QMusic Announces Interim CEO After Kris Stewart Departure

QMusic has today announced the appointment of an interim CEO just weeks after Kris Stewart confirmed he will be departing the industry body.

In a statement on Friday, QMusic revealed that Kristy Ellis will take on the interim position starting this Monday (April 20th).

"Kristy brings more than 20 years of experience across major events, the creative industries, and the commercial sector - and a genuine track record of leading organisations through change with clarity and purpose," the statement reads.

"While Kristy settles in, the Board will be running an independent recruitment process to appoint a permanent CEO - structured, transparent, and focused on finding the right long-term leader for QMusic and the Queensland music industry."

Ellis has previously worked as Head of Events for the Queensland Reds rugby team, has served as a board member for Ballet Theatre Queensland and most recently worked as Fan Experience and Sports Presentation Manager for the AFC Women's Asian Cup.

The move comes after Stewart announced late last month that he will be departing QMusic after a five-year tenure “after some of the most enjoyable years of my career”.

“I feel that I can honestly say I’m leaving the organisation in an undeniably strong position, both financially and culturally, following five surplus years and long-term funding commitments from Federal, State and Local government. We’ve more than doubled the turnover – and the number of partners,” Stewart said.

“I’m proud of everything we’ve achieved with BIGSOUND_AU, Valley Fiesta, Industry Connect, and the Queensland Music Awards. But personally, I’ve always gotten my biggest joy from starting things, like the festivals Big Summer Block Party and Townsville’s Tropic Fiesta; the Concert Programs with partners such as Brisbane Festival, Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and Southbank Corp; the amazing Goolwal Goolwal at BIGSOUND and the Parliamentary Friends of the Music Industry with the Qld State Government."