Holly Bass

National Director, Turnaround Arts National at The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts

“We hired Tom O’Connor Consulting Group to help us create a multi-year strategic plan but we got so much more than that. Not only did we arrive at a final document that reflected our values around racial equity and social justice, but the process itself mirrored our values and working culture. The planning sessions TOCG designed were energizing and enlightening. We learned about ourselves as an organization. We also worked directly with Edie Demas on a series of small team retreats to help us think about the big picture of our work. The tools she provided us have been instrumental and we continue to use them to design our work flow and ensure that we keep our values and priorities at the center of everything we do.”

Patrick Muhlen

Chief Managing Director, Ballet Hispánico 

“Working with Tom O’Connor Consulting Group on our recent hire was the best I've yet done and it secured truly a brilliant person and fit for the role.”

Aaron Beach

Executive Director, Belvoir St Theatre

“The work that Rani Haywood and Tom O’Connor Consulting Group has done with the team at Belvoir St Theatre has been instrumental in shaping the development and implementation of our marketing function, audience development and ticketing strategies. The wealth of knowledge and experience brought to the table and the strategic thinking and creative insights were impressive, and these proved invaluable in helping us navigate the current live performance environment and accompanying challenges. We cannot overstate the positive impact that Tom O’Connor Consulting Group has had on Belvoir St. Their expertise, dedication, and creativity are an asset to the arts community, and I look forward to the opportunity to work with Rani again in the future”

Kari Schloner

Executive Director, Northrop at the University of Minnesota

“Northrop had the great pleasure of working with Tom O’Connor Consulting Group as we undertook a significant organizational restructuring. Their breadth of knowledge related to effective systems and structures and how to go about making realignments, specifically in the arts field, made them invaluable thought partners. I was especially grateful for the ways they helped us center people in the process and remain in step with our values. Tom and Edie gave us the tools we needed to implement change and build our capacity to make it successful and sustainable.”

Sara Villagio

Chief Marketing Officer, Carnegie Hall

“Tom always starts by asking the right questions. Time and time again, he has made himself available to me as thought partner and trusted collaborator. His thoughtful and straightforward approach coupled with a clearly articulated vision of actionable benchmarks has given me the confidence to go forward with big ideas.”

Robin Shelby Arditi

Board Chair, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival

“Tom O’Connor Consulting Group did an outstanding and thoroughly professional job for Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival in quickly assembling an extensive list of qualified candidates for Managing Director. They demonstrated a deep understanding of the industry and our specific objectives and were always available to respond to our questions and provide helpful insights.”

Cynthia Rider

Managing Director, Hartford Stage

“We have excellent marketing and communications leadership at our theater because of the recruiting team at Tom O’Connor Consulting Group. The candidates presented to us were rich in experience, skills, and perspectives. Recruiting key arts marketing leadership during a pandemic was not an easy task, and the insight and dedication shown by the team to making a great match for our organization was invaluable.”

Hyla London

Former Director of Marketing and Communications, George Mason University College of Visual and Performing Arts

“Over the course of a few projects, TOCG has become a welcome and valuable extension of our marketing team. Their work informs the "behind-the-scenes" parts of arts marketing from team structure to brand strategy. Not only are their deliverables top-notch and actionable, their team is approachable. Our work and brand is better off thanks to the opportunity to work with TOCG as a sounding board when decisions could use another outside voice.”

Janet Olshansky

Chair, SPACE on Ryder Farm

“Tom O’Connor and Edie Demas crafted a strategic planning process that was rooted in anti-racism, ensuring that all of the constituents – Board, Staff and Alumni – felt heard and valued. It was a transformative process that will guide the organization and inspire those who participated to be passionate disruptors of White Supremacist values in all that they do.”

Joanna Bell

Former Director of Marketing & Communications, TheatreSquared

“Bringing years of experience with cultural organizations large and small, Tom provides our team exactly the perspective we need to more effectively leverage our marketing efforts. His recommendations have put TheatreSquared on a path to be a much more efficient, data-driven, and patron-focused organization which has yielded remarkable outcomes in both revenue and patron engagement.”

Lena Nahlous

Executive Director, Diversity Arts Australia

“Rani worked with Diversity Arts Australia at a time of significant transition. Rani facilitated client and stakeholder workshops, which resulted in our new name and brand, and developed an excellent marketing plan that we still use. Her values align with those of Diversity Arts — she is committed to greater equity in the arts — and she is a strategic thinker who has a great approach to working with people.”