Organization
Overture Center for the Arts (Overture Center) was dedicated on September 18, 2004, in the heart of vibrant downtown Madison, Wisconsin. Their vision is to create extraordinary experiences through the arts with a mission to support and elevate the community’s creative culture, economy, and quality of life through the arts. Overture Center’s unwavering commitment is to be the region’s preeminent stage for extraordinary artistry, to cultivate diverse and emerging talent, and to serve as the arts’ epicenter for community engagement. It strives to provide exceptional experiences for all.
Overture Center features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and five galleries where national and international touring artists, nine resident companies, and hundreds of local artists engage audiences in over 500,000 educational and artistic experiences annually. Overture Center takes pride in presenting spectacular performances alongside free and low-cost programs that nurture creativity, curiosity, and diversity, while also driving the local economy and contributing to the vitality of a growing city.
Designed by César Pelli, the 388,000-square-foot facility is anchored by the 2,251-seat Overture Hall—a crisp geometric structure crafted from limestone and glass, featuring a grand lobby that extends over the sidewalk to shelter its entrance. Within the lobby, light-wood ceilings and travertine flooring create a warm, inviting atmosphere. The auditorium itself is defined by softly illuminated balconies cascading downward and an undulating acoustic ceiling, shaping a contemporary space. Unobstructed sightlines, superb acoustics, and cutting-edge technical support ensure flawless performances of music, theater, dance, and more.
The 1,089-seat Capitol Theater preserves its original architectural splendor, including the Grand Barton Organ, ornate ceiling, wall niches, proscenium arch, and chandelier lighting. The Playhouse, a 350-seat thrust theater, and four flexible performance/event spaces expand performance and event opportunities. Through thoughtful integration of existing venues and historic building elements, the complex maintains the pedestrian-friendly character of downtown Madison. The circa 1920 stone façade of the former Yost’s Department Store remains as the main entrance to the Overture Center complex. At the heart of the facility, glass façades connect Overture Hall with the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art—a separate nonprofit entity with independent governance, operations, and maintenance. A new glass dome bathes the building’s interior with natural light, illuminating a four-story rotunda flanked by art galleries and the intimate Rotunda Stage, an indoor amphitheater.
Complementing its vibrant resident companies, Overture Center’s 2025–2026 season offers a compelling lineup of performances. Eight major Broadway productions are gracing its stages, including The Book of Mormon, Some Like It Hot, Hamilton, Kimberly Akimbo, Back to the Future: The Musical, Riverdance 30 – The New Generation, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Great Gatsby, and Water for Elephants. The season further features a diverse array of other touring productions, the acclaimed “Up Close” and Cabaret Series, National Geographic Live presentations, and free Kids in the Rotunda shows. Notable highlights include performances by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Cirque Mechanics’ Tilt!, and the comedic duo Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood.
Overture Center embraces its profound responsibility to mirror the community it serves and to honor the shared humanity at its core through its Community Advisory Council, which represents diverse constituencies. The Council advises Overture Center staff on community and educational programming and identifies opportunities to deepen community engagement and foster meaningful partnerships with local organizations and constituents. Overture Center is committed to accessibility, with at least 35% of their artistic experiences provided for no or little cost to the community through their 15 education and engagement programs, which include Kids in the Rotunda, Onstage Student Field Trips, International Festival, and The Jerry Awards. As an early leader in Broadway tactile tours and audio-described performances, Overture Center is Kulture City certified and serves as a partner site for Disney Musicals in Schools, Carnegie Hall’s The Lullaby Project, the Kennedy Center’s Any Given Child, and The Jimmy Awards.
Overture Center Foundation, Inc., a private 501c(3) nonprofit corporation, became the sole operator of Overture Center on January 1, 2012. Overture Center Foundation is governed by a 24-member board of directors, chaired by Jim Yehle. Overture Center engages a total full-time staff of 88 employees, more than 208 part-time and variable front-of-house staff, more than 276 variable stagehands, and more than 500 volunteers. The organization’s projected budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, anticipates revenue of $24 million, with approximately $18.7 million from program services, $4.7 million from annual fund contributions and grants, and $3.3 million in special campaign and other philanthropic funding. Their endowment stands at approximately $8 million.
Community
With more than 270,000 residents, Madison is a city of diverse neighborhoods and vibrant communities, renowned for its rich cultural scene encompassing art, music, cuisine, and much more. As the capital of Wisconsin and the state’s fastest-growing city, Madison boasts a dynamic economy anchored by a robust and expanding technology sector, alongside numerous corporate headquarters. Access to quality schools, healthcare facilities, and infrastructure, coupled with affordability, income levels, and residents’ engagement with these opportunities, are key factors that consistently rank the Madison region and Dane County among the nation’s best places to live, work, study, and enjoy a high quality of life.
Home to nearly 50,000 students, the University of Wisconsin–Madison remains deeply committed to impacting lives beyond its academic walls. Rooted in the enduring Wisconsin Idea, the university’s outreach includes programs such as distributing farm produce to families in need, mentoring and tutoring local schoolchildren, and offering free humanities courses to low-income adults. The city’s downtown area continues to attract educated young professionals who favor high-density rental housing, drawn by Madison’s proximity to the university and major private-sector employers.
