Former Frieze director appointed first female head of National Portrait Gallery

Victoria Siddall is to become the first female director of the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) in London, taking over the position left by Nicholas Cullinan, who departed for the British Museum in June.

- Lanre Bakare

Siddall has been a key figure in the arts for more than two decades, mostly working in the commercial sector. In 2012 she rose to prominence after launching the Frieze Masters art fair, going on to become global director of the contemporary art fair, which takes place in London every October and has offshoots in New York and Los Angeles.

She was the chair of Studio Voltaire's board and has been an advocate of sustainability in the art world, but this is her first position at a large, publicly funded arts institution.

She will take over from the interim director, Michael Elliott, becoming only the 13th director in the NPG's 168-year history.

Siddall will arrive at the NPG following a major refurbishment costing £41.3m. The gallery was closed for three years and reopened in June last year with a rehang and Tracey Emindesigned doors that serve as the new entrance.