New York City Ballet Board Of Directors Elects Jay S. Fishman Chairman

NEW YORK, June 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York City Ballet Board of Directors today announced that Jay S. Fishman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Travelers Companies, Inc., has been elected the new Chairman of NYCB, the nation's largest dance organization.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120613/NY24395 )

The Board also elected Robert I. Lipp as President of NYCB. Lipp, who first joined NYCB's board in 1984, also serves as a Chairman of the advisory council of the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of NYCB.

Fishman, who has attended NYCB performances and events for many years, is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the New York Philharmonic, as well as a trustee of New York-Presbyterian Hospital and a Vice Chairman of the Corporate Fund Board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He is also a trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Wharton School.

"New York City Ballet, with its tradition and history, is one of the world's foremost cultural institutions, and it is an honor to have the opportunity to help guide this fine organization into the future," Fishman said. "I am excited and eager to work with Bob Lipp and the rest of our board, as well as the company's excellent artistic and management teams, as we combine our efforts to maintain the high standards our patrons expect from the company."

Fishman will succeed John Vogelstein as Chairman of NYCB, and Lipp will succeed David W. Heleniak as President, both of whom have held their respective offices since 2008. During their tenure, Vogelstein and Heleniak have overseen a major reduction of the Company's operating deficit, as well as the launch of several important initiatives including the renovation of the Company's home, the David H. Koch Theater, the creation of a new touring ensemble, New York City Ballet MOVES, and a live transmission of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker™, NYCB's first-ever HD movie theater broadcast.

"Jay is a superb executive, and his talents and expertise will be important assets as NYCB continues to strengthen its finances and build its audience," said Vogelstein. "In addition, Bob Lipp's strong contributions and loyal service as a member of the NYCB board and his long and close business and personal relationship with Jay will make for a very effective team for New York City Ballet. I am confident that they will contribute greatly to its continued success."

Fishman became CEO of Travelers in 2004 while Lipp served as Chairman of the company. Fishman was later named Chairman of Travelers when Lipp retired in 2005. Travelers is a leading property and casualty insurance company and a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Since retiring from Travelers, Lipp has been a senior advisor at Stone Point Capital and Executive Chairman of Stone River Holdings. He is also a trustee of Carnegie Hall and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, as well as a former Chairman of the executive committee of the trustees at Williams College, where he earned his undergraduate degree. Lipp also holds an M.B.A. from Harvard University and a J.D. from New York University.

New York City Ballet, one of the foremost dance companies in the world, was founded in 1948 by the legendary choreographer George Balanchine and arts aficionado Lincoln Kirstein. Today, under the leadership of Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins and Executive Director Katherine E. Brown, the Company is widely acknowledged for its enduring contributions to dance and its commitment to promoting creative excellence and nurturing a new generation of dancers and choreographers.

SOURCE New York City Ballet