David Barrow appointed as Master of the Leathersellers

David Barrow has been appointed as Master (Chair) of the Leathersellers. He was Managing Director and now Chairman of cast-stone manufacturer, Haddonstone, who craft exceptional stonework for use in architecture and landscapes. “At the heart of everything we do is an appreciation of craft, quality production, and the people that make it possible,” says David.

With degrees in engineering and business administration, David has worked for the family business for over four decades. In this time, the importance of relationships has been both central to the business and his wider philosophy of leadership.

“Demonstrating that you care about people, building meaningful relationships, and contributing as part of an effective team – these are tremendously important to me,” he says, “and I also see these practices reflected in the work of the Leathersellers. Informing all the work is a consistent application of principles that build, strengthen, and define a community – if you seek to make a contribution to society and do it for the long-term this is what matters and from which all things can flow.”

Although his professional life has been dedicated to manufacturing stone, the Barrows have been involved in the leather trade since at least the early 19th century. His-great-great grandfather founded Samuel Barrow & Brother, which would later merge with others to become a major Bermondsey tannery. Samuel’s son, Sir Samuel Barrow was the first Barrow to become a full member of the Leathersellers, receiving his Freedom in 1886.

In recent years, David has directly contributed to the leather industry through his position as Chair of The Leathercraft Trust (formerly the Museum of Leathercraft) from 2017 to 2025, where he helped guide the organisation from a precarious position to the security of its new home within Northampton Museum and Art Gallery. He continues to support the Trust as a trustee, serving as Treasurer.

From leather and stone manufacturing to the way partnerships are built and maintained for collective benefit at the Leathersellers, David’s heritage and contemporary focus is one built on care – care for what we produce and put out into the world and care for others. No where is this more apparent than the grant programmes of The Leathersellers’ Foundation, and one programme in particular holds special significance for David’s year in office.

2026/2027 will mark the culmination of the first five years of The Leathersellers’ Foundation’s Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Strategy. Over the course of this strategy, The Foundation will have awarded over £10m of grants to over 100 charities across the UK, helping to prevent and mitigate the consequences of ACEs for over 250,000 children.

Commenting on the importance of this milestone and the upcoming year, David says: “Our charity partners undertake life-changing work in their communities and we are so grateful for all they do and the many relationships we have established in this time. Indeed, as we look ahead, achieving lasting social change depends on the strength of these relationships. This principle holds true for all of our grant making programmes and our ambition as a funder, as we seek to enable individuals and communities, foster opportunity through education, and support those working, training and learning in the leather industry.”