Join the AGO’s new Michael and Sonja Koerner Director, and CEO, in conversation with Sean O'Neill, AGO Associate Director, Adult Programming & Partnerships to hear about the experiences that led Stephan to the AGO, his perspectives on Toronto, and how he envisions the future of art museums in the 21st century.

Stephan Jost joined the Honolulu Museum of Art as its Director in May 2011, with the goal of making the Museum a welcoming and accessible place for a more diverse audience to experience great art. Under his leadership, the Museum’s finances were dramatically improved, with debt and pension obligation reduced by 85 per cent; the education program expanded in reach and capacity, serving more than 30,000 students and adults through tours and classes; its membership increased by 64 per cent; and its staff revitalized with key hires, resulting in an energized visitor experience. Prior to that appointment, Stephan 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 has 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. Stephan, who was married in Toronto ten years ago, relocated to the city this spring with his husband, Will Scott—a Toronto-born educator with a PhD in history from the University of California, Berkeley—and their 5 year-old daughter. Stephan holds American and Swiss citizenships.