New CEOs in jobshare at museums
BIRMINGHAM Museums Trust has appointed Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah as joint CEOs. The pair will formally join the charity in November, taking over from Dr Ellen McAdam, who stepped down in June this year.
The appointment is a rare instance of people of colour reaching the highest level of leadership in UK museums, and of job-sharing taking place at this level. Of the 45 institutions represented on the National Museums Directors Council, only one other organisation is currently led by a person of colour. Sara and Zak’s appointment also represents the only instance of a shared CEO role among the group.
Mr Mensah comes to Birmingham Museums Trust from a leadership role at Bristol Museums where, as head of transformation: culture & creative industries, he made a leading contribution to doubling income within three years as well as ambitious programmes focusing on continuous improvement and technology.
Ms Wajid is currently head of engagement for the Museum of London’s new museum capital project. Previous to that she was head of interpretation at Birmingham Museums Trust on a 15-month secondment where she produced the ground-breaking experimental exhibition The Past is Now, offering new perspectives on British Empire.
Ms Wajid said: “Being appointed as joint CEO to BMT is a very special honour for me and it’s in part thanks to the experience I gained on the Arts Council ‘Changemakers’ programme at BMT in 2016. That’s what I call effective anti-racist succession planning. Zak and I were inspired to apply for this role together through our involvement in Museum Detox (an anti-racist museum collective).
“We hope it could be a useful blueprint for others considering their future in the sector, and that we won’t be in such a small cohort of people of colour leading museums for long.”
Mr Mensah said: “As a regional museum with a very diverse demographic, BMT is well placed to connect communities locally and use technology to drive audience engagement on a global scale. Sara and I aim to ensure BMT remains resilient and delivers services that are inclusive, allowing people to connect and learn.”