Art Basel rounds out leadership team with appointment of Hayley Romer, Chief Growth Officer, and Craig Hepburn, Chief Digital Officer
Art Basel is delighted to announce the appointment of Hayley Romer as Chief Growth Officer and Craig Hepburn as Chief Digital Officer. Working closely with CEO Noah Horowitz, Romer and Hepburn will be responsible for continuing to drive value for Art Basel's global community of galleries, as well as its growing audience base through digital and business innovation. Romer and Hepburn will be based in New York and Basel, respectively, and join Art Basel's core leadership team.
Hayley Romer joins Art Basel in September 2023 as Chief Growth Officer. In this newly created role, Romer will lead an integrated growth strategy that seeks out new and innovative ways to engage and positively impact Art Basel's expanding audiences – bringing more value to galleries, artists, established and emerging collecting communities, and art enthusiasts around the world. She will focus on enhancing and innovating Art Basel's offering at its world-class shows and year-round platforms, creating new opportunities within and beyond the arts ecosystem.
Romer brings to Art Basel a wealth of experience in brand strategy and differentiation, product development, and cultural transformation. She was most recently Publisher and Chief Revenue Officer of The Atlantic, the renowned American magazine and publisher, where her work helped to transform the brand from a bastion of legacy media companies to an ultra-modern, multi-platform powerhouse. Romer's career has been guided by the belief that business can and should serve a greater purpose in society. She is a frequent speaker on leadership, the role of corporations in society, and major societal issues such as climate change and racial equity at top-tier events including Davos, The Aspen Ideas Festival, CES, SXSW, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, WM Sustainability Forum, among others.
Craig Hepburn joins Art Basel in October 2023 as Chief Digital Officer. In this pivotal role, Hepburn will be responsible for driving value creation through innovative solutions, services and products across the entire Art Basel digital ecosystem. Hepburn will spearhead an ambitious digital strategy that seeks to complement and amplify Art Basel's physical shows, creating new formats and experiences that serve galleries, artists, and collectors, as well as engage ever broader cultural audiences.
Hepburn brings to Art Basel over 20 years’ experience in digital transformation and technology leadership, with a proven track record of building world-class teams and launching innovative products and services that challenge the status quo. He was most recently Head of Digital at the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) in Nyon, Switzerland, where he led the strategic direction of the business towards a digital-first mindset, including the launch of UEFA’s first streaming OTT platform, UEFA.tv. He brings a lifelong passion for the convergence of technology, creative media, and digital product development, as well as extensive expertise in Web3 and Generative AI. He is an advocate for digital innovation and the pursuit of cutting-edge technologies to drive growth and improve customer experiences.
Noah Horowitz, CEO, Art Basel, says: "I am incredibly excited and honored to welcome Hayley and Craig to the Art Basel team. I am confident that their broad-ranging expertise, skills, vision and ambition will be instrumental as we map the next chapter of our business and seek to unlock and accelerate new opportunities for galleries, artists, collectors, partners and the broader arts ecosystem. Together, there is so much more we can do to continuously elevate and innovate our offering and to reimagine the role that Art Basel plays in the world of art."
Hayley Romer, Chief Growth Officer, Art Basel, says: "Art Basel is a unique and unparalleled cultural force and it’s a huge honor to join its world class team. I have deep admiration for and belief in its mission and I am tremendously excited to leverage my experience in media and marketing to help define an ambitious growth path for the future of this inspiring organization."
Craig Hepburn, Chief Digital Officer, Art Basel, says: "Art Basel is a pioneering cultural institution that has long set the standard for excellence in the global art community. As we stand on the brink of a new digital frontier, fueled by advances in technology such as Generative AI and Web3, the possibilities for shaping the world of art are both inspiring and limitless. I am thrilled to play a part in this next phase of Art Basel's remarkable journey and look forward to working with this exceptional team to define an exciting digital future.
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