Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Trust Ltd has welcomed two new Trustees – Andrew Connors and Suzie Norton – who bring with them over 45-years of combined experience from the cultural, creative and commercial sectors.

Andrew Connors has over 25 years of commercial experience and currently leads Lloyds Banking Group’s Large Corporate business in the Midlands and is the national head of their Higher Education and large Charities business. He is also an elected member of the CBI West Midlands Council. Andrew joins the Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Trust Board following five years as a member of the Birmingham Hippodrome Development Board.

Suzie Norton, Founder Director of Zanna Creative, has spent over 20 years in senior positions within the UK’s creative and cultural sectors and brings with her with a stellar record of formulating strategy and helping creative businesses flourish. Suzie is Vice Chair of national screen agency Ffilm Cymru Wales, an Ambassador for UpRising, a Clore Fellow a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the Creative Industries Federation’s International and EU Working Group.

Welcoming the new Trustees, Glenn Howells, Chair of Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Trust, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing both Andrew and Suzie into the Hippodrome Team and their experience will be invaluable as we move forward with our ambitious future plans in helping to make Birmingham an international cultural destination. I have no doubt that both appointments will make a positive impact as we strive to enrich the cultural life of the region and support our local business and creative communities through our 120th year and beyond.”

 Andrew Connors said: “As a member of the Development Board I’ve first-hand experience of the fantastic team at Birmingham Hippodrome and the way they strive to maximise their commercial viability through strategic fundraising and business development whilst remaining true to their vision of investing in the cultural life of Birmingham. I look forward to working alongside the whole Board to support Birmingham Hippodrome in continuing to strengthen their position at the heart of the regional arts sector.”

Suzie Norton added: “I have long been an admirer of the way in which Birmingham Hippodrome has made the most of commercial opportunities in order to invest in their programme and their audience. It is fantastic to see the Hippodrome bring their own productions to the stage for their 120th year and to see the growth of their project work resulting in so many more ways for everyone to experience arts and culture either at the venue itself or in their own places and spaces. I hope to bring my experience working across the creative and cultural sector to the Board and look forward to playing a part what promises to be an exciting future for Birmingham Hippodrome.”