Madison’s five nearby lakes provide abundant recreational options, including fishing, boating, and watersports, while the 1,260-acre University of Wisconsin Arboretum offers over 20 miles of trails for hiking and exploration. Recognized by USA Today as one of the top 10 cycling towns in the country, Madison boasts an extensive network of bike lanes and paths, complemented by a popular bike-share program, BCycle. In addition, NerdWallet recently named Madison the greenest city in America, highlighting its excellent air quality and an impressive 12.7 parks per 10,000 residents—more than any other U.S. city. This accolade reflects Madison’s 200 miles of hiking and biking trails, a bicycle population that exceeds cars, a strong presence of green jobs, and a growing number of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings and venues.
Sources: U.S Census Bureau; Madison Region Economic Partnership, Livability; City of Madison Housing Report; Madison Parks Division
Position Summary
As a member of Overture Center’s executive shared leadership team, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Co-Chief Executive Officer (Co-CEO) will be responsible for guiding the organization’s strategic direction, leadership culture, and operational success in partnership with their fellow Co-CEOs and the Board of Directors. This role will combine executive leadership in financial and business operations with shared responsibility for the strategic, cultural, and mission-driven direction of the organization. As CFO/Co-CEO, this position will provide strategic leadership of all finance and business operations functions, including budgeting, financial reporting, compliance, legal affairs, risk management, insurance, administrative operations, and support for governance. The CFO/Co-CEO will ensure that Overture Center remains financially resilient, operationally sound, and aligned with best practices, while fostering collaboration, transparency, and values-aligned decision-making. The CFO/Co-CEO will safeguard Overture Center’s tax-exempt status through rigorous compliance with all applicable nonprofit tax laws and reporting requirements.
As one of several partnering Co-CEOs, they will provide collaborative executive leadership to ensure unified strategic direction, operational excellence, and cultural alignment across the organization. They will share responsibility for setting and executing Overture Center’s strategic plan, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and will represent Overture Center in the Madison community and beyond. The role will champion and provide expertise regarding Administration and Finance at Overture Center and serve as a backup to the other Co-CEOs to ensure continuity, stability, and shared accountability.
Roles and Responsibilities
Organizational Leadership and Strategy
- Serve as a member of the Executive Leadership Team and partner with the Co-CEOs to shape strategy, champion an inclusive culture, and align financial practices with organizational goals.
- Model shared leadership and co-accountability in decision-making, risk management, and mission delivery.
- Direct the Manager of Executive Support and Board Operations in supporting the Executive Leadership Team, coordinating meetings, managing executive communication, and delivering on special projects.
- Lead special cross-functional initiatives that support innovation, organizational alignment, and administrative excellence as required.
- Represent Overture Center internally and externally, fostering trust, visibility, and mission alignment across stakeholder groups.
- Participate in the Capital Projects and Capital Expenses Work Group, steering financing, budgeting, and risk management for facility upgrades and major equipment purchases.
- Oversee all federal and state nonprofit tax filings—IRS Forms 990, 990-T, Wisconsin Form 4-T, and related schedules—ensuring accuracy, compliance, timely submission, and ongoing protection of Overture Center’s tax-exempt status, including strict adherence to lobbying and political-activity limits.
- Embrace other organizational leadership and strategy responsibilities as required.
Finance, Business Operations, and Risk Management
- Provide data-driven strategic leadership of Overture Center’s Finance and Business Operations functions, including multi-year financial modeling, contingency planning, internal controls, and budget development that promote transparency, accountability, and organizational learning.
- Partner with Programming, Marketing, and Operations to forecast and reconcile all earned-revenue streams—box office, concessions, merchandise, rentals—and lead nightly tour/union show settlements to protect margins and ensure strong cash flow.
- Monitor and manage cash flow, liquidity, and short- and long-term financial sustainability.
- Ensure effective oversight of payroll processes in partnership with the Director of Finance, including compliance with applicable laws, accurate reporting, and integration with financial systems and budgeting.
- Develop and implement financial policies, procedures, systems, training, and internal controls in alignment with nonprofit best practices that support organizational resilience and proactive risk mitigation.
- Maintain strong relationships with banking partners and financial institutions to support operating needs, compliance, and investment strategies.
- Oversee enterprise-wide risk management, including insurance coverage, claims, legal compliance, and cybersecurity strategy in coordination with IT.
- Embrace other finance, business operations, and risk management responsibilities as required.
Board and Governance Support
- Serve as the primary staff liaison to the Finance, Audit, Investment, Governance and Nominations, and Overture Foundation Corporation (OFC) Committees of the Board.
- Participate in Board of Directors meetings, Executive Committee sessions, and committee chair meetings.
- Provide direction to the Manager of Executive Support & Board Operations to ensure timely preparation of meeting materials, policy compliance, and effective board communications.
- Monitor board policy compliance and ensure that board-approved actions are appropriately documented and executed.
- Collaborate with the Board of Directors and fellow executives to ensure alignment between strategic plans and operational execution across departments.
