Lesley is a highly experienced CEO, Trustee, Advisor, and Non-Executive Director, with a distinguished career spanning retail, luxury, digital, and the arts. She has held senior board roles at leading international brands including Selfridges, L’Oréal, Laura Ashley, Courtaulds/Akzo Nobel, Waterford Wedgwood, and Zales Jewellers, offering deep expertise in brand strategy, marketing, and communications.
She is currently a Senior Advisor at The Inzito Partnership, a boutique executive search firm specialising in FTSE 350 Chairs, Trustees, Non‑Executive Directors, and C‑Suite appointments. Lesley also founded and led Exley Hervey Executive Search, recruiting senior leaders across retail, luxury, property, and cultural sectors.
Alongside her corporate leadership, Lesley has been a committed fundraiser for over 30 years, supporting organisations such as the British Red Cross and The Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers. She serves as a Trustee and RemCo Chair of The Retail Trust, and is also a Director of The Holburne Museum, Bath, reinforcing her strong ties to the city’s cultural institutions, and is a member of WACL (Women in Advertising & Communications Leadership).
Her appointment comes at a pivotal time for the Fashion Museum Bath Foundation as it works to secure the future of the museum and its internationally renowned collections.
Lesley Exley commented:
"I am honoured to join the Fashion Museum Bath Foundation as Trustee. The Fashion Museum is a cultural treasure with a global reputation, and I look forward to helping shape its future—ensuring it continues to inspire, educate, and engage audiences for generations to come."
Sharanjit Leyl, Co-Chair of the Foundation, added:
"Lesley’s exceptional track record in global brand leadership, cultural advocacy, and fundraising will be instrumental as we build a sustainable future for the Fashion Museum. We are thrilled to welcome her expertise and passion to the Board."
Councillor Paul Roper, Cabinet Member for Economic & Cultural Sustainable Development, said:
"The Fashion Museum’s transformation represents an exciting new chapter for Bath’s cultural landscape. Lesley’s appointment brings exceptional expertise at a time when we are shaping a museum that will not only celebrate fashion history but also create an inclusive, sustainable space for future generations. Her insight will help ensure this ambitious vision becomes a reality."
The Fashion Museum Bath Foundation, established in 2024, is an independent charity dedicated to supporting the establishment and long-term sustainability of the new museum. The Foundation plays a crucial role in delivering the museum’s ambitions to be an exemplar of environmental sustainability, drive socio-economic change and placemaking, support disadvantaged communities across the region, and provide a welcoming, accessible space for all. It will champion the museum's world-class collection globally, foster relationships with the fashion industry, educators, and key stakeholders, and lead fundraising and advocacy efforts to ensure the museum’s successful reopening in 2030.
