Scottish Ballet Appoints Two New Board Members

Scottish Ballet has announced the appointment of two new Non-Executive Directors to the Board: Scottish solicitor Nadhia Ahmad-Ali, and Ballet Black Founder & Artistic Director Cassa Pancho MBE.

Nadhia Ahmad-Ali (pictured above right) is a Scottish solicitor and has recently been appointed as Head of Legal for Europe at UnitedHealthcare, part of the UnitedHealth Group, a Fortune 500 company. Prior to this she worked at The Weir Group PLC and Cigna, where she focused on strategy and partnerships, together with a leading role on their international Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council.

Cassa Pancho MBE (pictured above left) founded Ballet Black upon graduating in 2001, to provide role models to young, aspiring black and Asian dancers. To date, she has commissioned 48 choreographers, to create over 60 new ballets for the Company. In 2015, Cassa was appointed a Patron of Central School of Ballet and in 2016 became a vice president of The London Ballet Circle. In 2017, along with Senior Artist Cira Robinson, she collaborated with British ballet shoe manufacturer, Freed of London, to create two brand new pointe shoe colours to enable dancers of Black and Asian descent to buy skin-tone pointe shoes ready-made. In 2018, Cassa was awarded the Freedom of the City of London.

They will join current Board members Jim Pettigrew (Chair), Barbara Allison, Anna Bateson, Eleanor Bentley, Ted Brandsen, Christopher Hampson (CEO/Artistic Director), Giles Hedger, James Mackenzie-Blackman, Catherine Muirden, Steven Roth (Executive Director) and Kirsty Wark.

Nadhia Ahmad-Ali said:

"I'm delighted to be joining the Board of Scottish Ballet, a company at the forefront of bold performances and pushing boundaries in dance. I am excited to further explore their well-being, community engagement and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. I look forward to supporting the company's visionary work, both at home, and globally."

Cassa Pancho said:

"Scottish Ballet and Ballet Black have enjoyed a long association and it has been my pleasure to watch Christopher and the entire company fully embrace a commitment to real change in classical ballet. I'm thrilled to be joining as a Board member and to be part of the company's continued commitment towards equity and inclusivity, as well as their outstanding artistic work."

Jim Pettigrew Scottish Ballet Board of Directors Chair, said:

"It is an exciting time for Scottish Ballet as we invigorate the Board with two new members, and as we look forward to the company returning to full touring capacity in the weeks and months ahead. Cassa and Nadhia bring youth, energy and a breadth of experiences that will complement and enhance the Board."

Christopher Hampson Artistic Director & CEO at Scottish Ballet said:

"I'm absolutely thrilled that Nadhia and Cassa are joining the Board of Non-Executive Directors. Nadhia's enthusiasm and passion for the arts has been longstanding, and she brings to the Board her own brand of vitality and leadership, which aligns wonderfully with Scottish Ballet. Cassa Pancho and Scottish Ballet have a longstanding relationship, as Cassa has been a leader in the dance sector for over 20 years. We look forward to working more closely with her in this new role."

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