Skipper to retire from Northern Ballet

Northern Ballet Chief Executive MARK SKIPPER is retiring after 35 years with the company.

As the longest serving chief executive of a UK professional ballet company, he said he was sad to step down but confident it will succeed without him.

"With a new Arts Council funding round on the horizon and a much younger senior team now leading the organisation, it is time for a younger person with new ideas to take on the role of CEO."

Skipper joined Northern Ballet in 1987 as Deputy Stage Manager before becoming Company Manager in 1988, Head of Planning in 1995, and finally Chief Executive in 1996. In 2006 he was awarded Manager of the Year by what is now UK Theatre and in 2010 was made a Deputy Lieutenant of West Yorkshire for his contribution to the county.

He has raised funds for two moves of the company headquarters, as well as securing years of Arts Council England grants and steering the company through Covid-19.

Skipper leaves at the end of September with the "utmost gratitude" of staff and board for all he has achieved there.