Catherine is an experienced strategic leader, with extensive professional expertise in the arts and cultural sector, consultancy and governance. She is deeply committed to supporting learning at all levels, with much of her professional work engaged with education and research.
Through her work, Catherine seeks to sustain a culture where everyone feels able to contribute and to participate in rigorous debate ahead of taking good decisions through integrity, pragmatism, and compassion.
Catherine is Chair of Creative UK, the national membership body for the creative industries, and of the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Trust, one of the UK’s largest regional theatres. She runs a cultural consultancy business supporting a wide range of organisations including Sadler’s Wells, The Old Vic, and Hackney Empire.
She served as Executive Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 2012-23, and as Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Operations of the Southbank Centre from 2005-2012. Her previous non-executive work spans Council membership of the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Arts Council England.
Catherine was awarded a CBE for Services to Arts and Theatre in 2022. She is an Honorary Doctor of Letters at Warwick University, and an Honorary Fellow at St John’s College, University of Oxford.
