Our Leadership Team

Stephan Jost is the Michael and Sonja Koerner Director, and CEO of the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Following his appointment in 2016, Stephan demonstrated immediate leadership by thoughtfully exploring the AGO’s visitorship, collection and key strengths in order to strategically focus on three mission-aligned areas: art, access and learning. He has overseen the revitalization of several key areas in the Gallery, helped clarify new audience target segments; and launched Look:Forward, a major reinstallation of the AGO’s remarkable Collection.

Before joining the AGO, Stephan was Director of the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA) for five years, where he worked to make the Museum a welcoming and accessible place for a more diverse audience. Under his leadership, HoMA’s finances were dramatically improved; the education program expanded in reach and capacity; its membership increased by 64 per cent; and the visitor experience significantly energized.

Prior to that, he was the Director of the Shelburne Museum in Vermont, the Director of the Mills College Art Museum in Oakland, California, and held several curatorial positions at the Allen Memorial Art Museum of Oberlin College in Ohio.

Born in Michigan, Stephan holds a BA in art history from Hampshire College in Massachusetts and an MA in art history, specializing in the history of photography, from the University of Texas at Austin.

Jessica Bright was appointed Chief, Exhibitions, Collections & Conservation in 2021. She is responsible for leading all exhibition activity and associated project management; conservation; collection installation, care and management; registration, scheduling and logistical management of pan gallery installations and art movement. Jessica was previously the AGO’s Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives from 2020-2021; Director, Exhibitions from 2013-2019 and before that held positions in the AGO’s Curatorial, Education and Exhibitions departments. She worked on the Transformation AGO Project from 2006-2008 and was previously the Curator/Registrar at the Maclaren Art Centre.

Jessica holds a Master of Literature degree in Art History from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland and a BA in Art History from Queen’s University.

Linda Coslovi joined the AGO in 2023 in the inaugural role of Chief Finance & Operating Officer, bringing together two key facets in supporting the mission of the Gallery.

Highly regarded for transformational leadership and excellence in finance, operations, and strategic planning, Linda's mandate involves ensuring the Gallery's financial and operational effectiveness and sustainability while fostering a culture rooted in data-driven decision-making.

Before her tenure at the AGO, Linda held prominent positions in the private and public sectors. Her experience includes serving as the Associate VP of Finance and Planning at McMaster University and holding CFO roles in the electrification and aerospace sectors.

Linda is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds an honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from McMaster University.

Robert Durocher joined the AGO in 2024 as the Richard & Elizabeth Currie Chief, Education & Programming. In this role, he leads the Education & Programming Division. Robert believes all people should have access to arts education, play, and programming that reflects and affirms diverse learners and communities, including intergenerational programs.

Before joining the AGO in this role, Robert was a Centrally Assigned Vice-Principal, Indigenous Education at the Urban Indigenous Education Centre at the Toronto District School Board. He was also an Instructional Leader, supporting teacher learning for the Grade 9 art course Expressions of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Cultures. Before this, he was a K-12 Learning Coach, engaging educators to integrate equity and anti-oppression strategies into their teaching practices. Robert was seconded faculty at York University’s Faculty of Education where he led courses in Visual Arts Education, Arts Integration, and Inclusive Education.

Robert is also an Associate at the Ontario College of Art & Design University (OCAD U), where he specializes in printmaking. He also holds a Bachelor of Fine Art degree from York University, a Bachelor of Education, and a Master of Arts from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto.

Julian Cox joined the AGO as Deputy Director & Chief Curator in 2018. He leads the curatorial team in designing meaningful art experiences that embrace multiple—and often challenging—points of view. He focuses on exhibition planning in addition to developing the AGO’s significant collections, positioning Toronto and Ontario’s rich artistic landscape in the widest context possible to ensure the Gallery is inclusive and welcoming, and  reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.

Before joining the AGO, Julian was Chief Curator of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF), working across two museums, the de Young and the Legion of Honor. In this role, he led curatorial activities in art of the Americas, Oceania and Africa, Ancient art, European Paintings and European Decorative Arts and Sculpture, Prints and Drawings, American art, contemporary art and international textiles and costume. He also managed FAMSF’s conservation, library and publications staff.

Prior to that, he served as Curator of Photography at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia and held several positions in the Department of Photography at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

Julian holds a Master of Philosophy degree in the history of photography from the University College of Wales, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history from the University of Manchester.

Alain joined the Art Gallery of Ontario in 2017 specializing in Labour Relations and was appointed Chief of People in 2021 with a mandate to implement transformational Human Resources initiatives and be a lead partner on the AGO’s Diversity & Inclusion Strategy. Alain graduated from Seneca College with Honours in the Business Administration-Human Resources Advanced Diploma Program and holds a CHRL designation with the Human Resources Professional Association. For more than 10 years Alain has worked with various government and non-profit institutions, his most recent being with Elections Ontario.

Kate Halpenny joined the AGO in 2019 as Chief Development Officer to inspire and lead the Development team, build the AGO’s capacity for an elevated fundraising strategy aligned with the AGO’s long-term vision, and set the groundwork for future fundraising campaigns.

Before joining the AGO, Kate was the Associate Director of Development, Major Gifts at the National Ballet of Canada, where she played a leadership role in the company’s $100 million Soaring Campaign. Prior to that, she led targeted giving initiatives at United Way Toronto and was the founding Executive Director of the WoodGreen Foundation and Director of Marketing at WoodGreen Community Services. She has also held senior positions at the Canadian Film Centre and Opera Atelier.

Kate holds a Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, and received her MBA in Arts & Media Management from Schulich School of Business at York University.

Ros Lawler joined the AGO in 2024 as the Chief Brand & Business Officer. In this inaugural role, Ros leads a multifaceted team to ensure that the AGO’s brand and visitor experience are consistent throughout the Gallery while maximizing revenues across all revenue streams.

Before joining the AGO, Ros was the Chief Operating Officer at the National Portrait Gallery in London, U.K. She played a lead role in delivering a complete transformation of the building, brand and visitor experience to create relevance and engagement for the Gallery for future generations and to secure long term financial sustainability. Prior to this, Ros was the Digital Director at Tate. She devised a new digital strategy, focusing on creating immersive experiences, digital interpretation, wayfinding and e-commerce.

Ros holds a Bachelors degree in English Literature from Goldsmiths University.

Erin Prendergast joined the AGO as Chief of Staff & Corporate Secretary in 2015, and became Chief, Strategic Initiatives in 2019. Erin is responsible for advising and assisting Leadership Team colleagues in the achievement of strategic initiatives, priority setting, corporate governance, and also manages the operation of the Directors' Office.

Erin was previously Director of Development at the Walrus Foundation, best known for publishing The Walrus magazine, from 2013 to 2015. Before joining the Walrus, she worked at the AGO for thirteen years, managing fundraising projects with goals of $1 million and above. She was the manager of the Transformation AGO fundraising campaign, which raised more than $300 million in funds. At the 2008 completion of Transformation AGO, Erin established a donor relations portfolio and helped launch the “Art Opens Minds” campaign in support of art education in 2011. Previous to these roles, Erin worked at Key Porter Books, a Canadian book publisher, and Sotheby's (Canada) Inc., an international fine art auction house.

Erin is a certified fundraising executive and holds a master's degree in publishing.