Dr Paul Bate will join the British Library as Chief Executive on 4 November 2026, bringing extensive leadership experience across research, technology, healthcare and the UK space sector.
Dr Paul Bate will join the British Library as Chief Executive on 4 November 2026, bringing extensive leadership experience across research, technology, healthcare and the UK space sector.
We’re delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Paul Bate as our new Chief Executive. Paul will take up his new role on 4 November 2026, succeeding Interim Chief Executive Dr Jeremy Silver. Paul brings with him an exceptional record of strategic leadership, innovation and global partnership-building across government, technology, healthcare and the UK space sector. He began his career as a particle physicist, and holds an advisory role as Professor in Practice at the University of Surrey Space Institute. Paul has spent the last five years as CEO of the UK Space Agency. During his tenure, national civil space funding increased to unprecedented levels, catalysing private investment and economic growth, and expanding discovery research and infrastructure across the UK.
Dr Paul Bate said: ‘The British Library is one of the world’s great libraries and a vital part of the UK’s cultural and intellectual infrastructure. I am honoured to be leading an organisation of expert professionals that has shared knowledge at its heart, opens up ideas and information to millions of people, and is resiliently overcoming the challenges of recent years. I look forward to working alongside the Library’s dedicated staff, Board, leadership team and partners to build on that bedrock of trusted knowledge, strengthening the core services of our national library and ensuring its relevance to researchers’ needs and the next generation of users.’
Building teams that foster discovery, shared knowledge and innovation has been central throughout Paul’s career. From his academic beginnings to leading major national institutions and programmes in healthcare and the space sector, he has consistently worked at the intersection of research, public value and technological progress. His experience of supporting teams of experts to thrive, championing world-class research communities, and building partnerships based on trust and delivery will be invaluable as we continue to evolve our role as one of the world’s most important cultural and knowledge institutions.
Dame Carol Black, Chair of the British Library Board, said: ‘I am thrilled to welcome Dr Paul Bate to the British Library. The Board were particularly impressed by his experience leading complex, research-intensive organisations, fostering innovation and building partnerships, which will be invaluable as we deliver our strategy to strengthen the Library’s role as a cultural cornerstone and globally trusted source of knowledge. I very much look forward to working with him.’
Dr Jeremy Silver, Interim Chief Executive of the British Library, said: ‘I know the British Library will go from strength to strength under Paul’s leadership, delivering new spaces in London and Yorkshire, developing our core services and engaging with the problem solvers of the future.’
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From 2021-2026, Paul was CEO of the UK Space Agency. He led two successful negotiations with the European Space Agency, securing record investment and UK mission leadership, and bolstered the UK’s global reputation through bilateral programmes and chairing the international Committee on Earth Observation Satellites.
Paul has also held a variety of roles in healthcare, including as Vice President, Commercial at Babylon Health, bringing digital-first healthcare to NHS patients and healthcare organisations across the world. He served as the Prime Minister’s senior policy adviser for health and adult care and was the Executive Director of Strategy and Intelligence at the Care Quality Commission.