Staff contacts

Chief Executive - Alison O'Hara

Originally from the Midlands, Alison moved to Newcastle to study in the 1980s and has been here ever since. She has worked in the cultural sector since 1998 and joined ANE in 2006. At ANE she is responsible for the strategic leadership and performance of the organisation. She has a MA in Marketing, is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and holds the CIM Professional Postgraduate Diploma.

Alison lives in Gosforth with husband Pete and daughter Rosie, 5. Her leisure time is mainly spent providing a taxi service for Rosie's swimming, tennis and dance lessons! Any remaining time is spent trying to get out and about across the region attending as many cultural events as possible.

 Telephone 0191 269 1101 or email Alison.

 Marketing Manager - Caroline Greener

Caroline graduated from Leeds University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism in 1998 and has since had a varied career including being the owner/manager of a gourmet coffee bar, and a scuba dive videographer in Thailand and New Zealand.

Upon returning to the UK in 2005, Caroline found her niche in Marketing and communications, and has worked for Audiences North East since October 2006, specialising in the theory and practice of audience development for the cultural sector. She is responsible for the ANE subscriber scheme, professional development programme and management of audience development projects such as Family Friendly.

Caroline feels lucky to be living in the North East, with so much exciting cultural activity to take part in, and particularly lucky to have a job which puts her at the heart of it all.

Telephone 0191 269 1102 or email Caroline

Research and Audience Development Manager - Kerry Ellis Byrne

Having first gone down the performing route by gaining a HND in Dance from Salford University, Kerry realised she liked food more than exercise so went on to graduate from Manchester University with a Performing Arts Management degree in 2003. 

Kerry’s work experience includes working with a variety of large-scale arts festivals, audience development agency Arts About Manchester and The Sage Gateshead. She is now very happy to be working for ANE and is responsible for advising on and undertaking audience research and development projects.

Kerry’s lived in the North East since 2007 but has been a regular visitor since 1999 as her husband is a Geordie and was glad when he finally got his football season ticket through so they could move up and get involved with the exciting culture scene up here.

Telephone 0191 269 1103 or email Kerry

Marketing Assistant - Laura Whiting

Laura is a student, currently studying Marketing Management and a part-time course in Spanish at Northumbria University. She has joined Audiences North East on a 12-month placement as Marketing Assistant, and thinks that this will be the perfect place for her to enjoy all of the North East’s cultural offerings. Laura is from Sunderland and enjoys all the North East has to offer especially the brilliant music scene. She is hoping to develop her cultural understanding through working with ANE, by assisting the team with the running of whatsonnortheast.com and raising ANE’s profile.

Telephone 0191 269 1100 or email Laura

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