NEW YORK, NY.- Juan García de Oteyza, Executive Director of
Aperture Foundation, announced the appointment of Mary Colman St. John to the newly expanded position of Chief Financial and Administrative Officer (CFAO) at Aperture Foundation, effective immediately. Ms. St. John reports directly to Mr. García de Oteyza, and will also consult closely with the Aperture Board of Directors and senior staff members. Ms. St. John is a publishing industry veteran, who held the position of Finance Director at the non-profit book publisher the New Press for ten years. Her work experience prior to that included seven years at Berlitz International, Inc., where she held managerial positions in the areas of corporate planning and financial planning and analysis.
In her new position as CFAO of Aperture, Ms. St. John will develop, implement, direct, and oversee all operational, financial, and administrative functions of Aperture Foundation. Her duties and responsibilities include the planning and forecasting of all revenues and expenditures, the custody of assets, and the investment of funds to assure the highest standards of financial management. She will study, analyze, and report on trends to create opportunities for Apertures financial growth according to institutional goals set by the executive director and the Aperture board. Administratively, her duties include overseeing all human resources functions and responsibilities, and working with key senior staff members to establish and maintain institutional goals and priorities in light of Apertures recent launch of a strategic planning process in response to the evolving marketplace and new technology opportunities.
The appointment of Mary Colman is in direct response to Apertures exponential growth over the past five years since moving to New Yorks Chelsea art district and opening a significant gallery and public programming space, and to the rapidly changing marketplace in art photography publishing, which remains Apertures core business, said Mr. García de Oteyza. Her extensive background in non-profit publishing is the exact set of skills necessary to support the ambitious programming that Aperture aims to set in place for the future.
Ms. St. John holds a BA in French literature from Reed College, Portland, Oregon, and an MBA in general management from Georgetown University, Washington, DC.
She lives in West Orange, New Jersey with her husband and two children.