North Yorkshire's Georgian Theatre Royal has named JO MAWHINNEY Chief Executive Officer and Theatre Manager.
Mawhinney joined the organisation almost 14 years ago as Personal Assistant to the Theatre Manager and two years later was promoted to her current position of Office Manager.
She will assume her new post on 2 January, taking over from current CEO, CLARE ALLEN.
Chair COLIN GRANT commented: “We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Clare Allen for her inspirational management over the past eight years.
He added that Mawhinney will bring "immeasurable knowledge of all aspects of Theatre life that has been gained from many years of hands-on experience.
"We are confident that her professionalism, skills and personal qualities will be a huge asset to the ongoing development of this unique and magical venue."
Mawhinney called it an "absolute privilege" to take on the role.
“I am totally committed to building on the foundations that Clare Allen and previous managers have put in place to ensure that the Theatre goes from strength to strength for the benefit of the local community it serves and the much wider audiences who appreciate its unique historical significance – now and in the future.”