Skills & Communication at the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) - one of PML’s main funders - Janice has a breadth of board-level experience in the public and private sector. She currently chairs PML’s Remuneration Committee and is also Chief People & Infrastructure Officer at Alliance Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
“I’m honoured and delighted to be appointed Chair at PML and would like to thank Sir James for the wealth of insight, guidance and leadership expertise he has brought to the role over the years,” she said.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time for PML as a marine research organisation at the very forefront of some of the most critical global issues.
The organisation has grown from strength to strength over the past decade, delivering science which is renowned internationally for its quality and impact in areas such as climate change, biodiversity, marine pollution, Earth Observation (EO) and modelling. This is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team at PML, not least through the recent challenges caused by the pandemic. I’m very much looking forward to working more closely with the Board and everyone at PML as we forge ahead with the next chapter.”
Sir James Burnell-Nugent said, “I’m incredibly proud to have played a role in PML’s legacy and am certain Janice will make an excellent Chair, having already made an outstanding contribution through her work as a Trustee. These are challenging times but PML continues to deliver top-flight science in support of a more sustainable future for our oceans. It is a truly special organisation, operating at the cutting edge of marine research and making a defining contribution to Plymouth, the wider South West, and the UK as a leader in its field. I greatly enjoyed my time as Chair and wish PML every future success.”
Prof Icarus Allen, Chief Executive of PML said, “On behalf of everyone at PML I would like to thank Sir James for the huge role he has played and welcome Janice as our new Chair. I am confident her understanding of PML and her focus on people and culture, combined with her wide range of experience in this sector and others, will help ensure PML continues to grow and develop in the very best way possible.”
Janice Timberlake will be PML’s new Chair effective from 1 August.