City & Guilds announce first female Chair – Dr Ann Limb CBE DL

First woman appointed as Chair at City & Guilds (@cityandguilds)

City & Guilds has formally welcomed the first female Chair in its 143-year history. Dr Ann Limb (@AnnLimb) CBE DL takes over from Sir John Armitt who stepped down in October after nine years as chair.

Ann has been Chair of The Scouts, the UK’s largest youth engagement charity, for the last six years and was also the first woman to hold this role.

Ann has dedicated a large part of her working life to education having spent 25 years in Further Education as a College Principal in Milton Keynes and Cambridge, and in the civil service where she had responsibility for the UK Government’s flagship digital initiatives, learndirect, UK online and gov.uk. Ann is already a long-term member of the City & Guilds family. She was made a Fellow 20 years ago and has spent time serving across many different City & Guilds committees, most recently as Vice Chair of Trustees.

A linguist by background, feminist through experience, and Quaker by convincement –  Ann’s passionate belief in the power of art, creativity, sport, education, imagination, nature, and faith to transform individuals and communities is based on her own life’s journey; from her own start as the daughter of a butcher in 1950’s Moss Side all the way through to the future; which, in addition to Chair of City & Guilds, includes commissions of Deputy Lieutenant and High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, which she has been appointed as for 2023-4.

Speaking about her new role, Ann said:

“City & Guilds has been part of my DNA for over two decades and I am delighted to be taking over the stewardship of this wonderful organisation as well as breaking barriers as the first woman chair. With many industries suffering huge skills shortages and a post-covid, post-Brexit workplace revolution taking place, City & Guilds’ purpose has never felt more vital. I look forward to bringing my experience to the organisation as it focuses on supporting people into their first jobs and helping them to retrain and reskill to remain employable throughout their working lives.”