Privacy Policy

Effective date: October 15, 2026     Last updated: October 15, 2026

Management Consultants for the Arts ("MCA," "we," "us") is an executive search, executive coaching and strategy firm serving the arts and culture sector. We respect your privacy, and confidentiality is central to how we work. This policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use and share it, and the choices and rights you have.

Summary

• We collect information you give us, information we gather from professional sources when we identify potential candidates, and limited technical information when you visit our website.
• We use it to run searches, provide coaching and strategy services, respond to you, and operate our website.
• We do not sell your personal information, we do not use it for targeted advertising, and we do not use it to train artificial intelligence models.
• Candidate materials go only to the MCA team on the search and, when you are advanced with your knowledge, to the client's search committee.
• You can ask to access, correct, delete or receive a copy of your information, and you can appeal if we decline. Write to contactus@mcaculture.com.

1. Scope of this policy

This policy applies to personal information MCA collects through mcaculture.com (the "Site"), our emails and events, and our search, coaching and strategy work, where MCA decides how and why the information is used.

It does not apply to:

• information a client organization shares with us under an engagement agreement, to the extent we process it on that client's behalf (for example, staff survey data in a strategy engagement), which the client's own privacy practices and our agreement with the client govern;
• information about MCA's own employees and contractors, which a separate internal notice covers;
• third-party websites and services we link to, including any application form hosted by a third party. Their own privacy policies apply.

2. Information we collect

Information you give us 

• Inquiries and requests. When you contact us, request the MCA Services Catalog or subscribe to our newsletter: your name, email address, organization, title or role, and your message.
• Candidate information. When you apply, express interest or take part in a search: your resume or CV, cover letter, work history, education, professional accomplishments, writing samples, compensation history and expectations (where the law permits us to ask), references, interview responses and notes, and any assessment results.
• Voluntary self-identification. Some applications invite you to share demographic information such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability or veteran status. This is entirely optional. See Section 3.
• Accommodation requests. If you ask for an accommodation, the information you choose to give us about your needs.
• Nominations and references. If you nominate someone or act as a reference: your own contact details and what you tell us about the other person. Please share only information you have a good-faith basis to share.
• Coaching and strategy participants. If you take part in executive coaching or a strategy engagement: your contact details, the goals and information you share in sessions, interviews or surveys, and the results of any assessments (for example, 360-degree feedback or leadership-style instruments) used with your agreement.

 Information from other sources

Executive search depends on identifying people who have not applied. We may collect professional information about you from:

• public and professional sources, such as organizational websites, press coverage, professional directories, published programs and LinkedIn or similar professional networks;
• people who nominate or recommend you, and references you or others identify;
• our clients, for example when a client suggests a candidate or shares information about an internal candidate;
• background-screening and credential-verification providers, with your authorization and in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act and similar laws.

Information collected automatically

When you visit the Site, we and our service providers collect standard technical information: IP address, browser and device type, operating system, referring page, pages viewed, time spent and the date and time of your visit, plus approximate location (city or region) derived from your IP address. We do not collect precise geolocation.

Sensitive information

Some applications include voluntary questions about who you are, and you may tell us about a disability when you ask for an accommodation. Sharing this information is always your choice. We use it only for the purpose for which you gave it. Voluntary answers are kept apart from your application, have no bearing on your candidacy. We do not use sensitive information to draw conclusions about you.

3. How we use information

We use personal information to: 

• conduct searches: identify, contact and evaluate potential candidates, manage applications, coordinate interviews, check references with your knowledge, and present candidates to clients;
• maintain our leadership records: keep a confidential record of industry leaders and leadership transitions, so that we can consider you for future opportunities. You may ask to be removed at any time;
• provide coaching and strategy services under our engagement agreements;
• respond to you, answer inquiries, send the Services Catalog or other material you request; 
• send our newsletter and occasional updates about our work to those who have subscribed or who have a business relationship with us, with an easy way to opt out; 
• operate and improve the Site: keep it secure, understand how it is used and fix problems;
• protect MCA and others: prevent fraud (including recruitment scams that impersonate MCA), enforce out Terms of Use, and comply with law, legal process and professional obligations;
• for any other purpose we describe when we collect the information, or with your consent.

