HONG KONG.- The West Kowloon Cultural District Authority today announced the appointment of Ms Suhanya Raffel to the position of Executive Director, M+ of the WKCDA.

Ms Raffel, currently the Deputy Director and Director of Collections of the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Australia, is a renowned museum specialist with many years of senior management experience in collection and exhibition, research and programming. Prior to that, she was at the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane, where she held many senior executive positions from 1994, including Deputy Director of Curatorial and Collection Development from 2010 and Acting Director in 2012.

Ms Raffel has acquired a reputation for high-level scholarship in the field of contemporary Asian art, most notably with her leadership of the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, a project she has worked on since 2002, and building the renowned contemporary Asia Pacific collection while at the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art. Ms Raffel is a tremendous addition to the leadership team of WKCDA at this important time to implement the M+ vision and mission, as well as shape the strategies and policies as the M+ Museum comes into fruition.

The appointment will be effective on 1 November 2016. Ms Raffel will report directly to Mr Duncan Pescod, the Chief Executive Officer of WKCDA. In her new capacity, Ms Raffel will be responsible for providing leadership in the planning, curatorial and collection development, management and fundraising for M+, Hong Kong's new museum with a focus on 20th to 21st century visual culture.

Mrs Carrie Lam, Chairman of the Board of the WKCDA, said, "Ms Raffel is an expert in Asian contemporary art, and has over 30 years of professional experience in museum management. She brings with her a wealth of museum management experience in the areas of curatorship, exhibitions and collection development. Her capable leadership, professionalism and vision inspire our confidence in the successful opening of a world-class M+ Museum in just three years' time."

Mr Victor Lo, Chairman of the M+ Board, said, "We are delighted to have Ms Raffel to join us as Executive Director for M+, a highly demanding position. From now until the opening of M+ Museum and beyond, Ms Raffel has the exciting and daunting task to deliver on the promise of M+, to make it Hong Kong's world-class museum for visual culture and of course to meet and surpass public expectations."

Mr Pescod said, "I am delighted we have been able to enhance the executive team of WKCDA with the appointment of Ms Raffel. She brings a wealth of international experience and proven success to this critical role. Having served in senior positions in various galleries in Australia, as well as being involved with exhibitions mounted around the world, Ms Raffel is ideally placed to direct the curatorial development of M+, as well as lead on the acquisition of artworks, design and architecture, and moving image pieces for the growing collection."

Ms Raffel has over 30 years of experience as a museum manager and curator. In the area of museum management, Ms Raffel is known for her clear, decisive leadership. She has also demonstrated a strong ability to secure donations of significant artworks and sponsorship from diverse sources.

Educated in Australia, Ms Raffel's curatorial experience spans the United States, United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Hong Kong, Mainland China and many parts of Australia. Ms Raffel is already familiar with M+ and she joined M+ matters in 2014 as a technical expert. Indeed, her association with Hong Kong dates all the way back to 2011, when she joined the Asia Art Archive presented by Art Hong Kong.

Ms Suhanya Raffel's curatorial career began in 1984 and has over 30 years of experience as a museum manager and curator. From 1994 to 2013, Ms Raffel worked with Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art where her passion for art and culture helped her excel in many senior curatorial positions and reach the position as Acting Director.

Ms Raffel has led the Gallery's flagship project 'The Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art' (APT) since 2002. She had worked with the APT project since 1994 as a curator. As Deputy Director of Curatorial and Collection Development, she was responsible for building up the Gallery's contemporary Asia Pacific collection, and took part in major curatorial projects such as the Andy Warhol exhibition in 2007-2008 and the China Project in 2009.

Ms Raffel was appointed as the Deputy Director and Director of Collections with Australia's Art Gallery of New South Wales in 2013. In that position, she helped to consolidate the Gallery's reputation as an energetic and active collection institution. During her tenure, she participated in the expansion plans of the Gallery, the 'Sydney Modern Project', and established a collection based exhibition development direction which subsequently helped transform the Gallery into a 21st century art museum. Ms Raffel's contribution to the Gallery in consolidating and enhancing the Collection Department has been outstanding.