The Metropolitan Museum of Art has appointed Joanna Prosser as Vice President and General Manager, Merchandise and Retail of the Museum, effective in the late fall. She will assume responsibility for the management and merchandising of the Museum’s shops, catalogs, wholesale, and the online Met Store (www.metmuseum.org/store).
Ms. Prosser has overseen retail at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London since 2000, first as Director of Retail, and since 2004 as Managing Director of V&A Enterprises. Leading a team of 120 people, she has been responsible for all commercial activities, including retail, publishing, brand licensing, image licensing, rights and digital development.
She began her career at the National Galleries of Scotland as a book buyer. As Retail Manager, she went on to introduce the concept of special exhibition shops, established a product development program, and introduced mail order. She then worked for the Historical Collections Group and created the Art Room mail order program and store (1994-99).
A graduate of the University of Edinburgh with an M.A. in History of Art and English Literature, she received a post-graduate diploma in Art Gallery and Museum Studies from the University of Manchester. She serves as a non-executive Director on the Board of the Courtauld Institute’s trading company.