Max Hollein

Born in Vienna on July 7, 1969, Max Hollein built a career bridging academic art history and high-level museum management. He currently serves as the tenth director and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, a role he assumed after a successful stint leading the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. His journey to the top of the global art world began with deep roots in Central Europe, where he held leadership positions at Frankfurt's Schirn Kunsthalle, the Städel Museum, and the Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung before moving to the West Coast. During his tenure at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco from July 2016 to April 2018, Hollein managed two distinct institutions: the de Young and the Legion of Honor. These venues combined to become the seventh most-visited art museums in the United States, drawing 1.4 million visitors in 2016 alone. His leadership there focused on expanding programming and engaging new audiences while maintaining rigorous scholarly standards. The announcement of his move to New York marked a significant shift for the Met, placing an experienced European curator at the helm of one of the largest encyclopedic museums in the world.[edit]