Reappointment to the Board of the Royal Botanic Gardens (RBG), Kew

30 October 2012

Marcus Agius has been reappointed as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, by Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson.

The appointment will run until 25 October 2015 and has been made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.

Trustees do not receive any direct remuneration for their services, although reasonable travel and subsistence expenses can be reimbursed.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body created under the National Heritage Act 1983, sponsored by Defra and which operates under a Board of Trustees.

Biography

Marcus Agius is currently Chairman of Barclays PLC, he will remain in post until 31 October 2012, having spent six years in that role with the Bank. Previously Mr Agius was Chairman of BAA plc. He spent 34 years working at Lazard and became Chairman of Lazard’s UK operation in London in 2001.

For further information please contact the RBG Kew Press Office +44 (0)20 8332 5607 or email pr@kew.org

About the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding living collection of plants and world-class Herbarium as well as its scientific expertise in plant diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the world. Kew Gardens is a major international visitor attraction. Its landscaped 132 hectares and RBG Kew’s country estate, Wakehurst Place, attract nearly 2 million visitors every year. Kew was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2009. Wakehurst Place is home to Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, the largest wild plant seed bank in the world. RBG Kew and its partners have collected and conserved seed from 10 per cent of the world's wild flowering plant species (c.30, 000 species). The aim is to conserve 25 per cent by 2020, and its enormous potential for future conservation can only be fulfilled with the support of the public and other funders. www.kew.org