- Lead endowment and long-term investment strategy with the Board Investment Committee, monitoring performance and ensuring policy compliance to safeguard Overture Center’s long-range financial stability.
- Embrace other board and governance support responsibilities as required.
Internal Culture Development and External Relations
- Champion a workplace culture grounded in trust, transparency, collaboration, and innovation, and promote behaviors that foster belonging, respect, and shared accountability.
- Align culture-building efforts with business outcomes by integrating employee experience, inclusion, and engagement metrics into operational planning and leadership evaluation.
- Serve as a thought leader and culture carrier across the organization to ensure corporate culture is aligned with Overture Center’s mission and strategic vision of responsible financial stewardship and operational excellence.
- Oversee business contracts and serve on the Negotiation Team for union agreements, ensuring alignment with operational and cultural priorities.
- Negotiate and monitor resident-organization rent models, and present co-promotion agreements, ensuring terms balance mission impact with cost recovery.
- Collaborate with legal counsel to reduce organizational risk and ensure proper handling of legal matters.
- Embrace other internal culture development and external relations responsibilities as required.
Traits and Characteristics
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Co-Chief Executive Officer (Co-CEO) will be a skilled visionary leader who values frequent interaction and collaboration with others. They will possess exceptional people skills and the capacity to work collaboratively with staff, customers, and other stakeholders. The CFO/Co-CEO will be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, prioritizing tasks, and responding to the needs of others. Strategic thinking, trustworthiness, adaptability, and a sense of humor will be important traits of the successful CFO/Co-CEO. Responsible and knowledgeable, they will be a clear communicator, supportive, understanding, and balanced. A natural collaborator, the CFO/Co-CEO will advocate for and with the internal staff and external contractors. The CFO/Co-CEO will possess a deep appreciation for the arts and will champion the continuing improvement of the Overture Center’s experience, ensuring the organization’s long-term success.
Other key competencies include:
- Teamwork, Planning, and Organizing – The capacity to cooperate with others to meet objectives as well as establish courses of action to ensure that work is completed effectively.
- Leadership and Conceptual Thinking – The ability to organize and influence people to believe in a vision, create a sense of purpose and direction, and the ability to analyze hypothetical situations, patterns, and/or abstract concepts to formulate connections and new insights.
- Problem Solving and Personal Accountability – The clarity to define, analyze, and diagnose key components of a problem to formulate a solution, while at the same time being answerable for personal actions.
- Decision Making and Negotiation – The dexterity to analyze all aspects of a situation to make consistently sound and timely decisions while also listening to a variety of diverse groups and absorbing different viewpoints.
Experience and Qualifications
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Co-Chief Executive Officer (Co-CEO) will have senior management experience in a multifaceted, multi-venue public events facility with a minimum of eight years of progressively responsible finance and business leadership experience, including four years in a senior or executive role. A bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, or a related field is required; a CPA or MBA is strongly preferred. Experience in nonprofit arts or cultural organizations, including working with nonprofit boards and governance committees, is strongly preferred, with a deep knowledge of nonprofit financial regulations, GAAP, budgeting, investment policy, and compliance. The CFO/Co-CEO will have previously demonstrated excellence in executive leadership, strategic thinking, and change management. Strong interpersonal, facilitation, and communication skills, including board and public engagement, with proven ability to influence across diverse internal and external stakeholders. Experience negotiating union contracts and managing legal risk is preferred. Proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite, budgeting software, and board governance platforms, and strong digital literacy and adaptability are beneficial. Overture Center values the many ways leadership and financial acumen are developed, both professionally and personally. Overture Center strongly encourages applications from individuals whose lived experience and diverse career paths have comparably prepared them to provide strategic, operational, and cultural leadership at the highest level.
Working Conditions
This is a hybrid office position, supporting a flexible work environment that includes both remote and on-site responsibilities. The role requires regular use of standard office equipment and frequent interaction via digital platforms. Occasional evening or weekend hours will be required to attend events, meetings, or represent the organization in the community.
Compensation and Benefits
Overture Center offers a salary range between $170,000 and $185,000. The total benefits package includes vacation and holiday time as well as medical, life, vision, and dental insurances, and short- and long-term disability. Retirement benefits are provided through a 401(k) plan, with Overture Center matching 100 percent of deferrals up to one percent, plus 50 percent of deferrals over one percent and up to six percent of employee compensation with immediate vesting.
Application and Inquiries
To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments, please visit https://artsconsulting.com/opensearches/overture-center-for-the-arts-seeks-chief-financial-officer-co-chief-executive-officer/
Email OvertureCenter@ArtsConsulting.com
Overture Center for the Arts is committed to social and racial justice through a focus on access, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Overture Center aspires to break down the social constructs that have served to divide us by race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and range of abilities.
Overture Center supports an arts community that engages and uplifts people of diverse backgrounds, especially those who have historically been marginalized and left on the periphery of traditional arts organizations.
Overture Center aims to ensure members of their diverse community are represented and included in all facets, creating an environment where everyone is welcome and feels a sense of belonging.
