About MCA
We love arts and culture, and we have spent four decades helping the people who lead it.
The MCA way
Management Consultants for the Arts (MCA) began in 1983 as the first executive search and planning firm in the nation built for arts and culture organizations. Our founder, Greg Kandel, put artists and communities first and built the firm on honest, personal relationships. In 1974 he co-founded the company that became Chicago's Northlight Theatre, with Frank Galati and Mike Nussbaum, and led it as producing director. In 1979 he helped found the League of Chicago Theatres. Greg believed the people who lead an organization deserve to be found and supported by consultants who love the field and know it firsthand. At Yale he taught theater management to many of the executives leading the field today, who later asked him to find their successors, and boards knew him as a strategist whose plans were clear, effective, and actionable.
Our consultants have led arts and culture organizations of every kind and worked in the roles our clients hire for, as artistic and executive leaders, fundraisers, and educators. Many of them have sat on all sides of a search, as the candidate, the client, and the board member. We focus on arts and culture because we love it, and the people you meet at the start are the ones who do the work.
We hold ourselves to one standard, the people and organizations we serve are stronger when we leave than when we arrived.
Our commitment to you
Each engagement begins with the organization and the people who rely on it, whether for their livelihood or their inspiration, before the position profile or the plan. We want to know what you are facing and what you hope for before we help anyone decide who should do what or how.
Our approach puts people first, and behind it is behavioral science, the study of how people decide and how groups change. It shapes how we design every process, so that the people in it take part gladly, trust what comes of it, and are better for it.
We tell you what we see
Clients hire us for an independent read, and that is what they get. We report what the evidence shows, to the board and to the staff, with the same care whether the news is welcome or hard. We keep a no-surprises rule. This means you hear what we find as we find it, with the final report and outcomes confirming what you have heard throughout the process.
We start with evidence
Our counsel rests on the firm's records back to 1983, the successful innovations and strategies in the field today, and what we hear live with you and your teams. When we recommend something, we can tell you why.
We treat everyone in the process with respect
We work for the organization, and we say so to every candidate and every person we interview. Candidates hear from us at each stage of a search. No matter the outcome, we want everyone who goes through an MCA process to think well of your organization.
We maintain a wide network
The best answer is often held by someone who has never been asked. In a search, we cultivate relationships beyond the familiar names and build slates that reflect the field as it is today. In a plan, we hear from the board and the staff at every level, and from the artists and audiences the organization serves. In coaching and facilitation, we bring in the people a decision will touch.
We help you see it through
Deciding is the midpoint. In a search, we stay through the new leader's first year, with the leader and with the board chair. In a plan, recommendations arrive with a sequence and an owner, scaled to what the organization can sustain. In coaching, we are committed to you achieving your near-term and long-term success.
Frequently asked questions
What makes MCA different?
We are artist and community first, and always have been. Our consultants have led arts and culture organizations themselves, and since 2010 we have run more than 100 artistic director searches alongside our work for chief executives. That is why we understand the whole of a leadership role: the art, the community you serve, the finances and operations, and the board.
How long does a typical executive search take?
Most executive searches run four to six months from kickoff to offer letter. The timeline varies based on the complexities of the role, geography, and time of year.
Do you work with candidates, or only with organizations?
In a search, we work for the organization. That said, candidates hear from us at each stage, get a candid picture of the role, and can count on our confidentiality, and we keep in touch with people who want to be considered as future searches open. Outside of search, leaders at any level can engage us directly for coaching and career planning. Coaching and search are kept separate at MCA. If someone we coach enters your search, we tell you, and every candidate is measured against the same criteria.
What types of organizations do you serve?
Theaters, dance companies, orchestras and opera companies, performing arts centers and presenters, museums and cultural organizations, conservatories and universities, and the service organizations, foundations, and public agencies that support them, nationwide and at every size.
Why does MCA offer strategy and support alongside search?
Because the strongest organizations align their leaders, their direction, and their people. Working with one team across all three means each engagement builds on what we already know about you, so your next search, plan, or retreat starts further along.
How do you charge for searches?
One fee, agreed before we begin and scaled to the role, never a percentage of salary. It covers the search through the new leader's first year.
How do we start a conversation with MCA?
Use the Get in touch button to tell us about your situation. We will respond within two business days to schedule a brief call and determine whether and how we can help.
