WORCESTER, MASS.- The Worcester Art Museum announced today that it has hired Mark Spuria to fill the newly created position of Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Spuria comes with more than 20 years of experience in financial management and administration in the arts, having served most recently as the General Manager (2016 – present) and CFO (2011 - 2016) for the Maynard, Massachusetts-based company Verne Q. Powell Flutes, where he has worked since 1996. In addition to his financial skills, Spuria brings a love of the arts: he served as the Principal Clarinetist for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra for seven years, and has held positions on a number of different non-profit boards, including ARTSWorcester, the Worcester Chamber Music Society, and as a Corporator and member of the Finance Committee for the Worcester Art Museum.

“With great pleasure I would like to formally welcome Mark to the Worcester Art Museum,” said Matthias Waschek, the Jean and Myles McDonough Director of the Worcester Art Museum. “This is an exciting time at the Museum, as we both tackle near-term needs and plan for future initiatives, Mark’s experience both in the for-profit world and in the arts will certainly benefit the institution.”

As the Museum addresses its future needs—including the planning and construction of new, permanent galleries for the Higgins Armory Collection—leadership determined that creating a CFO position was a priority. The search to fill the position was launched in November 2019, with Spuria’s appointment effective January 6, 2020. In this new role, Spuria will oversee all of WAM’s financial operations, with an emphasis on assuring alignment with the Museum’s strategic goals.

Reporting to Director Matthias Waschek, Spuria will work closely with the wider staff leadership team, as well as the Treasurer of the Board of Trustees. In particular, in addition to all of the typical duties for a CFO, Spuria will bring his experience to bear on evaluating and reporting on the Museum’s short- and long-term financial performance and how this relates to broader organizational goals and successes, as well be a key participant in WAM’s strategic and financial planning processes.

“I am honored to accept the position of CFO at WAM, an institution that I have been involved with for many years as a visitor and a volunteer,” said Spuria. “With my years in the for profit, arts related sector, I am very excited to put that experience in motion to help this wonderful organization move to the next level in meeting its strategic mission.”

A native of Massachusetts, Spuria began his career in music, securing a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, with an emphasis on clarinet performance. In 1988, he joined the Singapore Symphony Orchestra as its Principal Clarinetist, a job he held until 1995; during part of that time, he also taught clarinet at the Singapore campus of LaSalle College of the Arts. In 1996, Spuria took a position as a Sales Associate at Verne Q. Powell Flutes, one of the world’s leading bespoke instrument makers, where he worked his way up to CFO and, ultimately, General Manager. Along the way, Spuria completed Accountancy courses at Northeastern University, and in 2016 graduated from Clark University with an MBA.