Museum Search & Reference Names Josh Basseches as President
September 14, 2026 – Museum Search & Reference (MS&R), one of North America’s leading providers of executive and curatorial search services for the museum field, announced today that Josh Basseches has been named President. Basseches succeeds Marilyn Hoffman, who founded MS&R more than twenty years ago and built it into the respected firm it is today. Hoffman will remain engaged with the firm in an advisory capacity.
“I am thrilled that Josh will carry forward the firm’s mission of service to our clients,” said Hoffman. “This leadership transition has been long planned, and Josh is the right person at the right time. Having partnered with him on searches at both the Royal Ontario Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum, I have great admiration for his stature in the field, extensive professional relationships, business acumen, integrity, and commitment to cultivating museum talent. Josh’s experience and leadership, together with the knowledge and dedication of MS&R’s staff and senior search consultants, position the firm exceptionally well for the future.”
Basseches brings more than 25 years of museum leadership experience to MS&R. Most recently, he served as Director & CEO of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto. Under his leadership, ROM underwent a period of strategic renewal and growth, solidifying its position as the most visited museum in Canada and one of the top museums in North America. He also held senior leadership roles at the Peabody Essex Museum, the Harvard Museum of Natural History, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Earlier in his career, he served the cultural sector as a management consultant with the Boston-based firm, TDC.
“I am honored to take on the role of President of MS&R and to build on Marilyn’s legacy,” said Basseches. “Marilyn and the MS&R team have brought a deep, mission-driven commitment to serving museums and the broader field, a commitment that I share. It’s not just about filling a role; it’s about finding the person whose combination of skills, experience, and temperament is ideally suited to a particular institution. I’ve seen MS&R’s track record of success up close from the client side, and now I’m eager to lead the firm into its next chapter.”
A dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada, Basseches holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, an M.A. in Art History from Boston University, and a B.A. from Amherst College. He has served on the Board of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD), as a member of the G13 Natural History Museum Directors Group, and as President of the New England Museum Association (NEMA). Throughout his career, Basseches has recruited and developed senior executives, curators, and other museum professionals. Having worked closely with peer museums across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia, Basseches will bring that experience and his extensive professional network to MS&R and the firm’s many museum clients.
“This is a time of tremendous change in the museum sector,” said Basseches. “Now more than ever, museums need trusted partners who understand their institutions and the leadership challenges they face. MS&R’s senior search consultants have all led museums themselves, and each of us is dedicated to providing the same personal attention and exceptional, client-focused service for which the firm has become known over the last twenty years.”
About Museum Search & Reference
Museum Search & Reference (MS&R) is an executive search firm dedicated exclusively to the museum field. Founded in 2005, MS&R brings more than two decades of experience recruiting and placing museum leaders across North America, from executive directors and CEOs to deputy directors, curators, educators, and other senior professionals. The firm’s team of former museum directors and senior leaders combines firsthand knowledge of the opportunities and challenges facing museums with extensive networks and longstanding relationships throughout the field. MS&R takes a hands-on, highly personalized approach to each search, working closely with clients to understand their goals and identify leaders whose experience, vision, and values align with the institution’s mission. With hundreds of successful placements and an international candidate network, MS&R connects museums with the talent they need to thrive. Learn more at museum-search.com.
Media Contact
Laurie Pasteryak
Business Development Manager
Museum Search & Reference
lauriepasteryak@museum-search.com
603-432-7929