Daniel Weiss Takes Helm at Philadelphia Museum of Art Amid $10M Deficit

Daniel Weiss, 69, became director and CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in December 2024, a month after the board fired Sasha Suda. The PMA faces a $10 million deficit on a $76.5 million budget, potentially growing to $15.9 million next year. Weiss, known as a fixer, previously served as president and COO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 2015 to 2023, where he helped eliminate a $40 million deficit. He holds an MBA from Yale and a PhD in art history from Johns Hopkins. The board appointed him unanimously without a search, citing his experience. Suda filed a lawsuit after her termination, which will be settled in private arbitration. Weiss aims to balance the budget in three years, rebuild senior leadership, and improve morale. He has hired Mitchell Wein as CFO/COO, Lavita McMath Turner as chief people officer, and Neil Batiancila as chief advancement officer. He also promoted Jennifer Thompson to deputy director. Weiss reinstated the museum's original name but kept the new griffin logo. The Gehry expansion's second phase is on hold due to deferred maintenance. Attendance is about 675,000, which Weiss considers too low. The endowment is nearly $600 million. Weiss has committed to staying through 2028.