(Photo credit: Remi Theriault)

Canada’s National Arts Centre’s Board of Trustees has announced that Annabelle Cloutier is its new President and Chief Executive Officer. She is the first Francophone woman in the history of the National Arts Centre to serve as President and CEO.

Cloutier succeeds Christopher Deacon, who retired on Dec. 3. She is assigned a five-year term.

Cloutier joined the organization in 2018 as Executive Director of Strategy and Communications, and Corporate Secretary to the Board of Trustees. Her dual role at the executive and governance levels has positioned her at the heart of decision-making within the institution. She has since become a trusted leader and key member of the senior management team, working closely with former President and CEO .

For the past 25 years she has served at the highest levels of the public and cultural sectors, at the intersection of the arts, public affairs, governance, diplomacy, strategic planning and communications. Before joining the organization, she served as Director of Communications and Public Affairs in the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General and previously held senior roles at the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française and the Alliance des producteurs francophones du Canada.

“It is with great humility and enthusiasm that I take on the role of President and CEO of the National Arts Centre, and I thank the Board of Trustees for entrusting me with this responsibility,” said Cloutier in a press release. “I believe deeply in the fundamental role of the arts in our society, in the voices of creators and artists to awaken in us a sense of pride and belonging to our Canadian cultures and perspective. My immediate priority will be to engage with artists and arts leaders from across the country, to connect actively with our national audiences, and to collaborate with and support our wonderful NAC team. Together, we will ensure that the performing arts remain a vibrant and relevant cornerstone of our Canadian identity, as they should be.”