Silverstone Museum tells the story of British motor racing at the home of the British Grand Prix, celebrating engineering innovation and the cultural impact of motorsport. Following a period of significant change and recovery, the Museum sought to strengthen its leadership team by creating a new Director of Development & Fundraising role. This appointment was critical to unlocking long-term financial sustainability and enabling the organisation’s ambition to become a world-leading museum experience.
Context.
Having opened just before the pandemic, Silverstone Museum faced early financial pressures and relied on support from the Culture Recovery Fund and loans from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Silverstone Circuit.
By 2023, with a new CEO in place and debt restructuring complete, the organisation had regained momentum. Visitor numbers grew from 150,000 in 2023 to 186,000 in 2025 – placing the Museum significantly ahead of its long-term targets.
At this pivotal moment, the Museum recognised the need to build greater financial resilience and diversify income streams. This led to the creation of a new, senior leadership role to shape and lead its fundraising capability.
Brief.
Peridot Partners was engaged to lead a targeted search for a Director of Development & Fundraising who could establish and deliver a comprehensive income-generation strategy.
This was a distinctive brief. The role required a leader who could operate both strategically and operationally – someone able to build a fundraising function while simultaneously delivering income across multiple streams. Success depended on securing expertise across trusts and foundations, statutory funding, corporate partnerships and major donor development.
Given the Museum’s unique position – at the intersection of heritage, sport and visitor experience – we prioritised candidates with the curiosity and adaptability to engage with motorsport culture, rather than requiring deep sector-specific experience.
Our approach combined detailed market mapping with proactive, insight-led engagement. We reached out to over 120 individuals across the heritage, cultural and science sectors, focusing on those with a track record of building income.
Throughout, we worked closely with the leadership team to refine the brief and test assumptions, ensuring the process reflected both the organisation’s ambitions and the realities of the market.
Outcome.
The search resulted in the appointment of an experienced development leader with a strong track record across major cultural institutions.
The successful candidate brought:
- Significant experience designing and delivering fundraising strategies.
- A strong track record of securing income from trusts, major donors and corporate partners.
- Experience operating at Board level, influencing strategy and building relationships with senior stakeholders.
- A balance of ambitious growth plans with delivery discipline.
Their previous leadership roles included senior development positions within both a major cathedral and a national museum group, bringing valuable insight into heritage fundraising and public engagement at scale.
Early impact has centred on establishing a clearer strategic framework for fundraising, income generation and beginning to build the pipelines required for long-term growth.
What this appointment enables
This appointment gives Silverstone Museum dedicated leadership for fundraising at a time when the organisation is focused on strengthening its long-term financial position.
Over the next 12–24 months, the role is expected to:
- Build a structured and scalable development function.
- Strengthen relationships with funders, partners and supporters.
- Introduce new ways of thinking about philanthropy within a motorsport context.
- Create the financial headroom needed to support innovation, learning and audience development.
Crucially, it also brings a new perspective into the leadership team, one that connects storytelling, audience engagement and income generation in a more intentional way.
“Peridot demonstrated first-class judgement throughout the process. Momentum was maintained through efficient and effective organisation, and their ability to engage the right candidates was evident at every stage.”
Phil Lawrie, CEO, Silverstone Museum.
