Vanessa Leaves Chunky Move

Chunky Move CEO Moves On

Vanessa Pigrum. Photo Pippa Samaya

Vanessa Pigrum, Executive Director & Co-CEO, to leave Chunky Move

Vanessa Pigrum, Chunky Move’s Executive Director and Co‐CEO has announced that she will be leaving the company at the end of June 2018.

In thanking Vanessa, Chair Leigh O’Neill said, “Chunky Move has greatly benefited from Vanessa’s insight and leadership. She has been instrumental in extending audiences regionally and internationally as well as building a strong financial and stakeholder base. We wish her all the best into the future.”

Vanessa thanked the staff and Board for their support stating, “It’s been an incredibly rich and eventful three years with Chunky Move, leading this much‐loved company with Artistic Director & Co‐CEO Anouk van Dijk. I have been warmly invited into the dance community and hope to continue developing those connections in future years. I would like to sincerely thank the Board and Chunky Move team for their support, passionate commitment and collaborative approach over the last three years.”

“It has been a pleasure to work alongside such an experienced arts manager,” said Artistic Director Anouk van Dijk, “Vanessa has been instrumental in realising our most ambitious tours to date, and in finding new audiences and opportunities for the company.”

Vanessa commenced with Chunky Move in June 2015. Prior to this she held leadership roles in Melbourne arts organisations including City of Darebin, Arts Centre Melbourne and Melbourne Fringe where she was Festival Director & CEO.

She will remain with Chunky Move until the end of June before launching a new venture as a creative industries consultant, focusing on program design, strategic planning, and leadership coaching.

With Vanessa’s departure, the Chunky Move Board will put in place a team with significant expertise to manage the process of transition to new leadership. Ann Tonks will commence as transitional Executive Director in August for a six‐month period and Sarah Greentree will provide senior producing and international partnership expertise effective immediately.