LONDON, ENGLAND.-  The Royal Academy of Arts announces the appointment of Lawton Fitt as the new Secretary of the RA. Lawton Fitt, who becomes the first woman and the first American to have been appointed Secretary in the Academy’s history, will take up her post in October 2002. Lawton Fitt (49) combines an outstanding career in finance with a proven commitment to the arts. She has been with leading global investment banking firm Goldman Sachs since 1979. She was named a Partner in 1994 and since 2000 has been Managing Director of the High Technology Division, Europe. In October 1999 she was included in Fortune Magazine’s list of fifty most influential women in US business. She is Vice-Chairman on the Board of Trustees of PS1 Contemporary Art Centre which, in 2000, became an affiliate of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. She is also on the Board of Trustees of several arts institutions including the Jane Comfort Dance Company and Mabou Mines Theatre Company, New York and the Kunst-Werke Contemporary Art Centre, Berlin.

Lawton Fitt commented: “I am delighted to have been offered the position of Secretary of the Royal Academy. The RA is one of the leading arts institutions in the world with a remarkable history, and I am looking forward to the exciting challenges that this unique organisation presents.”

Professor Phillip King, President of the Royal Academy, said: “On behalf of Council and the General Assembly, I am very pleased that Lawton Fitt will be joining us in the autumn. Her expertise in business and administration and her devotion to the arts make her the ideal person to join the Academy at this time.”

The Secretary has the responsibility for the day-to-day running of the Royal Academy in accordance with the policy agreed by the President and Council.