Richard Wilkin LVO MBE was until 2005 the Director General of the Historic Houses Association. Prior to this, he pursued a career in the Army and then in the Diplomatic Service (1964 to 1995), serving in Germany, Arabia, Switzerland, Africa and the Caribbean.

He has been a Member of the British Tourism Development Committee, the Executive Committee of the Historic Environment Review, and a Trustee of Heritage Link and is now Secretary of the Estates Business Group and Chairman of the National Trust Wessex Region.