The Boch Center Welcomes Jesse Needleman as Vice President of Marketing and Communications

Needleman will lead efforts to expand awareness of the Boch Center’s broad range of performing arts programming at the Wang and Shubert Theaters, the Folk and Americana Roots Hall of Fame, and its award‑winning education and community outreach initiatives.

BOSTON, MA – The Boch Center is proud to announce the appointment of Jesse Needleman as Vice President of Marketing and Communications. In this new senior leadership role, Needleman will lead the Boch Center’s brand strategy, oversee marketing and communications initiatives, expand audiences for Boch Center events, and guide efforts to increase visibility of its award-winning education and engagement programs across the Boston region.

“With its rich history and meaningful impact on Boston’s cultural life – and as a lifelong resident of Greater Boston - it is such an honor to join the Boch Center team,” Needleman said. “I’m excited to work alongside the talented staff and dedicated board to deepen awareness of the Center’s artistic programming, community initiatives, and cultural influence throughout the region.”

Needleman has worked at the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 2020, serving as Thomas G. Stemberg Vice President of Marketing, Sales & Communications. In that role, he oversaw all aspects of marketing, public relations, customer experience, ticket sales, and retail merchandise, and supported cross-functional communications on behalf of the entire organization and its brands. Needleman led the BSO’s recent rebranding efforts to create a vibrant, modern family of brands reflective of the organization’s forward-looking and innovative approach, and was central to establishing the design of recent interior renovations at Symphony Hall in Boston grounded in that rebranding.

Needleman has over twenty years of consumer marketing and sales leadership experience. Prior to the BSO, he worked at The TJX Companies, where he held marketing leadership roles at T.J.Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, as well as positions in media investments, market research, and loyalty marketing.

He holds an AB in Economics from Harvard University, an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, and is a Certified Meditation Instructor, Registered Yoga Teacher (RY200), and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. He also volunteers his time as the Vice Chair of the Watertown Public Arts & Culture Committee, helping the city envision, develop, approve, and execute its publicly available visual and performing arts projects as well as on the GBH Business Council, GBH’s local corporate board made up of Boston business leaders, who support public media and the mission of GBH. He is also an active member of the Boston Arts Marketing Alliance (BAMA).

“Jesse brings the rare combination of strategic rigor, creative instinct, and deep knowledge of Boston’s cultural landscape,” said President and CEO J. Casey Soward. “As the Boch Center continues to evolve across our historic venues, community programs, and the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame, his leadership will help us connect more meaningfully with audiences, elevate our brand, and tell the full story of our impact across the region. We’re thrilled to welcome him to the senior team.”

Needleman was selected following a national executive search led by Michele Counter and James Abruzzo from DHR Global’s Nonprofit Practice.

 

About the Boch Center

The Boch Center is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit performing arts institutions and a guardian of the historic Wang and Shubert Theatres. As New England’s largest cultural venue, the Boch Center is home to theater, classical and popular music, dance, comedy, opera, Broadway musicals, family entertainment, and more.

Located in Boston’s historic Theater District, the Boch Center also offers a diverse mix of educational, cultural and community outreach initiatives, including the City Spotlights Leadership Program and the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame; collaborates with artists and local nonprofit arts organizations; preserves historic venues; and acts as a champion for Greater Boston’s arts and cultural community. Learn more at bochcenter.org.