The Board of Trustees has announced that Annabelle Cloutier is the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Arts Centre (NAC), effective immediately, for a five-year term. She succeeds Christopher Deacon, who retired on December 3 after a tremendous tenure and career at the NAC.

The appointment follows a global executive search that began in the spring of 2025. The Board of Trustees of the NAC ultimately identified Annabelle Cloutier as an outstanding candidate who is uniquely qualified to steward the National Arts Centre and act as a champion of Canadian artists and the performing arts sector.

“Annabelle is the kind of arts leader Canada needs for these times, bringing vision, energy and imagination to one of Canada’s most cherished cultural institutions,” said Guy Pratte, Chair of the Board of Trustees, who led the selection committee. “Her deep commitment to developing the performing arts across the country, her distinguished career in public service and the arts, her extraordinary gift of motivating those around her, and her exceptional ability to communicate the essential value of the arts to our society, make her the ideal person to guide the National Arts Centre at this critical moment for our country. Our Board of Trustees enthusiastically looks forward to working with her in this new role.”

- A Milestone Appointment -

As the first Francophone woman in the history of the National Arts Centre to serve as President and CEO, Annabelle Cloutier represents a new generation of leadership. She brings 25 years of national experience to the role of NAC President and CEO, serving at the highest levels of the public and cultural sectors, at the intersection of the arts, public affairs, governance, diplomacy, strategic planning and communications.

“It is with great humility and enthusiasm that I take on the role of President and CEO of the National Arts Centre, and I thank the Board of Trustees for entrusting me with this responsibility,” said Annabelle Cloutier. “I believe deeply in the fundamental role of the arts in our society, in the voices of creators and artists to awaken in us a sense of pride and belonging to our Canadian cultures and perspective. My immediate priority will be to engage with artists and arts leaders from across the country, to connect actively with our national audiences, and to collaborate with and support our wonderful NAC team. Together, we will ensure that the performing arts remain a vibrant and relevant cornerstone of our Canadian identity, as they should be.”

“The appointment of Annabelle Cloutier as President and CEO of the National Arts Centre is wonderful news for the performing arts in Canada,” said Christopher Deacon, former NAC President and CEO. “Annabelle lives and breathes the arts of the stage. She is highly respected for her leadership within the NAC and in the Canadian arts and culture sector. I am delighted that the NAC will be in such expert hands as she leads the institution forward into its next chapter.”

- A Trusted Leader -

Cloutier joined the NAC in 2018 as Executive Director of Strategy and Communications, and Corporate Secretary to the Board of Trustees. Her dual role at the executive and governance levels has positioned her at the heart of decision-making within the institution. She has since become a trusted leader and key member of the senior management team, working closely with former President and CEO Christopher Deacon, and playing a central role in managing the NAC’s most complex institutional files.

She has led and delivered high-impact, transformative strategies that have shaped the NAC’s trajectory — including the NAC’s 50th anniversary celebrations, the NAC Orchestra’s European Tour, and the historic launch of the Indigenous Theatre, all in 2019. She was a central figure behind the NAC’s vision to lead and support the renewal of the Canadian performing arts in response to the pandemic’s devastating effects on the sector and a changing cultural landscape.

- About Annabelle Cloutier -

Originally from Richmond, Quebec, Cloutier holds an LL.B., completed graduate studies in communications, and earned an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from Harvard Kennedy School. Before joining the NAC, she served as Director of Communications and Public Affairs in the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General and previously held senior roles at the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française (FCCF) and the Alliance des producteurs francophones du Canada (APFC).

She is currently a member of the Ottawa Art Gallery’s Board of Directors and its Governance Committee. Cloutier is married to diplomat Sébastien Carrière and is the proud mother of two grown children.

Photo: Annabelle Cloutier. © 2025 Rémi Thériault.