Tonya Nelson

Tonya Nelson has worked internationally across the cultural, higher education and commercial sectors over the last 20 years. She is the Executive Director of Enterprise & Innovation at Arts Council England (ACE) and was the Council's first Director of Arts Technology and Innovation where she supported the cultural sector in adopting new technologies to produce new types of artistic content and extend the reach of existing art forms.

Previously, Nelson was the Director of Museums and Cultural Programmes at University College London (UCL) where she was responsible for the University’s museum, theatre and public art programs. While at UCL, she helped develop its campus in Qatar, which offers museum studies, conservation and archeology courses. She was also Co-Director of the Museum Training School, an international training program created in partnership with the British Council. Prior to working at UCL, she was Head of Governance and Planning at London Transport Museum. She is a former Clore Leadership Fellow and British Council Cultural Leadership International Fellow.

In 2017, Nelson was seconded to the UK Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS) to research and co-author its policy report entitled "Culture is Digital." Prior to this, she led a multi-year project aimed to advance the use of 3D imaging technology in museums. Nelson routinely writes and speaks about the opportunities and challenges of digital technology in the cultural sector. She gave keynote addresses at the 2018 Frankfurt Book Fair and Munch Museum’s international conference Why Do We Fail Digitally?

Nelson sits on the board of Trustees of the National Gallery in London and the Royal Collection Trust, which looks after the Royal Collection and the official residences of His Majesty The King.

Prior to entering the cultural sector, she was a management consultant and lawyer in Washington, DC. She is Brown University graduate; received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center; and earned an MA with distinction from Christie's Education/University of Glasgow.