Birmingham Royal Ballet board has announced the appointment of Paul James as the Company's new Chief Executive with immediate effect.

Paul has been Acting Chief Executive since last December, and before that was the Company's Chief Commercial Officer. His appointment follows an extensive, and internationally reaching, recruitment process.

Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet Carlos Acosta said: Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet Carlos Acosta said: ‘I am looking forward very much to working closely with my colleague Paul James as I congratulate him on his appointment as our new CEO.

‘I am deeply grateful to Paul for his steadfast commitment in stabilising the Company following the untimely death of our much-missed CEO Caroline Miller in December 2024.

‘Paul’s contribution over the past 7 years has been instrumental in laying the strong foundations we have already achieved as a Company, and I welcome with enthusiasm the opportunity to build on these with Paul to achieve even greater things for the Company i the future.’

Paul James is a Brand and Business Change specialist, with a global background in customer-led, service businesses. After graduating from Bournemouth University, Paul has received executive leadership qualifications in Marketing, Leadership and Change Management from INSEAD, University of Surrey and Cranfield University. He is a qualified Six Sigma Master Black Belt.

Before joining Birmingham Royal Ballet as Chief Commercial Officer in October 2017, Paul worked as Senior Vice President Global Brand Marketing for a Fortune 500 Company based in New York and for a privately held hospitality brand in Singapore.

As Chief Commercial Officer (and latterly Acting CEO) Paul has been a key member of Birmingham Royal Ballet's leadership team transforming its sales and marketing function, rebranding with the arrival of Carlos Acosta as Director, and leading a digital transformation following the Covid pandemic.

A passionate supporter of the arts, Paul is a trustee of Dancefest in Worcester and an advocate for dance's unique ability to provide transformative experiences for both audiences and participants alike. He lives in Herefordshire with his family.