Museum of London Director to lead prestigious Canadian museum
Professor Jack Lohman is to step down as Director of the Museum of London. He will remain in post until March when he becomes Chief Executive Officer of the Royal British Columbia Museum on Vancouver Island, Canada.
Jack Lohman said: “Next month will mark the tenth year of my appointment to the post of Director of the Museum of London. With this anniversary in mind and having completed the key projects I set out to achieve in time for the Olympics, I have accepted the post of Chief Executive Officer of the Royal BC Museum on Vancouver Island, Canada. The ten years I have spent at the Museum of London have been enormously rewarding and enjoyable. I am proud to have led a great institution and to have worked with so many committed, enthusiastic and talented people. The Museum of London is now widely recognised as a world class institution and, in many fields, a world leader. I am particularly grateful to all our funders and supporters – both public and private. My personal thanks go to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, for his unstinting support and enthusiasm for the Museum of London and to successive Lord Mayors and Town Clerks at the Corporation of London.”
Michael Cassidy CBE, Chairman of the Governors of the Museum of London, said: “On behalf of the entire Board and staff of the Museum of London, I wish Professor Lohman every success in his new role as Chief Executive Officer of the Royal BC Museum on Vancouver Island, Canada. I am of course extremely sad to say goodbye to Jack, but he will leave behind a very positive legacy. Jack has transformed the Museum of London into the institution we see today. Without his energy and leadership, projects such as the new Clore Learning Centre and Galleries of Modern London redevelopment would not have been possible. These projects were resounding successes creating vibrant, new, modern spaces for our visitors.”
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "Jack Lohman has been a visionary director, achieving an immense amount in his ten years at the Museum of London. A dynamic leader, Jack has raised the profile of this gem of a museum on the City borders and transformed it into a must see destination through a fine redesign of the building and intelligent, but accessible exhibitions. I am very sad that he is leaving, but his new position is testament to the quality of people that helm our arts organisations and I wish him the very best with this fantastic new opportunity."
The Governors of the Museum of London have begun the process of recruiting for a new Director. Until that time the Museum’s Executive Committee will oversee the organisation. They have every confidence in their ability to continue to work towards the Museum of London’s corporate objectives and lead a very capable team.
Professor Lohman’s key achievements include opening the Museum of London Docklands, the launch of the Galleries of Modern London and Clore Learning Centre, taking a lead role in the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council’s London Renaissance programme, transferring Museum of London Archaeology into a separate independent charity, and most recently, the launch of the current ‘Dickens and London’ exhibition.
Following ‘Dickens and London’, the Museum of London has an exciting and varied programme for 2012. Highlights include exhibitions to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and a new major exhibition for the autumn ‘Doctors, Dissection and Resurrection Men’.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
1. For more information please contact Andrew Marcus, PR Manager, on 07725 617865 or amarcus@museumoflondon.org.uk.
2. Museum of London, Museum of London Docklands and Museum of London Archaeology seek to inspire a passion for London. The Museums are open daily 10am – 6pm and are FREE to all.
3. Explore the Museum of London with Collections online - home to over 10,000 objects with more being added.
4. The Royal BC Museum Corporation is one of the foremost cultural institutions in the world. The Museum was founded in 1886; the archives in 1894. In 2003 these two organisations integrated to become British Columbia's combined provincial museum and archives, collecting artefacts, documents and specimens of British Columbia’s natural and human history, safeguarding them for the future, and sharing them with the world, www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
