Duncan Wilson joined Historic England as the organisation’s first Chief Executive on 1 April 2015. Historic England is a public body which improves people’s lives by protecting and championing the historic environment. Previously, Duncan was Chief Executive of the Alexandra Park and Palace Trust, developing a major regeneration and conservation scheme to restore the Victorian theatre and television studios. He has also been Chief Executive at the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College, maintaining one of Europe's finest groups of baroque buildings, and the Somerset House Trust, opening the site to the public. Duncan’s first job as a chartered accountant in 1987 was as Senior Management Accountant at English Heritage. Before accountancy he worked as a professional archaeologist in Oxford and Herefordshire, following post graduate research in European Archaeology. Duncan is a Trustee of the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust and the Greenwich Foundation. He was awarded the CBE for services to heritage in 2023.