28 July 2024

The Duchy of Cornwall has announced that Will Bax will take over from Alastair Martin as Secretary and Keeper of the Records at the Duchy of Cornwall when he steps down from the role in Autumn 2024.

Alastair Martin has been in post since 2013. Throughout his tenure, he has had a close working relationship with both the 24th and 25th Duke of Cornwall and ensured a smooth transition of leadership between the two. Alastair has championed evolution and innovation across the estate, carefully planning the estate’s strategic delivery and introducing Integrated Reporting to focus on the estate’s environmental and social achievements alongside the financial output.

As well as managing the delivery of sustainable land management practices across the estate, Alastair has overseen the growth in the Duchy’s development portfolio – including at Poundbury and Nansledan. Each development has focused on community needs including the desire for high quality affordable homes built with sustainability at the forefront of their designs. Alastair was also responsible for successfully steering the estate through the uncertainties of the pandemic.

The new Secretary and Keeper of the Records, Will Bax, joins the Duchy of Cornwall from Retirement Villages Group (RVG) where he has been Chief Executive since 2019. During his tenure, Will led a business wide transformation, focussed on changing the expectations and experience of people in later life, by building communities that support purpose, social connection, health and wellbeing.

Prior to this position, Will was Executive Director at Grosvenor, responsible for its 300-acre mixed use London Estate. He is a Trustee of the Blenheim Palace Foundation.

Will joins the Duchy in Autumn 2024.