4. How long we keep information

We keep personal information only as long as is reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including our long-term transition records for candidates, unless the law requires or permits longer. When information is no longer needed, we delete it or de-identify it so it can no longer be linked to you. We may keep information longer if we must preserve it for a legal claim or investigation.

5. How we protect information

We use reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information. These include access limited to people who need it, encryption in transit, multi-factor authentication on core systems, and contracts with our vendors. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. If a breach affects your information, we will notify you and the authorities as the law requires.

6. Your rights and choices

Wherever you live, you may ask us to:

• access the personal information we hold about you and, where technically feasible, receive a portable copy;
• correct information that is inaccurate;
• delete your information, including removing you from our leadership records;
• opt out of any sale or sharing of personal information, targeted advertising, or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects (we do not do these things today, but the right stands);
• withdraw consent where we rely on it, including for sensitive information;
• learn which third parties we have disclosed your information to, where the law gives you that right.

How to make a request. Email contactus@mcaculture.com with "Privacy Request" as the subject line. Tell us what you are asking for and how we can reach you. To protect you, we will verify your identity, usually by matching information we already hold. We will never ask you to create an account. An authorized agent may make a request for you with your written permission, and we may ask you to confirm the request directly. Depending on where you live, state law may give you additional rights; we honor verified requests consistent with applicable law.

7. Children

The Site and our services are intended for adults and are not directed to children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has given us information, contact us and we will delete it.

8. Important Information to California Residents

Scope. This section applies only to California residents. It describes how we collect, use and share Personal Information of California residents when we act as a “business” as defined under the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”), and their rights with respect to their Personal Information. For purposes of this section, “Personal Information” has the meaning given in the CCPA but does not include information exempted from the scope of the CCPA or information we collect from you in the course of providing services to you or receiving services from you where you are an employee, controlling owner, director, officer or contractor of a company, partnership, sole proprietorship, non-profit or government agency. In some cases, we may provide a different privacy notice to certain categories of California residents, such as job applicants, in which case that notice will apply instead of this section.

Your California Privacy Rights. As a California resident, you have the rights listed below. However, these rights are not absolute, and in certain cases we may decline your request as permitted by law.

Information. You can request information about how we have collected and used your Personal Information during the past 12 months.

Access. You can request a copy of the Personal Information that we have collected about you during the past 12 months.

Deletion. You can ask us to delete the Personal Information that we have collected from you.

Nondiscrimination. You are entitled to exercise the rights described above free from discrimination as prohibited by the CCPA.

Opt-out of sales. You can opt-out of any sale of your Personal Information.

Right to information, access and deletion. You may exercise your right to information, access or deletion by: contactus@mcaculture.com. We reserve the right to confirm your California residency to process your requests and will need to confirm your identity to process your requests to exercise your information, access or deletion rights. To verify your identity, we may require government identification, a declaration under penalty of perjury or other information. You may designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf pursuant to California Probate Code Sections 4000-4465. In order to designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf, you must provide a valid power of attorney, the requester’s valid government-issued identification, and the authorized agent’s valid government-issued identification. We cannot process your request if you do not provide us with sufficient detail to allow us to understand and respond to it.

9. Changes to this policy

We will post any changes here and update the “Last updated” date. If we make a material change, we will give notice on the Site before the change takes effect. If a change would allow us to use information we already hold in a materially different way, we will ask for your consent where the law requires it. We review this policy at least once a year.

10. Contact us

If you have any comments or questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us via email: contactus@mcaculture.com.

This policy is available in accessible formats on request. Write to contactus@mcaculture.com.