Mystic, Conn. (January 19, 2022) – Mystic Seaport announces the appointment of Kevin O’Leary as its Vice President of Business Development & Marketing, effective immediately.
This newly created position reports to the Senior Vice President of Curatorial Affairs and provides direction and oversight to the Museum’s Business Development, Sales, Marketing, Communications, and Digital Content teams in support of the institution’s combined revenue goals. He will lead the identification, development, and implementation of strategic growth initiatives across the Museum and explore, identify, and execute opportunities consistent with those initiatives with a particular emphasis on intellectual property and brand partnerships.
“With his extensive experience in brand management and the development of regional and national marketing campaigns, Kevin O’Leary brings the high degree of insight, leadership, and comprehensive knowledge of building successful brands and business lines that are an important part of the future for our Museum,” said Peter Armstrong, President of Mystic Seaport Museum. “He is the right person to take on the task of maximizing the value of our vast collections and the intellectual property that lies within.”
“I am delighted to join Mystic Seaport Museum, an institution I know from my youth in Southern New England and a storied brand with a long history and deep equity, said Kevin O’Leary. “I look forward to unlocking the potential I see all around the Museum and working with our incredible curatorial and operations teams to broaden our audience and expand commercial opportunities.”
Prior to joining the Museum, O’Leary was the Director of Business Development for Guru Media Solutions, a Certified B-Corp, full-service marketing agency in California and Vermont specializing in purpose-driven, conscious and sustainable brands and NGOs. He was responsible for prospecting, closing, and onboarding new business opportunities consistent with some or all of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. He has held numerous leadership roles in agencies focused on brand marketing, design, and digital strategy and content development. O’Leary also brings extensive experience in hospitality and real estate sales and marketing, and the music industry. He is the past director of marketing for the Vermont Mozart Festival, a volunteer position, and began his professional career many years ago in Seattle, WA, working for Sub Pop Records.
Media Contact
Dan McFadden
Director of Communications
Mystic Seaport Museum
860.572.5317 (o)
860.333.7155 (m)
dan.mcfadden@mysticseaport.org
About Mystic Seaport Museum
Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s leading maritime Museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to “inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.” The Museum’s grounds cover 19 acres on the Mystic River in Mystic, CT, and include a recreated New England coastal village, a working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities. The Museum is home to more than 500 historic watercraft, including four National Historic Landmark vessels, most notably the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan. For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org and follow the Museum on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
