Leopold Museum Private Foundation to advertise vacancies for both directorships

11.02.2015

Managing Director Weinhäupl not to renew his contract – Board of Directors to advertise the positions of the Leopold Museum’s museological and managing directorships

Successful management of Leopold Museum

During the Leopold Museum Private Foundation’s board meeting held on Monday, 9^th February 2015, the museum’s Managing Director Mag. Peter Weinhäupl announced that he would not seek a renewal of his contract which is due to expire in early 2016. Weinhäupl explained that during his almost 15 years of service to the foundation he had accomplished everything that he had wanted to.

Weinhäupl credited Rudolf Leopold with making the Leopold Museum, which counts 350,000 annual visitors, not only by far the most frequented museum within the MuseumsQuartier but also one of the 50 most attractive museums worldwide (according to “The Times”) and said that this filled him with pride. He further explained that his priorities had always been to promote internal communication between the founders, the museological director, the board and the museum’s team of employees and to enable the museum to realize attractive and scientifically sound special exhibitions despite tight budgets. Backed by a strong team, the museum had been able to establish itself as a strong and authentic brand. Weinhäupl said that he was now ready to meet new professional challenges.

He added that he had always enjoyed a close and good working relationship with Rudolf and Elisabeth Leopold and that he was glad that their life’s work had received the international recognition it was due.

Weinhäupl maintained that his voluntary capacity as chairman of the board of the Klimt Foundation had nothing to do with his decision. He said that this non-profit foundation now had a firm basis and was recognized both by the public and the scientific community, citing research assignments and numerous loan requests from Austrian and international institutions.

Thanks and recognition for Weinhäupl

The seven board members of the Leopold Museum Private Foundation expressed their gratitude for the rewarding and longstanding collaboration with Weinhäupl. As managing director, Weinhäupl was also responsible for human resource management, marketing, controlling and facility management and was in charge of exhibition construction and the museum’s shop. He was the initiator of the “MQ-Libelle”, the Egon Schiele Documentation Center as well as the Klimt Center on the Attersee. His additional expertise in the field of art history enabled the business manager to act as co-curator of numerous special exhibitions, including “Vienna 1900” and “Klimt: Up Close and Personal”. Weinhäupl identifies closely with the collection and the Leopold Museum and enjoyed a personal friendship with the museum’s founder.

He will remain at the foundation’s disposal until the balance sheet for the business year 2014/15 has been approved and the vacancies for museological and managing director have been filled.

Vacancies for both directorships advertised

In its Monday session, the Board of Directors immediately reacted to the new situation and decided to simultaneously advertise the vacancies for both the position of museological and managing director as soon as possible.

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