Harris Theater for Music and Dance Appoints Kari Shaffer as Vice President of Marketing & Sales
Tom O’Connor Consulting Group (TOCG) is pleased to announce that Kari Shaffer (she/her) has been appointed Vice President of Marketing & Sales by Harris Theater for Music and Dance (Lori Dimun, Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols President and Chief Executive Officer) in Chicago, Illinois, following our extensive national search.
Kari Shaffer is an arts marketer with almost two decades of experience in sales strategy, audience engagement, customer experience, and data analysis. In her most recent role as Director of Growth Marketing at the New York Philharmonic, she oversaw the highly publicized reopening of David Geffen Hall in October 2022 following a $550M renovation as well as the announcement of a now-complete music director search, which appointed Gustavo Dudamel to lead the orchestra beginning in the 2024–25 season. Shaffer was also responsible for generating 215K tickets sold for $23M in revenue across 150 concerts in the 2022–23 season. Her detailed reporting analysis and insights on audience trends guided her team's strategy and execution of direct mail, email, social media, and loyalty marketing initiatives. Additionally, she successfully managed the New York-based marketing team as a fully-remote leader residing in Chicago.
Shaffer has also held marketing and customer service positions at Grant Park Music Festival, a Resident Company of the Harris Theater, and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, the city’s largest performing arts organization offering a variety of for-profit and nonprofit entertainment options. Additionally, she has held ticketing roles at City Theatre Company, Pittsburgh Public Theater, and Arizona Arts Live. Shaffer is originally from Pittsburgh, and graduated from the University of Arizona in Tucson with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. She has called Chicago home since 2019.
“I couldn’t be happier to return to Millennium Park and join such an iconic institution as the Harris Theater,” says Kari. “I was impressed by the incredibly dedicated staff during every part of the hiring process, and also excited about the exceptional work they have been doing, not only for their resident companies and guest artists, but most importantly for Chicago audiences.”
"We are thrilled to welcome Kari Shaffer to the Harris Theater team as we kick off our 20th Anniversary,” says Lori Dimun, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Harris Theater. “With an exceptional track record of driving dynamic and responsive marketing strategies and growing audiences, Kari brings invaluable experience to her new role. Having also previously served as a staff member at one of our Resident Company organizations, she is committed to partnering with our local companies to collectively broaden our programming reach and build audiences for all engagements at the Harris Theater."
“I’m thrilled with Kari’s appointment at the Harris Theater,” says Tomi Douglas, TOCG Consultant and Search Lead. “This is an incredible organization going through tremendous growth and change - as is the entire live arts industry - and they needed an experienced, strategic leader ready to hit the ground running. Kari is a consummate arts marketing pro and we’re excited to see her in leadership at the Harris.”
About Harris Theater for Music and Dance
The Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance is Chicago’s primary residence for music and dance, connecting diverse audiences with outstanding artists from across the city, the nation, and the world. Opened in November 2003 in Millennium Park, the Theater was the first multi-use performance venue built in downtown Chicago since 1929, and fulfilled the city’s need for a shared home for Chicago's vibrant performing arts organizations.
Today, the Harris features the most diverse arts and culture offerings of any venue in the city, and is a distinctive model for artistic quality, collaboration, and making the performing arts relevant and accessible to the widest possible audience. The Harris Theater strives every day to serve its unique mission to support the local Resident Companies, to present a diversity of world-class programming through our Harris Theater Presents series, and by working to connect artists performing on the Harris stage to communities and audiences across Chicago, greater Cook County and beyond.
About Tom O’Connor Consulting Group
Tom O’Connor Consulting Group (TOCG) is a NYC-based consultancy that supports arts institutions and leaders with two integrated services: organizational strategy and executive search. Consulting specialties including marketing, strategy, assessment, and organizational development. Founded in 2015, TOCG is a fully remote company with team members spanning the country and the globe.
Select clients have included Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Carnegie Hall, Cincinnati Opera, Huntington Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Theater, The Metropolitan Opera, Next Chapter Podcasts, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, SPACE on Ryder Farm, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, and more.
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