ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO APPOINTS NEW CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

The Art Institute of Chicago has appointed David Thurm as its new COO. Writes TAXI Design Network, “Thurm, who began his tenure at the Art Institute on March 1, 2010, will oversee the museum’s general operations. Thurm’s duties will include the strengthening of the museum’s financial position and easing its transition to a more complex institution—which the museum has now become as a result of the addition of the Modern Wing and the multiyear reinstallation project currently underway.

“Thurm comes to the Art Institute after twenty-seven years at the New York Times, serving that company in many different capacities, including vice president for real estate operations—overseeing the management and construction of Renzo Piano’s New York Times headquarters building—and Chief Operating Officer of New York Times Digital. Most recently, he was the newspaper’s senior vice president for operations.

“Meredith Mack, the museum’s former deputy director and COO, will be joining the leadership team at the Rise Group as EVP Institutional Sector as well as supporting company-wide strategic and operating initiatives.”