Stirling District Tourism, the not-for-profit organisation that manages and operates the National Wallace Monument, has appointed two new members to the Board of Directors – Diana Hekerem MSC and Henk Berits.
Henk (59), originally from The Netherlands now living in Falkirk, is a Management consultant with over 25 years of experience at senior levels in a range of various companies including large blue chip companies and dot-com start-ups. Henk has a wealth of experience of the charity sector from his time as Marketing and Commercial Director for the conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland.Living locally, Henk has visited the landmark many times with his family; he is passionate about seeing the Monument succeed as a tourist destination and a historic landmark.
While on the Board, Henk will contribute to positioning the Monument as Scotland’s most outstanding visitor experience, as he explains: “The monument will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2019 and I want to be part of making that a memorable year for the famous building and its namesake. I’m excited about the challenges ahead and looking forward to using my expertise and local knowledge.”
Diana (44), who lives in Larbert, has a Masters in Economics and has worked for many renowned organisations – currently Marie Curie as Divisional Business and Service Development Manager for Scotland. She has been a long time supporter of community engagement in Stirling, including the community based junior rugby. Having previously worked as Fundraising Manager for both Marie Curie and the Red Cross, Diana’s fundraising experience and dedication and commitment to the charity sector will make her a valuable member of the board.
Diana will use her fundraising expertise to help Stirling District Tourism with their fundraising strategy and will play a vital role in securing funds for the Scottish Heroine project.Commenting on her new role with Stirling District Tourism Diana said: “I am delighted to be part of the Board Of Directors and can’t wait to get involved with all the great work the organisation do. As the heroine project has just been launched now is the perfect time for Stirling District Tourism to develop and grow their fundraising opportunities.”
Speaking about the new board members Les Perez, General Manager at the National Wallace Monument, commented: “This is an exciting time for the Monument as we are currently going through the process of adding a female figurehead to our hall of heroes, celebrating landmark dates, welcoming record numbers and looking forward to our 150th year in 2019.”With their experience and enthusiasm Diana and Henk are sure to make a good impression on the Board Of Directors and will no doubt become treasured members of the hard working team.”