Penelope Lyttelton, Viscountess Cobham

Penelope Ann Lyttelton, Viscountess Cobham, (née Cooper; born 2 January 1954), is a British businesswoman known for her involvement in a number of quangos (quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations).

Personal life

Penelope Ann Cooper was educated at St James's School, West Malvern.

Divorce

Cobham became a special adviser to the heritage minister David Mellor in the newly created Department of National Heritage in 1992. In 1994, both Cobham and Mellor made public announcements describing that they had developed a close relationship with one another and intended to divorce their existing spouses.

During her marriage, to make enough money to maintain and conserve Hagley Hall, Cobham developed a corporate entertainment and catering business. Prior to becoming special adviser on tourism and heritage in 1992, she was on the boards of English Tourist Board, English Heritage, the Countryside Commission and Historic Royal Palaces. Cobham was later on the boards of the Victoria and Albert Museum, British Waterways, and London Docklands Development Corporation. For 14 years, Cobham chaired Britain's largest radio station outside London, Heart West Midlands. In that role, she successfully campaigned for the liberalisation of the 35-year-old gambling laws and raised £2.5 million from casino companies for the benefit of addiction and research charities, warning the casinos reluctant to donate that the government might introduce a permanent levy.

Between 2005 and 2009, Cobham was deputy chairman of VisitBritain. In April 2009, she became chairman of VisitEngland. Having been reappointed by the minister Hugh Robertson in April 2013, she served until April 2017.