Artifax is pleased to announce the promotion of Operations Director, Tim Leighton, to the position of Managing Director. Tim replaces Andy Wheeler who leaves Artifax after more than 20 years of service, including a highly successful period leading the company.

Tim joined Artifax in 2008 as a Support Analyst & Trainer and has been a member of the management team since 2009. Over the last three years, first as Head of Operations and then Operations Director, he played an important role helping the company transition into an efficient fully remote business.

Arts & culture runs through Tim’s veins. Coming from a musical family, he first picked up a violin at the age of four, going on to study viola at Junior Guildhall, London, before graduating from the Birmingham Conservatoire in 1997. It was whilst as a student that Tim first worked Front of House at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall, sparking a career-long passion for the operations of cultural venues. Through his 16 years at Artifax, Tim has worked on projects with a large number of organisations across the UK and as far afield as the Middle East and South America.

Tim Leighton: “It is a huge privilege to become Managing Director of Artifax, a company I hold with such high affection. Arts & culture has never been more relevant in a post-pandemic world with proven health and well-being benefits, yet the sector faces significant challenges of its own. Artifax continues to build and evolve its support for the sector as we enter an exciting phase of innovation. Having spent the last few years focusing on the internal operations of the business, I am really looking forward to having the opportunity to get back out and personally meet with our brilliant client organisations and the wider sector.”

Andy Wheeler: “Since joining the company in 2002 it’s been an incredible journey and I’ve seen the company go from strength to strength throughout the years. My first role at Artifax was on the help desk and during my time I have worked across the company in various roles. It is an honour to have had the opportunity to lead the business over the past few years as Managing Director, and I look forward to seeing the company continue on its growth journey under Tim’s leadership.”