Richard joined Kew in 2012, after 20 years at the BBC where he helped to launch and then ran the BBC News website, led the Children’s Department and finally was part of the team that set up BBC North in Salford.

While working at the BBC, Richard was a Trustee of RBG Kew for six years. He was the first person appointed to the role of Director who was not a professional botanist, and since taking up the role, he has led Kew through a period of significant change. He appointed Kew’s first Director of Science, which in turn led to the publication of Kew’s Science Strategy.  Richard is also a Trustee of the Gorilla Organisation and a Visitor of the Oxford Botanic Garden. He read Natural Sciences at Cambridge.