Phoenix Chief Executive, John Rance, announces retirement

Phoenix CEO John Rance has announced his plan to retire from his position in spring 2024.

John joined Phoenix in 2010, initially leading the turnaround in the charity’s fortunes after its relocation to Leicester’s  Cultural Quarter. There followed a period of sustained growth in Phoenix’s audiences and the quality of its work and reputation with stakeholders and partners. John then led Phoenix through the very difficult years of the pandemic.

John had overall responsibility for the £9.6M project to expand Phoenix into a superb 4-screen venue with a stunning new Café Bar, roof terrace, larger digital arts gallery and dedicated spaces for people and businesses to hire, meet, create, and learn.

Commenting John Rance said:

“Phoenix is a special place for many people, and it is truly a privilege to be its Chief Executive these past 13 years. I have always been inspired by the interesting and diverse range of people who visit the Phoenix and their positive reactions to what we do here.

It has been wonderful to work with such a committed staff and Board of Trustees. The talent, resilience, and solidarity of the management team has been exemplary, especially during the pandemic and capital project. I shall miss that enormously, but it is a good time to hand the baton to another leader for the next stage in Phoenix’s development”.

Chair of Trustees, Ali Sinclair, added:

“John has achieved a tremendous amount in his time as CEO, growing the reputation of Phoenix, leading the team through complex and critical times, and more recently overseeing the capital build to deliver an even bigger venue enabling future growth.

I am grateful for his trusted and resilient leadership and I will miss my professional interactions with him. Perhaps we might have time to see a film together after his retirement!

The Board of Trustees are grateful for all that John has achieved.  I will be working with the Trustees and Stake Holders to recruit John’s successor. It is an exciting opportunity to build on John’s legacy in our superb venue with our dedicated team in the vibrant city of Leicester.

Further details about the recruitment process for our new Chief Executive will be published on our website soon.”