The wide-ranging role will see Elias managing Amgueddfa Cymru’s strategic direction for fundraising, commercial activity, corporate and business sponsorship, business development, and income generation.
With industry experience from time spent with organisations including Tate, Somerset House Trust and Imperial War Museums, Carmarthenshire-born Elias was deemed the perfect candidate to chart a new course for the museum group.
Neil Wicks, Amgueddfa Cymru’s chief operating officer, says the past year has been “extremely challenging” for organisations dependent on commercial income to operate effectively. The focus now, he continues, is “supporting our communities post-Covid and looking ahead to hopefully reopening our museums”.
Growing the museum group’s commercial potential, he concludes, will “enable this work to happen and make sure we can deliver for the people of Wales and beyond”.
Charged with delivering on this ambition, Elias says she looks forward to “seeing our work in recovering and growing commercial activity contributing towards everyone in Wales being able to use our museums for learning, creativity and enjoyment”.
Outside the culture sector, Amgueddfa Cymru’s new director of business development has worked for charities such as Blood Cancer UK. In addition, Welsh-speaking Elias sits on the Board of Directors at Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and the Advisory Panel of the Welsh Language Commissioner.
