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Annabel (left) and Louise (right) stand and smile in front of a floral work of art
6 March 2026

Why Artswork are Moving to a Co-CEO Model

From 1 April 2026, Artswork will move to a Co-Chief Executive Officer (Co-CEO) structure, with Louise Govier and Annabel Cook jointly leading the organisation, each working four days per week. This model provides Artswork with 8 days of CEO time, strengthens our capacity for external engagement and horizon scanning, and brings together complementary skills to guide the organisation through a rapidly changing landscape.

Why is Artswork moving to a Co-CEO model?

The Co-CEO model: 

  • increases leadership capacity and visibility
  • supports sustainable working practices – it’s an intense time to be CEO
  • strengthens innovation and strategic planning
  • aligns Artswork with emerging best practice in the cultural sector

We are excited to move to this new model of leadership for Artswork. We’ve been working closely together for more than five years and really enjoy pooling our strengths and talents to innovate, find solutions and make the most of opportunities.  Artswork supports thousands of young people every year to lead change in their communities and in their own lives: we hope that this evolution will enable us to extend that work even further.

What are the benefits of the Co-CEO model for Artswork?

  • 8 days per week of CEO time, rather than a single fulltime CEO 
  • Increased capacity for relationship building, advocacy and external visibility 
  • Complementary skills and perspectives driving innovation and resilience 
  • Stronger financial and strategic oversight through regular joint work with the CFO 
  • Sustainable leadership supporting the retention and wellbeing of senior leaders 

How will our Co-CEOs split their responsibilities?

Both Annabel and Louise have been working at Artswork for over five years and have developed their own teams and responsibilities during this time, so it’s important to them that the majority of this stays unchanged.

  • Line management and responsibilities will stay the same so there are no big changes for Artswork staff
  • Our organisation structure will be unchanged, apart from Annabel and Louise jointly occupying the CEO role
  • They will work together on our future strategy, external relationships, external visibility at conferences, Board reporting and our work with Arts Council England

We’re delighted to hear that Louise Govier and Annabel Cook will co-share the role of Artswork CEO from the Spring. For more than three decades, Artswork has created vital opportunities for children and young people to express themselves, explore their talents and experience the lifechanging value of creativity. That contribution is significant, and we look forward to seeing how this new leadership model will build on that legacy, to the benefit of a new generation.

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