Sue Biggs

Sue-Anne Hilbre Biggs was the Director General of the Royal Horticultural Society, retiring in June 2022 as the longest-serving Director General in the charity's history. Biggs began her career in the travel industry, where she worked for 30 years, She grew up on Caxton Road, in the Broomhill area of the city. For her seventh birthday, her mother gave her a packet of seeds and a small trowel, encouraging her to plant them in their garden, and Biggs credits this as the source of her love of gardening.

She attended Abbeydale Grammar School. She obtained a BA in English and American Literature from the University of Nottingham and a Postgraduate Diploma in Tourism from the University of Manchester. having worked there for 25 years.

Biggs joined Thomas Cook in 2008, where she worked as managing director of scheduled business. Biggs left Thomas Cook in August 2009. Biggs splits her time between the RHS headquarters at Vincent Square and RHS Wisley.

Biggs has stated that her first aim upon taking up the role was to bring everybody together as a team, following a major restructuring of the organisation. She wanted to make the RHS, "attractive to everyone – from the novice gardener to expert horticulturists". Biggs later stated in an interview with Garden Design Journal that her proudest achievement was her work to make the Royal Horticultural Society a more "open and friendly society" and "bringing younger people and different communities into horticulture". Biggs oversaw an increase in membership of 90,000 between 2010 and 2015. In 2014, frustrated by ticket touts reselling tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show for large profits, Biggs announced the launch of last minute charity tickets for the event with the money going towards horticultural apprenticeships.

Biggs was awarded a CBE in the 2017 New Year Honours. The award was presented by The Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace in March 2017. Biggs stated after receiving the award, "I feel very fortunate to work in an organisation with such remarkable people promoting something I feel so passionate about, and this award belongs as much to them as me."

In 2017, Highways England proposed changes to the A3 road which would impact on woodlands that are part of RHS Wisley. Biggs was highly critical of the proposal, stating, "It would be criminal for this irreplaceable woodland to be lost when another viable plan would avoid cutting down these century-old trees and still meet the important need to widen the A3." Plans were later put by Highways England that would safeguard the mature trees. The preferred option chosen by Highways England, however, was still criticised by Biggs as the new roundabout would remove the current direct connections between the A3 and the gardens, potentially adding an extra 1.5 to 5.25 miles to the journey of visitors.

In 2018, Biggs was inspired when she heard of Syrian refugees who were setting up gardens in the Domiz Camp in northern Iraq. She was reminded of when the RHS had sent seeds to British prisoners of war in Germany during World War II, and the RHS sent 2000 packets of seeds to the camp in Kurdistan.

Biggs's retirement from the RHS was announced in October 2021.

Personal life Biggs lives in Cobham, Surrey, She enjoys plants and gardening in her spare time, spending time in her own garden as well as public gardens such as those at Hampton Court and Bushy Park. She has designed gardens for friends.