FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 17, 2023
Contact: Nan Keeton
(888) 234.4236 Ext. 203
BOSTON — Arts Consulting Group (ACG), the leading provider of hands-on management consulting services to the arts and culture industry, today announced that Hywel W. Sims has joined the firm as Senior Vice President to expand the Planning and Capacity Building area of the firm. Based in ACG’s New Orleans location, Sims brings 30 years of expertise in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia in leading and building support for organizations, including during times of financial challenges, contractions, and growth, as well as in responding community needs in the arts and social service sectors.
Sims comes to ACG following his tenure as CEO at Musica Viva Australia, one of the country’s oldest professional not-for-profit performing arts company and largest provider of music education in schools. While there, Sims oversaw the introduction of new production concepts to national tours and nurtured the growth of artist development programs, led an artistic director search, guided a comprehensive national brand transformation, and steered the organization through the turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic, sustaining stable and successful operations while ensuring support for artists and staff. A committed community leader, Sims championed impactful equity and inclusion initiatives to ensure that diverse perspectives were reflected in all aspects of strategic and program planning. He facilitated partnerships with First Nations’ artists and colleagues to develop the organization’s first Reconciliation Plan and established formal protocols for working with First Nations’ peoples. Under Sims’ effective guidance, the increase in philanthropic support achieved its highest level in Musica Viva Australia’s history.
Sims previously served as General Manager at Gondwana Choirs, the Australian national choral organization that spotlights the country’s outstanding young voices, In this role, he led strategic restructuring and secured $1 million in corporate support for the National Indigenous Children’s Choir, Prior to moving to Australia, Sims fulfilled the position of Chief Executive for the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles where he launched several community engagement initiatives including the Alive Music Project, a unique music education program for high school students designed to support LGBTQ+ youth throughout Los Angeles and beyond. While there, Hywel introduced new funding streams from Board members and education programs to reduce reliance on the organization’s earned income. Initially working in public health, Sims has led numerous HIV/AIDS agencies as Director for Chris Brownlie Hospice, and CEO for Santa Monica AIDS Project, A mission-driven leader, he devised programs, raised funds, and lobbied governments to provide adequate responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Sims also served as Chief Executive for Adfam UK, a national charity organization that supports people whose lives have been negatively impacted by someone else’s drug and alcohol abuse. Sims currently serves on the Advisory Board for Vox Femina LA.
In making the announcement, ACG President Bruce D. Thibodeau said, “ACG is delighted to have Hywel join the team as a Senior Vice President. His dedication to equity and diversity, as well as his extensive international expertise in strategy, arts advocacy, fundraising, and planning, will make invaluable contributions to the clients served by ACG.”
“I’m excited to join the growing team at Arts Consulting Group and to be able to provide support and guidance to the arts and culture sector as we recover from the profound disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Sims. “Society needs this sector to remain vibrant as communities reconnect with one another in person, and I look forward to working towards that end."
About Arts Consulting Group
ACG is the leading provider of hands-on interim management, executive search, revenue enhancement, strategic planning & community engagement, facilities & program planning, and other capacity building services for the arts and culture industry. Founded in 1997, ACG is a full-service firm that effectively works with a wide range of nonprofit organizations, universities, government agencies, and for-profit entities that operate in the creative industries. The firm takes a contemporary approach to client challenges and opportunities focused on growing institutions, advancing arts and culture, and enhancing communities. ACG senior team members have leadership experience in every type of artistic and cultural discipline and they seamlessly adapt to clients’ rapidly changing strategies, business models, and operating environments. The firm currently has locations in Boston, Calgary, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Portland, Raleigh, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington, DC. ACG employees and consultants are embedded in communities throughout North America to invigorate clients so that they can achieve the delicate balance between cultural impacts and business sustainability. For more information, please visit ArtsConsulting.com or contact info@ArtsConsulting.com or (888) 234.4236.