Aurora appoints three new trustees
23 October 2025
Following a 6-month search process run by our recruitment partner Nurole, we’re delighted to welcome three new trustees to Aurora’s board. Jillian Barker, Ian Karet and and Christophe Kasolowsky bring a wealth of knowledge and experience across governance, creative learning and fundraising, and we’re looking forward to sharing the next stage of Aurora’s journey with them.
Jillian Barker has held leadership positions in cultural organisations of national and international significance including English Touring Opera, the Arts Council, Barbican Centre, National Gallery and a consultancy at Tate across a career of thirty years. In her current role as Director of Learning and Participation for the Royal Opera House she is responsible for leading a national programme to inspire creativity through ballet and opera and affect positive change including the award-winning Create & Learn National Schools Programme, programmes to nurture diverse young talent in ballet and opera and flagship festivals and events to open up the Royal Opera House.
Ian Karet is a Solicitor specialising in Intellectual Property and Technology. He sits as a Deputy High Court Judge and also as an arbitrator. He will join the board of the Fundraising Regulator in 2026 and has sat on the Boards of the Charity Commission and RGB Kew. He was Co-Chair of the British Museum Review 2024.
Christophe Kasolowsky is a Chartered Management Accountant and a Partner at Baringa where he advises CFOs on Finance Transformation and Innovation. Prior to this he was an equity partner at EY and Chief Product Officer at Aptitude Software. He is currently chair of the Stile Antico Foundation and a trustee of the Rachel Podger Foundation. Christophe was previously a trustee of Pushkin House, and served on the Development Board of the Philharmonia.
Aurora’s Chief Executive John Harte commented: “As Aurora enters its third decade, it is an exciting indication of the organisation’s current vibrancy that our recent board recruitment round attracted such an outstanding field of prospective trustees. We are thrilled to welcome Jillian, Ian and Christophe to Aurora and I look forward to working closely with them as we write the orchestra’s next chapter.”