London’s Serpentine Galleries head Yana Peel quits over links to Israeli spyware firm

The head of the Serpentine Galleries has resigned after The Guardian revealed the ownership structure of NSO Group, an Israeli cyber intelligence company whose software has allegedly been used by authoritarian regimes to spy on dissidents

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The Serpentine Gallery, of the two Serpentine Galleries in London. Photo: John Offenbach

Published: 7:17pm, 18 Jun 2019Updated: 9:24am, 7 Jul 2022

Corrected [9:19am, 7 Jul, 2022]

[9:19am, 7 Jul, 2022]
This article has been edited for legal reasons from the source.

The head of the Serpentine Galleries has resigned after The Guardian revealed the ownership structure of NSO Group, an Israeli cyber intelligence company whose software has allegedly been used by authoritarian regimes to spy on dissidents.

On Tuesday, Yana Peel announced she was stepping down as the chief executive of the prestigious London art gallery so the work of the galleries would not be undermined by “misguided personal attacks on me and my family”.

A man looking at a sculpture called ‘Queenie II’ by late US artist Duane Hanson at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery in London in 2015. Photo: Reuters

In a statement released through Serpentines Galleries, Peel said: “I have decided I am better able to continue my work in supporting the arts, the advancement of human rights and freedom of expression by moving away from my current role.”

Last week, The Guardian revealed the Peel’s family’s links to Novalpina Capital, a private equity firm that in turn controls a majority stake in NSO Group, a US$1 billion (£790 million) Israeli technology firm, according to corporate records in the US and Luxembourg.

Novalpina was co-founded by Peel’s husband, Stephen. Novalpina took a majority of NSO shares, and NSO’s Israeli founders hold a minority stake.

Human rights groups, activists and surveillance experts have accused NSO of licensing its powerful Pegasus software to countries, including Saudi Arabia, that have used it to target individuals, hack into their phones and monitor their communications.