Andrew Herbert becomes TNMOC Chair

Dr Andrew Herbert OBE has taken over the chairmanship of The National Museum of Computing from Andy Clark, who has stood down after six years in the role but will continue as a trustee of the museum.

Dr Herbert has spent his working life in computing, initially as an academic at the famed Cambridge University Computer Laboratory under Sir Maurice Wilkes, often regarded as one of the fathers of computing. He then worked in varied entrepreneurial computing companies developing key technologies and gaining insights of the rapidly growing digitisation of the modern world. His last full-time role was as head of Microsoft’s research laboratories across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

In 2012, Dr Herbert began his involvement with The National Museum of Computing through the EDSAC reconstruction project, which he manages. In 2016, he joined the board of trustees.

Dr Herbert said: “Chairing an organisation that aims to tell the story of computing through working machines and with such committed and dedicated volunteers and staff is an honour. As first chairman, Andy Clark with the help and support of fellow trustees skilfully steered the museum through very difficult financial times -- as new and exciting galleries were developed on very modest budgets.

“There are challenges ahead, but the opportunity to further develop a museum tracing the development of one of the most important and life-changing developments in human history is hugely exciting and awe-inspiring.”

Andrew Herbert is also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and of the BCS, and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists. He was awarded an OBE for his services to computing in 2010.

About The National Museum of Computing

The National Museum of Computing, located on Bletchley Park, is an independent charity housing the world's largest collection of functional historic computers, including the rebuilt Colossus, the world’s first electronic computer, and the WITCH, the world's oldest working digital computer. The Museum enables visitors to follow the development of computing from the ultra-secret pioneering efforts of the 1940s through the large systems and mainframes of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and the rise of personal computing in the 1980s and beyond.

The Museum runs a highly successful Learning Programme for schools and colleges and promotes introductions to computer coding amongst young people to inspire the next generation of computer scientists and engineers.

Sponsors of the Museum have included Bletchley Park Science and Innovation Centre, Bloomberg, CreateOnline, Ceravision, Fujitsu, InsightSoftware.com, Ocado Technology, FUZE, 4Links, Google UK, IBM, NPL, HP Labs, and BCS.

Outside the long school holidays, the whole Museum is open to the public from 12 noon - 5pm on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, spring and summer Bank Holidays and during long school holidays. The Colossus and Tunny galleries are open daily. Public and private Guided Tours are available and bookable online – see the website or the iPhone app for details. Educational and corporate group visits are available by prior arrangement.

For more information, see www.tnmoc.org and follow @tnmoc on Twitter and The National Museum of Computing on Facebook and Google+. A TNMOC iPhone App is also available from the iPhone App Store.

Media Contacts

Stephen Fleming, Palam Communications
01635 299116
s.fleming@palam.co.uk

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