Cheek By Jowl Announces The Appointment Of Ajay Chowdhury And Catrin Griffiths To The Board Of Directors

Cheek by Jowl today announces the appointment of two new trustees to the Board of Directors - Ajay Chowdhury and Catrin Griffiths. These appointments come at a significant time for the company as it celebrates its 40th anniversary year and looks ahead to recovery from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Together with the Artistic Directors, Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod, the Board of Trustees will continue to build on Cheek by Jowl's commitment to championing international theatre and live performance. The recruitment process took place in collaboration with the innovative digital platform Nurole, with the ambition to further expand the skills and diversity of the current Board of Trustees.

Richard Philipps, Chair of Cheek by Jowl's Board of Directors, said today, "After an exceptionally competitive search, we are delighted to be welcoming Ajay Chowdhury and Catrin Griffiths to our Board of Trustees. Together they bring a wealth of skills, experience, and shared passion for the company's work, and we look forward to their contributions as Cheek by Jowl starts developing its ambitious future productions."

Ajay Chowdhury commented, "I have been watching Cheek by Jowl's productions for over thirty years and believe they show British and World theatre at its very best. I am honoured to serve as a Trustee to help navigate the organisation through the new world we are now in, to ensure that their brilliant work continues to enchant audiences for years to come."

Catrin Griffiths added, "I'm thrilled to be a new board member of one of the most dynamic and influential theatre companies in the country. Cheek by Jowl has really exciting plans for the next few years and I'm looking forward to being a part of it."

Ajay Chowdhury is a tech entrepreneur, theatre director and author. He has been founder, Chair or CEO of various companies including Shazam, Seatwave and LineOne. He has also served on the board of Arts Council London, DCMS, Index on Censorship and Historic Royal Palaces. He is currently Chair of Cambridge Enterprise, Cambridge University's spinout arm; a trustee of RADA; and is a Senior Partner at BCG Digital Ventures. His award-winning debut detective novel - The Waiter - was published in May 2021. He has an MBA from the Wharton School, studied theatre directing at the Central School of Speech and Drama and was selected as one of the top 100 BAME business leaders in the UK by The Sunday Times.

Catrin Griffiths is a leading legal and business journalist. As editor of award-winning B2B publication The Lawyer she has helped transform it into a global brand and has particular expertise in online communications and has led the debate on diversity in the legal profession. She is an avid consumer of the arts, and in particular, theatre. As a Welsh-speaker she takes a strong interest in minority languages and takes a particular interest in social mobility and access to the arts. Outside work she is an experienced choral singer in several ensembles, and runs a local choir in Highbury, North London. She is also a trustee of Orchestras Live, Jerwood Arts, and Papergang Theatre.

Ajay Chowdhury and Catrin Griffiths join Chair Richard Philipps and Trustees Beth Byrne, Hugh Nineham, Clare O'Brien, Sameer Pabari, Judith Patrickson and Philip Stoltzfus.

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