Joe GallopHelp Musicians has appointed Sarah Woods as the charity’s new chief executive. Woods takes up the position with immediate effect, having held the Interim CEO role since May.
Since joining the charity in 2018, Woods has grown from director of engagement to deputy CEO. She has been the driver behind large-scale projects such as the first ever Musicians’ Census, a support package to sustain careers during the cost-of-living crisis, and reaching thousands of musicians with over £20m of financial support during the pandemic.
Prior to Help Musicians, Woods worked her way up from a box office role at the Royal Albert Hall to become its director of customer relations, subsequently taking up the role of director of external affairs. Her new position at Help Musicians marks her first chief executive role.
Help Musicians chair Bob Shennan said, “Sarah has proved herself to be an exceptional leader and a real visionary. She is the perfect person to take the charity to the next level.”
Sarah Woods, Chief Executive at Help Musicians, said: “Music has always played an important role in my life; performing from an early age it enabled me to build new skills, connect with others and build relationships. It is therefore a privilege to be the charity’s next chief executive and I’m looking forward to working collaboratively across the sector to help more people working in music build sustainable and healthy careers.”