We The Curious appoints AI specialist Tom Betts as new Chair of Trustees

Bristol educational charity and science centre, We The Curious, has appointed Tom Betts as the new Chair of Trustees. Tom will lead the charity towards its vision where ‘everyone is included, curious and inspired by science to build a better world together’. 

He takes over as new Chair, from outgoing Chair Nick Jones, as of February 2025.  

Tom brings with him a wealth of experience in the digital technology, data and AI fields having worked across a range of sectors. He is a non-executive director at the UK Hydrographic Office and advisor in the field of AI and application of cutting-edge technologies. He has previously held executive appointments at European retail conglomerate Kingfisher Plc, and prior to that, he was a key architect of the digital transformation of the Financial Times where he held the role of Chief Data Officer and board member. He has also worked in education as VP Analytics for Pearson where he demonstrated the use of AI to improve learning outcomes.

He is a specialist in machine learning and AI - holding a master’s degree in informatics from the University of Edinburgh and a bachelor’s degree in artificial intelligence and computer science from the University of Sussex.

Tom has served as a board member for We The Curious since 2019. He takes over the position of Chair from Nick Jones, who has served as Chair since September 2021. Nick has been involved in education for over forty years, including headteacher roles, founding one of the innovative City Technology Colleges and working as an educational consultant with teachers, headteachers and governments in the UK and overseas. 

Nick steered We The Curious through a period of both change and recovery following a 14-month closure period due to the pandemic, and a subsequent 2-year closure due to a fire on the roof in April 2022. We The Curious reopened in July 2024 following a significant building reinstatement programme from the fire and water damage. During this time its charitable mission continued, and the team delivered an ambitious ‘out and about’ programme across Bristol visiting schools, festivals, community centres and more, delivering over 270 free activities and reaching more than 37,000 people.  

Donna Speed, CEO for We The Curious said: 
“I’d like to extend my thanks to Nick for everything that he’s done for us here at We The Curious as a trustee, and as Chair. He’s guided and supported us during some truly challenging times – I’m grateful to have worked with him and wish him well for the future. I’m really excited that Tom is our new Chair and feel very lucky that he’s moving into this role, his experience in the fields of data technology and AI will be vital for positioning us as the science centre that we want to be for future generations.” 


Tom Betts, Chair of Trustees for We The Curious added: 
"It's a great honour and I am thrilled to take over as Chair at We The Curious. Our successful reopening has given the organisation strong momentum to build on as we celebrate the charity's 25th anniversary. This anniversary provides a moment to reflect on everything we have achieved over a quarter of a century, while also looking forward as we consider what a science centre should be in today's rapidly changing technological world. We want to show that science is for everyone; it's our mission to connect and empower people, to celebrate science and to encourage curiosity - that matters more than ever right now,  and I am excited to help guide We The Curious into its next chapter."


This change in Board leadership also sees new board members Amy Seakins, Annabelle Foot, Eilis Davis and Sasha Pratt-Taweh join We The Curious – strengthening expertise on the board in disability awareness, science industry research and performing arts.  

2025 marks a significant year for We The Curious, which will see it celebrating its 25th anniversary, along with a network of science and discovery centre across the UK that were funded as part of the National Lottery Millennium Commission.

For more information, images, interviews or to arrange a press trip, please contact the Jen Forster, Communications Lead - jen.forster@wethecurious.org or 07967 334152. 

You can also follow We The Curious on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and TikTok. 

Editor’s Notes:

About We The Curious: 
We The Curious is an educational charity and a leading science centre based in the South West of England. We produce experiences that bring people together to play, get creative with science and explore different ideas. We work with partners locally and nationally, supporting people to be inquisitive, develop new skills and improve their wellbeing. 

Our vision asks ‘what if everyone is included, curious and inspired by science to build a better world together?’