About Experience North East England
Chief Executive Officer
Shape how the North East is seen by the world. A new organisation. A regional ambition. A defining leadership opportunity.
An invitation to lead one of England’s most distinctive regional stories.
The North East is home to three cities, award-winning coastline, breathtaking rural landscapes and historic market towns. It is a region of culture, creativity, enterprise and pride; compact enough to feel connected, yet rich enough to offer a remarkably varied visitor experience.
From vibrant city breaks and major events to heritage, food, festivals, countryside, coast and world-class cultural assets, the North East already has so much of what visitors, investors and partners are looking for. The opportunity now is to bring that strength together with greater confidence, visibility and purpose.
Experience North East England has been created to do exactly that: to tell the region’s story at a new scale, build a stronger destination brand, grow the visitor economy and position the North East as one of the UK and Europe’s most compelling places to visit, experience and invest in.
This is a rare Chief Executive opportunity: A chance to shape a new organisation from the beginning, convene partners around a shared regional ambition and become a visible advocate for a place with huge momentum and even greater potential. For the right leader, this is much more than a role. It is an invitation to build the brand, champion the region and help write the next chapter for the North East.
Job Purpose
To provide visible, strategic and entrepreneurial leadership to Experience North East England, building on the legacy of NewcastleGateshead Initiative to establish a genuinely regional destination organisation that strengthens the North East’s profile, reputation and visitor economy.
Working with the Chair, Board, North East Mayoral Strategic Authority, North East Mayor, Local Visitor Economy Partnerships, local authorities and partners across the public, private and cultural sectors, the Chief Executive will create a compelling regional destination brand, convene partners behind a shared ambition, secure investment and commercial opportunities, and deliver sustainable, inclusive growth that benefits places, businesses and communities across the North East.
What we’re looking for:
Outstanding stakeholder relationship management and partnership-building capability.
Significant senior leadership experience, including delivering organisational growth, transformation and Board-level strategic priorities.
Strong commercial acumen, including experience securing funding, sponsorship, investment or commercial income.
A passion for championing places and building reputation, profile and impact.
The credibility to act as a visible ambassador for the North East on a national and international stage.
Find out more in our digital flipbook below:
Interested in shaping the next chapter?
NRG Executive is supporting Experience North East England with this appointment.
To apply, please provide:
An up-to-date CV setting out your career history, responsibilities and achievements.
A covering letter explaining your interest in the opportunity and demonstrating how your experience, achievements and leadership approach align with the requirements of the role.
Applications should be submitted by 9th October 2026.
For a confidential discussion about the opportunity, please contact Scot McHarg