Chief executive quits early orchestra
mainThe Academy of Ancient Music is losing its manager after less than three years.
Ed Hossack, highly respected in the early music field, cites the long commute from his home in London to the AAM’s Cambridge offices as his reason for leaving. In the two years since Christopher Hogwood’s death, Hossack has greatly expanded the ensemble’s overseas brand.
But though Hogwood (pictured) left the AAM a bequest of just over £1 million in his will, we hear the latest accounts (which we haven’t yet seen) show a £190,000 deficit for the last financial year. Some tightening up may be required.
According to Google that commute is 2 hours by car but only 50 minutes by train.
Google maybe doesn’t say from where in London Ed (who started his management career with TKC and I can tell you is very good at his job) might have been travelling. If someone were to have to travel in, say, from anywhere south of London, then commute across the city, then catch a mainline train (trains to Cambridge go from the stations on the northern side), and then get to the office from Cambridge rail station (which is not in the city centre), that could easily take you 2½ hours each way. I guess it’s probably not so much fun doing 25 hours travelling each week just to get to the office (though doubtless some people will do so).
Southwest London, I gather.
Crumbs – SW London to Cambridge and back each day is one journey and a half…
One can always move, renting out the home until the gig is over. Of course, if you’re just not that keen to begin with…..
You’re right, Google doesn’t say, but neither does Mr. Hossack.
None-the-less, that is a striking difference in journey times.
Maybe he’s just not into it. Or maybe there’s nothing productive he can do while he’s on the train. But a two-hour commute for much lesser jobs is not unknown in the US.
Perhaps this is why young conductors are such a thing… they’ll relocate, or fly or whatever it takes for the gig.
Flying from London to Cambridge is not really an option. 😉
He wasn’t the AAM’s conductor, but their manager. And that’s not a “gig” but, hopefully, a regular full-time job.
Well, not-for-profits don’t generally pay much. Cambridge is an expensive place to live if you choose to live there. (Conductors are exempted of course.) And if the group is short on funds, hire someone with financial experience in the for-profit world. Works wonders.