The Philharmonia appoints two new Trustees

The Philharmonia Orchestra announces the appointment of two new Trustees, Charlotte Hogg and Johanne Hudson-Lett. The new Trustees join the Board for an initial three-year term.

Lord King of Lothbury, Chair of the Board of Trustees said: “We are delighted to welcome Charlotte and Johanne to the Philharmonia Board. They bring a wealth of experience from a variety of sectors and we look forward to working with them. The Philharmonia would like to sincerely thank Sir Peter Middleton and Michael Brindle for their many years of dedicated service and significant contribution.”

Charlotte Hogg said: “The Philharmonia is one of the world’s great orchestras and I am thrilled to support their work from the Board. Lord King and the newly-appointed CEO, Thorben Dittes, have an inspiring vision for excellence, growth and service. Bringing the joy of musical experiences to the people of London and the UK through their Learning & Engagement programme is particularly exciting to me and I am honoured to be a part of it.”

Johanne Hudson-Lett said: “Having been a part of the Philharmonia Orchestra’s ‘Hear and Now’ intergenerational project in Bedford for the past five years it is an honour to be able to support the Orchestra as it continues to expand its community engagement. The importance of the Philharmonia being accessible and welcoming to all is vital. I have personal experience of the impact that their work in Bedford has had amongst the local people especially the younger members of the community.”

Charlotte Hogg is Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer for Visa’s European operations and has more than 30 years of experience in financial services, bank operations and management consulting. Prior to joining Visa, Charlotte served as Chief Operating Officer for the Bank of England, from 2013 to 2017. Other relevant experience came as she led retail distribution for Santander in the UK, worked at Experian as the Managing Director of UK and Irish operations, was CEO of Goldfish Bank at Discover Financial Services and earlier in her career, Charlotte was a Managing Director for strategy and planning at Morgan Stanley, and a Management Consultant at McKinsey & Company, based in the U.S.

Charlotte graduated from the University of Oxford with a B.A. in Economics and History. She is a Kennedy Memorial Trust Scholar from Harvard University, and has an honorary Doctor of Laws from Warwick University.

Johanne Hudson-Lett is the Founder and Director of Just Purple Presents, a grassroots organisation which enriches the lives of all communities through arts and culture. She has worked as Arts Producer and radio presenter for the BBC and learning and engagement lead at the UK Centre for Carnival Arts.  Johanne is currently Senior Producer at Revolution Arts and a Bloomberg Digital Tech Fellow.  She is also a music practitioner working with children and adult refugees and asylum seekers held in detention centres and hotels.

Johanne developed her passion for music at St Andrew’s School for Girls where she received classical training. This inspired a life-long passion to introduce children to music, something she pursues weekly through Fusion Choir which engages children of any singing ability in some of the most deprived wards of Bedford and gives them the opportunity to learn and perform music. Johanne attended Mountview Theatre School where she studied musical theatre. This led to a period of acting and singing at London theatres before she moved into arts production.

Johanne is a Trustee for Samsons Academy with responsibility for fundraising and community engagement.  She is also a volunteer & consultant with Faith in Queen’s Park, advising on structure, programming and funding. Johanne is the first Chair of the Philharmonia Bedford Community Board and recently brought together the Jubilee Pop-Up Choir in Bedford, giving voice to the experiences of those from Windrush diaspora through operatic music.

Charlotte Hogg and Johanne Hudson-Lett join six other trustees on the Board, alongside nine player Board Members, and replace Michael Brindle and Sir Peter Middleton who have stepped down.