Josh Basseches

Josh Basseches became the director and CEO of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in 2016, bringing with him more than two decades of experience transforming museums, enriching visitor experience, and guiding international initiatives. His bold vision for the ROM includes taking it from one of Canada’s great museums to a globally renowned innovator and thought leader.

Prior to ROM, Basseches was deputy director of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, where he played a central role in the institution’s decade-long reinvention into one of America’s leading museums, and in its recent capital campaign, helping to raise more than 600 million dollars. Previously Basseches had served as executive director of the Harvard Museum of Natural History and repositioned it as a vibrant, public-serving institution. In addition, he has been active in the museum professional community, having spent ten years on the board of the New England Museum Association and, most recently, as president.

His research and writing focuses on international artistic and cultural exchange. Basseches holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, an MA from Boston University, and a BA

from Amherst College. He is currently completing a PhD in the history of art and architecture at Boston University.