Cirque du Soleil exec named new Kravis Center CEO

The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts has named Diane Quinn, currently chief creative officer for Cirque du Soleil, as its new CEO.

"Diane has a thoughtful and broad vision for the Kravis Center, with particular attention to how to best build upon our strong foundation and continue to expand our audience," board Chairman Jeffrey Stoops said in a prepared statement.

"She is a people person, who is very interested in the ways in which the arts can connect to audiences and improve the local community. The Board of Directors is proud of and deeply committed to the success and future of the Kravis Center. As stewards of the Center’s mission, we are thrilled to have Diane at the helm of this outstanding organization as its CEO.”

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Quinn, who starts work Jan. 31, replaces Terrence Dwyer, who left in May after only five months in the job, having taken over in January 2021 following the retirement of longtime CEO Judith Mitchell. Dwyer stepped down to rejoin his family in New York City, a spokesperson told the Daily News in August.

Stoops told the Daily News that the search committee, comprising eight board members, set out to find "the absolutely best long-term candidate that we could and that is what we did. … We did all the things that can and should be done when you're filling a position that's expected to last for a number of years."

He said part of Quinn's appeal is that she grasps the importance of the Kravis Center in the community.

"She's ready to go and we're thrilled to get her going," he said.

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Born and raised in the Toronto area, Quinn is no stranger to Palm Beach County. She and her husband, Keith Freiter, have a seasonal home in Delray Beach.

"I love the greater Palm Beach community and Palm Beach County, and I’m really looking forward to living here 12 months of the year," Quinn told the Daily News on Friday.

Quinn, who has more than 20 years of arts experience, started at Cirque du Soleil in 2004 as the public services director for the inventive Canadian circus troupe and rose through its ranks.

In her role as chief creative officer, she oversees the management of more than 1,200 employees globally and developed the initial strategy and protocol implementation for safety and wellness through the pandemic. Cirque du Soleil has "been a wonderful home, but now I’m looking forward to my new home," Quinn said Friday, adding that she was wrapping up duties in Montreal, Cirque's home base.

One of the things that impressed her most about the Kravis, Quinn told the Daily News, "is the variety of programming and the Kravis Center's real desire to reach the entire community, which is becoming more and more diverse. I would like to build on that."

In terms of the things she brings to the job, Quinn noted that because of Cirque's global reach, she had seen a lot of "programming and arts throughout the world and I would like to bring that to our programming and personnel."

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As for the coronavirus pandemic and its effects, she said, "I believe we are all still working through the pandemic, but what has impressed me is the health and safety measures in place at the Kravis Center."

Quinn's résumé includes starting three separate theater companies and serving as executive director of the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University, where she developed a five-year strategic plan and stabilized its financial model. She helped to initiate a multimillion-dollar soft capital campaign, working to identify some of the largest gifts in the organization’s history.

She also has held leadership roles with the Women in Film and Television organization and the Soulpepper Theatre Company, both not-for-profit organizations in Toronto.

Quinn received a bachelor's degree in arts management and drama from the University of Toronto and attended the master’s certificate program in creativity and innovation from HEC Montreal and the University of Barcelona in Spain.

“I am honored to be joining the prestigious Kravis Center for the Performing Arts as CEO,” Quinn said in the Kravis announcement. “Few organizations have had the type of impact on an audience, a city, a state or nationally, as the Kravis Center. … The Kravis Center is looking to carefully build for the future, and I see this role as an opportunity of a lifetime.

"I have a deep knowledge of theater in an academic setting, working closely with students and faculty, as well as in the commercial live entertainment sector. I look forward to drawing on my history of providing leadership to organizations of substantial and complex scope in this exciting new role.”

“What drives me is people,” Quinn said in her prepared statement. "Whether developing strategic plans, building teams or crafting COVID-19 protocols, my ability to succeed has always come from a collaborative and personable approach to solving the problem at hand.”

Quinn told the Daily News that one of her primary goals is to get to know the staff members, the full board and the community.

"I've been on the road a lot with Cirque for the last 15 years and now I feel I have a real opportunity to make a difference and get involved with the community and that really, really appeals to me," she said. "I'm very excited to make this next transition in my life and in my career."

Carol Rose is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at crose@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Kravis Center names new CEO