VANCOUVER.- The Vancouver Museum Society’s Board of Directors announced that Ryan Hunt has been selected as the new CEO of Vancouver’s oldest cultural institution, the Museum of Vancouver (MOV).

Following Mauro Vescera’s retirement at the end of 2024, the MOV underwent an extensive search to find a new CEO. Ryan Hunt was selected from a wide range of candidates. Ryan has worked in GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) sector roles in Ontario, Korea, and his home province of BC, including at the London Arts/Heritage Council, Oil History Museum of Canada, the Local Government Management Association of BC, and as the Co-Founder of Canada’s first mobile makerspace, the MakerBus.

Since 2019 Ryan has worked as the Executive Director of the BC Museums Association (BCMA). Notable achievements include:

• supporting more than 50 First Nations communities access repatriation funding through the 2020 Repatriation Grant program;

• partnering with the BC Heritage Emergency Response Network on emergency response training for museums and heritage sites across BC;

• and contributing to having the BCMA named Charity Village’s Best Not-for-Profit Employer for Workplace Mental Health (Under 20 staff) in 2023.

“I am thrilled to have Ryan Hunt as our incoming CEO,” the MOV’s Board Chair, Bruce Granville Miller says. “He has a deep knowledge of the museum sector from his time as executive director of the BC Museums Association. Ryan is noted for his energetic and collaborative approach to management and has valuable experience with all levels of government and First Nations.”

Ryan steps in at an exciting time. After months of HVAC work forcing the feature exhibition wing to close, the MOV will be launching three exhibitions in June, including The Work of Repair: Redress & Repatriation at MOV. Plus, with plans for community consultations to renew the permanent galleries—and the first phase of the Sen̓áḵw development due to be complete at the end of 2025, the time is ripe for transformation and new beginnings.

“I’m eager to connect with the Museum’s partners and meet new ones,” incoming CEO Ryan Hunt says. “I look forward to supporting impactful collaborations with neighbouring arts and culture organizations to benefit our community.”

Ryan Hunt will officially commence his role as the Museum of Vancouver’s CEO on May 1, 2025.