Alex Beard

Who is Alex Beard?

Alexander Charles Beard CBE has been the deputy director of the Tate since 2002. He has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Royal Opera House, London, succeeding Tony Hall, who relinquished the post on his appointment as Director-General of the BBC. He is expected to start work at the ROH before September 2013.

He was educated at Manchester Grammar School, Westminster School and King's College London.

Beard has spent nineteen years with the Tate and previously worked for the Arts Council England for seven years and for KPMG. At the Tate, he was responsible for the business plan for the creation of Tate Modern. He has also been a member of the Board of Glyndebourne Productions Ltd since 2008.

He was made a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to the arts in the New Year Honours at the end of 2012.