Catherine joined the Hippodrome Board of Trustees in March and will officially move into her new role in December, following formal appointment at the November Annual General Meeting and the departure of current Chair Glenn Howells.
Catherine has been Executive Director, a Governor and a Board member of the Royal Shakespeare Company since 2012 and has recently announced that she will stand down in December of this year. Catherine will be the first female Chair for Birmingham Hippodrome.
Catherine said: “Birmingham Hippodrome is a brilliant theatre, serving its wide community. Since I joined the Board, I have been inspired by the skill and commitment of the trustees, and it is such an honour to be now appointed Chair. I look forward to working with the Board and the whole Hippodrome team on our exciting plans for the future; to providing memorable and extraordinary experiences; to being an integral part of a vibrant Birmingham cultural scene; and to always being people focused, inclusive and sustainable.
I join Board colleagues and the executive team in offering current Chair Glenn Howells enormous thanks and admiration for his five years as such an excellent Chair and 11 years as a Trustee, always supporting and enabling the delivery of those wonderful Hippodrome 'goosebump moments’.”
Jon Gilchrist, Artistic Director and CEO of Birmingham Hippodrome said: “Since joining the Board earlier this year, Catherine’s phenomenal expertise combined with her commitment to the region has been invaluable. I am delighted to now be working with her as our Chair as we move forward with our ambitious five year plan.
“I would also like to thank Glenn for his incredible leadership and support as our Chair. Glenn has helped steer the organisation through some of our most challenging times and played a leading role in developing our extraordinary Board of Trustees.”
Birmingham Hippodrome has also announced Trustee Harj Kaur Millington will step into the role of Deputy Chair in December following the departure of Ann Tonks, whose term also comes to an end in November. Ann is a highly regarded restaurateur in Birmingham, her latest venture is Chapter in Edgbaston. Ann has been a Trustee at Birmingham Hippodrome since 2014, playing a leading role in CEO and Board recruitment as Head of the Nominations Committee and working closely with the Hippodrome team as Head of the Inclusion & Anti-Racism Board Committee.
Harj has been an active trustee of Birmingham Hippodrome since 2016 and is the Chair of its Nominations Committee and a member of its Finance Committee. As well as being a trained lawyer, Harj has significant business experience in business and PR. She is commercial director and co-owner of Rewired PR, an established Birmingham-based PR agency working with B2B and B2C clients throughout the UK and across multiple sectors. Harj is also a trustee of United by 2022, a Commonwealth Games 2022 legacy charity, and she is a non-executive director of Birmingham Festival 2023 CIC.
Jon added: “Myself, the Board and the Hippodrome team would like to thank Ann for her expertise, support and guidance as Deputy Chair. We are delighted that Harj will be taking on the role of Deputy Chair and know her knowledge and passion for the Hippodrome will ensure that we continue to go from strength to strength as we move into our 125th year.”
