Two new Members appointed to the British Tourist Authority
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-11)

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has appointed Neil Rami and Mary Walsh as Members to the British Tourist Authority (VisitBritain) board.

Neil Rami

Neil Rami is the Chief Executive of the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC), a public–private regional development agency established in 2017 and anchored by local government, universities, and private sector partners. His mandate is to drive business expansion, inward investment and visitor attraction in the West Midlands region of England, aligned with the West Midlands Growth Plan.

Neil previously held senior roles in economic regeneration in Liverpool and Newcastle upon Tyne, where he led initiatives combining enterprise growth, infrastructure enhancements, and regional tourism development. At WMGC, he spearheaded the Business and Tourism Programme for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, coordinating across DCMS, VisitBritain, the Department for Business and Trade and regional authorities to boost trade, leisure and business visitor numbers.

Beyond operational leadership, Neil is active at a national and international level. He sits on the UK Visitor Economy Advisory Council, Creative UK Board, and the Foreign Direct Investment Leaders Network. He has also served as a governor and Non-Executive Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Mary Walsh

Mary Walsh is a senior business leader with extensive experience of the tourism and travel industry. For over a decade she served as Director of Communications on the Executive Committee of Eurostar, the cross-Channel high-speed passenger rail service. In this role, she led media and internal communications, public affairs and stakeholder engagement across multiple markets, championing tourism and travel between the UK and mainland Europe. Prior to Eurostar, Mary was Director of Corporate Relations at Lloyds Banking Group and Director of Public Relations at professional services firm PKF.

In addition to her executive career, Mary has a strong track record of non-executive leadership in the charitable and social enterprise sectors. She sits on the board of Cruse, the nationwide bereavement support charity, and she is an Advisor to the FTSE Women Leaders Review, the government-backed, business-led initiative aimed at increasing women’s representation on the boards and leadership teams of the UK’s biggest companies.

Mary’s previous board roles include Urban Partners, the community-based partnership made up of organisations in the King’s Cross/St Pancras area, and the Franco-British Council which is focused on strengthening the links between the UK and France.

Neil Rami and Mary Walsh have been appointed for terms of five years, commencing on 1 September 2025.

Remuneration and Governance Code

Members of the British Tourist Authority are remunerated £3,840 per annum. These appointments have been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/578498/governance_code_on_public_appointments_16_12_2016.pdf). The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election.

Neil Rami has declared no political activity.

Mary Walsh has declared that she canvassed for the Labour Party in 2024. She has undertaken no other political activity.

Notes to Editors

DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations) including Arts Council England, Theatres Trust, the National Gallery, UK Sport and the Gambling Commission. We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. To find out more about Public Appointments or to apply visit the HM Government Public Appointments Website (https://apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles).