LONDON (VIP-NEWS) — The Royal Albert Hall has appointed Craig Hassall as its new chief executive.
Hassall, currently CEO of Opera Australia, succeeds Chris Cotton, who retires in March.
Craig Hassall has worked in the performing arts for over 28 years and has a long-standing association with the Hall through several previous roles. Prior to Opera Australia, he worked in London for almost nine years, firstly as CEO of English National Ballet, the national touring ballet company of the UK.
Following this, he was COO of Raymond Gubbay Ltd, responsible for new business and collaborative ventures in the commercial field of classical music, opera and ballet, primarily at the Royal Albert Hall. He also consulted on cultural aspects of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
"It has been a privilege to work in the performing arts for my entire career. To now be offered the opportunity to manage one of the most iconic venues in the world surpasses everything," said Hassall.
Announcing the appointment, the Hall’s president, Jon Moynihan OBE, said: "As we look towards the Hall’s 150th anniversary, we are setting an ambitious plan for our future and I’m delighted that Craig will be joining us to lead the team to define and deliver that vision. My thanks go to Chris Cotton whose great leadership over the last seven years has ensured that the Hall has grown dramatically both in shows and financial performance over his successful tenure."
