WhatsOnStage's chief operating officer Sita McIntosh to step down
WhatsOnStage today formally announces that chief operating officer Sita McIntosh is stepping down from the role and will leave the business on Monday 1 November.
Rosemary Maggiore (vice president, Sales and Consumer Brands at parent company AudienceView) said: "It is with great sadness that I must share the news that Sita is leaving WhatsOnStage. She joined as the COO in August 2014 and in her seven-year tenure with us, she has taken the business from being a small website to an established brand recognised all over the country. Theatre lovers have come to count on WOS for news, reviews, tickets and any important information about the industry in the UK.
"Sita also brought life to the Annual WhatsOnStage Awards, the largest theatre awards in the country voted for entirely by the public. Her passion for the industry and her reputation enabled us to bring in sought-after star power and sponsorships to make the show a rousing success, culminating in a live broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in 2020.
"During the challenging times of the pandemic, Sita kept a steady head and led her team (which as of January 2021 also included the TheaterMania editorial team in New York) maintaining everyone's focus and looking forward.
"Over the last 12 months, she chaired the inaugural year of AudienceView's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council, bringing us her perspective, experiences and thoughts. It's safe to say she is leaving us having made a positive impact on the theatre industry, our business and many of us personally, myself included. I will miss our chats over tea and fizz, and sometimes both, depending on the hour!"
McIntosh said: "It has not been an easy decision but as everyone in my beloved industry knows, the past 18 months have been challenging with a capital C! As we emerge blinking from an unprecedented closure of every venue in every city up and down the country I have taken the decision to stop, pause and take a breath. After seven years of incredibly hard work, I am enormously proud of what WhatsOnStage now stands for. We have unashamedly promoted, supported and connected UK theatre to the ticket-buying audience.
"I leave WhatsOnStage in the very capable hands of Rosemary, Sarah Coleman, Alex Wood and Darius Thompson-Smith. I've had a blast but it's time to step aside and maybe get some sleep!"
