Press Release:
TORONTO (June 5, 2025) - The
Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) announced today that Josh Basseches has made the decision to step down after a decade in his role as Director & CEO. Under his leadership, ROM has solidified its position as Canada’s most visited museum and now ranks among the top 10 museums in North America. Mr. Basseches will remain Director & CEO until the end of the year, while ROM’s Board of Trustees initiates a search for his successor.
“It has been an honour to lead this institution through what has been a truly transformative period in its history. After a decade as Director & CEO, and with the Museum well positioned for its next chapter, this feels like the right moment for me to head towards new challenges and seize new opportunities. During this time, we have created an even greater museum together, a thriving cultural and civic hub and an inspiring place to better understand the world around us. With a global reputation, an exceptional collection, and cutting-edge research, coupled with a committed staff, boards, donors, volunteers, and our strong partnership with the Province of Ontario, there is so much more to come for one of the world’s great museums.”
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Josh Basseches, Director & CEO, ROM
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I thank and congratulate Josh for his exceptional leadership over the past decade, and for all that he has accomplished to move the Museum forward into an exciting future. I am deeply grateful that he has agreed to stay on in his current role through to the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition. The Board of Trustees, working closely with the Board of Governors, will immediately initiate a comprehensive search for a new Director & CEO, which will be informed and inspired by the impressive trajectory set for ROM by Josh over his tenure.”
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Andrew MacLeod, Chair, ROM Board of Trustees
Mr. Basseches’ leadership has been marked by a series of landmark initiatives that include three renovations and one expansion. He launched an ambitious Strategic Direction in 2018 that set a new course for the Museum, repositioning ROM as an ever-more relevant 21st-century institution and a focal point of cultural and civic engagement. During his tenure, Mr. Basseches has overseen the ongoing revitalization of the Museum, including the renovation and reopening of the heritage Weston Entrance on Queen’s Park, the addition of the outdoor Helga & Mike Schmidt Performance Terrace and the Reed Family Plaza, and the creation of the Willner Madge Gallery Dawn of Life – a new 10,000-square-foot gallery on the origins of life, the first of its kind in North America.
Most recently, Mr. Basseches spearheaded the visionary
OpenROM project, a multifaceted initiative funded by private philanthropy and catalyzed by a $50-million donation from the Hennick Family Foundation, that will both literally and figuratively transform the core of the Museum. OpenROM will create an even more vibrant cultural and community hub animated by live performances, ongoing programming, and activities for the public to enjoy for generations to come.
Under Mr. Basseches’ leadership, the Museum has significantly expanded its slate of exhibitions, educational programs, digital presence, and collections areas, and opened ROM’s gallery of First Peoples to the public free of charge. Mr. Basseches has overseen the opening of more than 100 wide-ranging exhibitions and installations from the critically acclaimed ROM-originals
Christian Dior, and
Kent Monkman: Being Legendary, to the current landmark exhibition
Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away, and blockbuster presentations including
The Blue Whale Story; Treasures of a Desert Kingdom: The Royal Arts of Jodhpur, India; Chihuly; and
T. rex: The Ultimate Predator. He is also responsible for initiating a robust travelling exhibition program that has reached millions of people and built enduring partnerships with museums around the world.
Mr. Basseches oversaw the launch of ROM’s dynamic new brand platform, ROM Immortal, to reach new audiences and reinforce ROM’s role in connecting people to the ideas that are shaping our culture today. The new brand has received numerous accolades, including being named one of the top 5 North American brands of the year in
Strategy magazine, Canada’s marketing industry journal of record.
Additionally, he has established 10 new endowed curatorships, including the Allan and Helaine Shiff Curator of Climate Change, a first in the world, and the Dan Mishra Curator of South Asian Art & Culture. During his tenure, ROM has also added extensively to its collections – from contemporary works by artists such as Anish Kapoor to dresses by Christian Dior, from unique meteorites to exceptional fossils, from works of historic Judaica to Islamic textiles and heritage arts.
Working in close partnership with ROM’s foundation, he has led the effort to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in philanthropic support including the recently announced $30-million endowment gift to create the Temerty Community Access and Engagement Fund.
“The ROM is a cultural institution that brings together communities, tourists, and experts from around the world. On behalf of the Ontario government, we thank Josh for his service and look forward to continuing to work with the entire ROM team to celebrate its reputation as a national icon.”
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Stan Cho, Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming
“Josh has been a driving force in creating meaningful partnerships and deep relationships within the philanthropic community. Through his leadership, ROM has grown stronger, more vital, and more socially conscious. His work has built the foundation for a resilient and sustainable museum and advanced several major capital projects that are enabling a very bright future. On behalf of the Board of Governors, I thank Josh for his tireless commitment and inspiring vision.”
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Jeff Willner, Chair, ROM Board of Governors
