Alys Holden brings unique skill and perspective to any dream and/or challenge. Her keen insightfulness is based on a deep understanding of operational realities, clear-headed financial analysis, care for the people involved, and always a commitment to fulfilling an artist's vision.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Neil since he started at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2008. During his tenure at BAM, Neil and I worked together on numerous projects. Many were large scale international presentations and Neil's experience, attention to detail, and creative thinking were an invaluable asset. He and I also worked closely as part of BAM's design team for the Fisher Building. Here again, Neil's skills and deep understanding of the needs of a performing arts facility were invaluable in ensuring that the final results would support the building's mission of being flexible and robust enough to support BAM's most challenging work, as well as the work of the BAM Education Department and local arts groups. I consider Neil an asset to any project and would gladly work with him again in the future.

I worked with Neil at BAM for nine years where he was Director of Production and I was the Line Producer for projects originated by BAM. We collaborated on huge international theater tours, music and dance festivals with the highest level international artists, and every kind of performance and multi-media presentation. I witnessed him support with aplomb and respect artists of every background and level of experience. What I most appreciate about collaborating with Neil is his commitment to understanding and executing the vision of each set of artistic collaborators no matter the scale or stature. He is utterly reliable and one of the clearest thinkers and communicators I have worked with in over 30 years. His combination of wide experience and high intelligence gives him unparalleled ability to think creatively through the most complex projects, anticipating potential problems and forestalling them with careful planning. We rarely had to use his great problem-solving skills because he had already helped the team work through how to avoid possible problems. His leadership ability is not only in skillfully deploying people, time and money, but equally in helping a team understand and articulate clearly what its goals are.

Neil helped the Center get more out of our new software by working closely with stakeholders across multiple departments to identify the pressure points that hampered the best use of ArtsVision. His insights into the operation of an arts organization and the probing questions he posed on best practices for space allocation helped the Center make better use of our software platform and helped achieve the goal of an organization wide adoption of a new and better way at booking space.

Neil and I worked together for five years on the design and development of the Shed at Hudson Yards. This was one of the largest, most complex and exciting projects I have ever worked on. Neil first came on to the project as a peer reviewer in 2013 during the schematic design phase. Over time his role expanded to incorporate functional design and operation consultations throughout the facility. This included adjacency requirements, theatrical systems designs, digital backbone capacity, practical office space needs, HVAC conditions and how to make theatrical and artistic flexibility desires functional and cost effective throughout the facility. A project as complex as The Shed with so many interconnected systems, requires a great deal of creative problem solving. We could always count on Neil to think outside of the box and offer multiple solutions to any challenge.

In my 40-odd years of working in theatre, I’ve learned that there are good production managers and bad production managers – sadly the latter are more common. But there is also a very rare third breed; those you might think of as creative production managers. By “creative”, I don’t mean someone who’ll do your job for you by giving you the ideas that you’re supposed to be having. I mean someone that will take your idea and make it fly – whilst of course technically realizing it, keeping it on budget and making it safe. Neil Kutner is a fine example of that very rare breed. In his brief time at the Sydney Theatre Co, there are two shows in particular that I can safely say would never have gotten off the ground without his support, input and considerable expertise. And support is the key word there. One in particular would never even have gotten past a rightly nervous management without his unequivocal backing and confidence in the idea. While I’m extremely sad to see the world lose such a brilliant production manager, I can’t think of a person who’d be better suited to be a superb theatre consultant.

Neil served as the Interim Managing Director for the Wilma during a recent leadership transition. In this role Neil was both the day-to-day commercial leader for the Company, but also a de facto consultant to the Board as we planned for our future. He joined us midstream in a Strategic Planning cycle, quickly assessed the progress made, and helped to develop a course of action which unleashed new, creative thinking and led to a unique and energizing way forward. Neil is analytically rigorous and brings a depth of insights and experience about performing arts organizations developed from many years of work on-the-ground. He is goal oriented and doesn’t give up until he has completed his mission. I would happily turn to him for advice and counsel whenever faced with tough issues in the theater.

In February 2019, Neil returned to the Wilma after an almost 20-year absence, to serve for a year as Interim Managing Director. In a very short time, he accomplished myriad strategic goals. He hired an excellent team of new administrators, so by the time Neil left, Wilma was led by stellar department heads and a fantastic new Managing Director. He was hugely responsible for activating the Board of Directors and creating new transitional Board leadership. But most significantly he was instrumental in shaping ideas for the Wilma Next Chapter, which included a bold decision to expand the leadership of the organization through the Artistic Cohort with four Artistic Directors. Neil has a very high work ethic. He loves great, bold ideas and will put himself on the line to make them happen.

Neil brings his decades of experience working with artists to the complex issues of designing, managing and operating arts facilities and programming. He's interested in your unique problem and the specifics that will generate a collaborative and creative approach. His methodology centers people and the needs of individuals, while understanding how organizations and systems function best collectively.

I highly recommend Keene Consulting. Our first project with them was the creation of a much-needed pay equity study for our staff. Keene created a comprehensive study that included salary bands, examined race and gender salary levels, and considered comparative industry compensation levels by position. Their process was inclusive, transparent, and equitable. We continue to retain Keene to monitor staff compensation and to make recommendations on adjustments with the goal to achieve pay equity for all our employees. When our HR Director left, we hired Keene to provide HR services over a six-month period until we could hire a new HR/EDI Director. They successfully helped us navigate an industry wide period of significant turnover, searches, and onboarding. Recently we have retained them to assist in the creation of a master plan for the renovation and expansion of our original home the Kalita Humphreys Theater. Neil and Jack are long-time theater professionals with experience in small to large organizations, they know our industry, they are smart, collaborative, and they are good listeners.

For over three years, Neil Kutner has been helping us prepare to launch the new Performing Arts Center that is being constructed at the World Trade Center. The depth of his expertise in staffing structure, building budgets, and long-range planning of all kinds has been invaluable. Neil is also a felicitous colleague, bringing a tremendous work ethic, curiosity, and a sense of humor to every problem he helps solve.

Keene consulting was an indispensable partner as we navigated the challenges of the pandemic. When choral singing became dangerous, we were forced to take our work outside. Neil and Jack’s world-class experience helped us produce a city-wide outdoor concert series on our custom-designed ECHOES equipment in summer 2021. With their help, Crossing premiered three new works for socially distant amplified choir; making music that spoke to the moment in a time of crisis. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Keene as we produce and tour more large-scale outdoor and choral theatrical works in seasons to come.

Alys' ability to see and lean into the strengths of her team members is remarkable. She is approachable and thorough in her recommendations, all delivered with grace and consideration, also targeted in her feedback (her expertise is obvious), prioritizing the well-being of all while propelling us towards a successful outcome.
Our last two projects together were nontraditional in nature and required the shop to work slightly differently because of some complex engineering. It was exciting to have Alys guide and set real parameters to a process that was informed both by the capacity of the resident team while still honoring the big picture demands of the production.

When I started in my role, Keene Consulting had already been hired to complete a compensation study for the organization.  I was brought up to speed as I was onboarding and was responsible to roll it out to staff within my first weeks in the position.  Neil was exceptional not only in the work he did for our organization and staff, but in bringing me up to speed on it all so that I could confidently stand behind it and share it with others.  I have continued to refer to that work in the following months and year and have been particularly grateful for the rigor behind it.  It has provided clarity over fairness and equity in compensation across the organization and has been a tool that both I and staff at all levels have been able to turn to as questions arise. I look forward to working with Keene again in the future!