Margaret Birtley was appointed as the Executive Officer and Secretary of the History Council of Victoria in December 2013 and held those positions until December 2020. She is now the voluntary Finances Officer for the HCV.

At various times she has been a museum worker, an academic, an administrator and a consultant. Her focus is on heritage collections and the not-for-profit sector. On Australia Day 2017 she was awarded an AM for 'significant service to cultural heritage, particularly to the museums sector, to education, and to historical preservation'.