Alex Beard CBE is Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House, a post he has held since 2013.

Beard has a life-long love of opera and a passionate enthusiasm for ballet. He was on the Board of Directors of Glyndebourne Productions Ltd 2008–13 and is currently on the boards of 14–18 NOW (the First World War Cultural Programme), the West End Partnership and the philanthropy board of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, and is Chairman of High House Production Park. Past external board memberships include with the RMN-Grand Palais Conseil d’Orientation Stratégique and Global Giving UK. He is a keen cyclist, cricketer and cook.

Beard was educated at Manchester Grammar School, Westminster School and King’s College London. He worked for a year at KPMG before joining Arts Council of Great Britain in 1986. In 1995 he became Director of Finance and Administration of Tate, becoming Director of Business there in 1999 and Deputy Director in 2002. During Beard’s time with Tate he worked closely with Director Nicholas Serota in the creation of Tate Modern, the capital development programme for Tate Modern, Tate Britain and Tate St Ives and the launch of The Tanks at Tate Modern in summer 2012, while also overseeing the business operations of the Tate galleries. At the end of 2012 he was appointed a CBE for his services to the arts.

The office of the Chief Executive is generously supported by Bob and Tamar and Manoukian.