United Kingdom

Catherine Leonard is the Secretary-General of the International National Trusts Organisation (INTO), where she works with heritage organisations around the world to protect and promote cultural and natural heritage. Her career began in language teaching, followed by a role at the (then) Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which sparked an enduring interest in international collaboration and cultural diplomacy.

She later joined the National Trust in the UK, where she worked with European heritage organisations and institutions, helped shape the Trust’s international strategy, and led global partnerships. Since moving to INTO, Catherine has worked with members in more than 80 countries, supporting capacity-building, communications, and policy engagement. She is passionate about the role heritage plays in sustainability, identity, and community resilience, and often speaks at international events about the ‘National Trust’ approach and model.

With a background in languages and literature, Catherine brings a strong focus on advocacy and storytelling to her work. She is particularly interested in helping organisations communicate their impact and connect with wider audiences. Believing that heritage is fundamentally about people, Catherine is committed to making it more inclusive, visible, and valued.

She is a cultural heritage researcher and practitioner with international experience across museums, archives, and heritage organisations. She is about to begin doctoral research at La Universidad Pública de Navarra, Spain, as part of the Horizon Europe-MSCA CHORAL programme, where her work will focus on textile heritage in rural and mountain environments, exploring both material and intangible dimensions.

Alongside her academic work, she has built a strong professional portfolio through roles with leading cultural institutions. She serves as Programmes Officer at the European Students’ Association for Cultural Heritage, curating a webinar series. As a Community Outreach Projects Intern at the International Council on Archives in Paris, she contributed to initiatives supporting heritage in Africa and Ukraine, while also helping to organise the ICA Barcelona Congress 2025.
Sophia’s earlier experiences include placements at the Jewish Museum London, the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, the Imperial War Museum, and Young V&A, where she gained expertise in provenance research, collections care, exhibition development, and community engagement.
In 2024, she was selected to participate in the Executive Leadership Programme: Engaging Communities in Cultural Heritage, a prestigious summer school organised by the Heritage Management Organisation in Greece. This further strengthened her leadership skills and commitment to participatory approaches in cultural heritage.

Sophia holds a BA in History from the University of East Anglia, an MA in Museum Studies (Distinction) from UCL, and an MA in Urban History and Culture from the University of London Institute in Paris.

She is a member of the European Students’ Association for Cultural Heritage (ESACH) and a Young Member of Europa Nostra.