Meredith 'Max' Hodges Appointed Chief Executive Officer of The Shed

Meredith "Max" Hodges has been appointed as The Shed's new Chief Executive Officer. Hodges brings a wide range of expertise to building audiences, broadening access, and supporting the creation of ambitious art. With more than 20 years of experience at non-profit cultural organizations and in the private sector, she comes to The Shed from one of the nation’s largest dance companies, Boston Ballet, where she has been Executive Director since 2014, following senior roles at several New York-based organizations, including Gallim Dance, The Museum of Modern Art, and Bain & Co. Hodges will join The Shed in October 2023, with Alex Poots as Artistic Director, a team of talented staff, and a dedicated Board of Directors to support her vision for defining its next chapter.

"Max has an exemplary track record of dynamic, resilient management at organizations dedicated to visionary creativity," said Board Chair Jonathan Tisch. "The Board and I enthusiastically welcome her as a great new partner in building on The Shed’s accomplishments since opening in 2019 — delivering varied, innovative, artist-centered programming — and leading us into a bright future." 

"I’m filled with excitement to join the team at The Shed, and filled with energy for the work," said Hodges. "The Shed is an entrepreneurial and future-focused cultural organization. It was built to anticipate the needs of artists, and the future of artmaking — and under Alex’s artistic leadership The Shed has already established a reputation for extraordinary and ambitious works that other venues can’t fathom. I’m passionate about audience-building and about access, and I’m thrilled at the possibilities inherent in The Shed’s mission, its physical space, and its art." 

Hodges joins The Shed at a pivotal time as she will be responsible for leading it from a proof-of-concept startup to laying the foundation of an enduring organization. She will partner closely with the Board and staff to capitalize on The Shed’s unique physical assets and foster creative excellence, financial success, an expanded audience, and an engaged community. 

Hodges takes over the chief executive role from Alex Poots, who held the joint role of Artistic Director and CEO from December 2014 until January 2023, when he took on the role of Artistic Director exclusively. He will report to the CEO.

"I’m delighted Max Hodges will be our next CEO. Max’s skills, energy, and experience will be huge assets to our organization, and I can’t wait to begin our work together to shape the future of The Shed," said Poots. "Having her expertise will enable me to entirely focus on our artistic direction, to produce and present ambitious new productions, and to develop new artistic formats."

At Boston Ballet, Hodges supported the company's mission to commission historically underrepresented artistic voices, to create new and deeply relevant works, and build broad audiences for artistic innovation. During her tenure, the organization’s endowment more than doubled, from $14M to $36M, helping to provide greater long-term stability. She has been a key leader in the organization's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion both on and off stage. Attendance for the company’s 2022–23 Boston season was 170,000 attendees, the organization's second highest ever at the Citizens Bank Opera House.

Before leading Boston Ballet, Hodges served as Executive Director of the contemporary dance company Gallim Dance and in various roles at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), including project director leading strategic development, membership, and technology initiatives. She was also a Senior Associate Consultant with Bain & Company in Boston and New York, consulting for clients in multiple industries, including private equity and consumer products. She is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School. Hodges was appointed to Harvard University's Board of Overseers in 2018 and has served as President of Harvard's Board of Overseers since May 2023. 

Hodges's appointment was the culmination of a five-month international search conducted by a committee of Shed board members and advisors guided by executive search firm Spencer Stuart. "We were so impressed by Max’s compelling business experience and her passion for ambitious art," said Ann Sarnoff, Search Committee Chair and Board Vice Chair. "She is a collaborative leader who is excited to work with the artistic team, staff, and key stakeholders in generating and fulfilling The Shed’s creative vision."

About The Shed 

The Shed produces and welcomes innovative art and ideas across all forms of creativity in our highly adaptable building on Manhattan’s west side. Since opening in 2019, we have showcased the most accomplished and inventive artists across fields ranging from pop to classical music, painting to digital media, theater to literature, and sculpture to dance. From FlexNYC to Reich Richter Pärt, Björk, William Forsythe, Agnes Denes, Howardena Pindell, Cecily Strong, Ian Cheng, Tomás Saraceno, Arinze Kené, Ralph Fiennes, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Sonic Sphere, and the emerging New York-based artists of our Open Call commissioning program, we are committed to advancing art forms and interdisciplinary work, addressing the urgent issues of our time, and embracing audiences across the city and around the world.   

To post a comment, you must register and login.