In a letter to the Sundance community, Keri Putnam, the CEO of the Sundance Institute has announced that she will be stepping down from her current position this summer. She has stated how much she's enjoyed working there and thanks everyone including Robert Redford for all the support they have given her.
I am extremely proud to have been part of the Sundance team — never more than over this last year, despite all its challenges. Thanks to the adventurous spirit of our artists and audiences, the 2021 Sundance Festival was a resounding success.
It has not yet been announced who will be replacing Putnam, However, this news will surely be revealed in the coming months and the search party is being chaired by board chair Pat Mitchell and vice chair Ebs Burnough. Putnam will remain in her current position until August 31st 2021, by which time her replacement will take her place. Her resignation comes as John Cooper, the festival's director, also stepped down in January this year.
I'm excited to explore my next chapter over the coming months, pursuing new adventures and opportunities. Most of all, I look forward to being part of this community of supporters cheering on the Sundance Institute and its important work for years to come.
Putnam will be known as the CEO that brought the festival into the modern world, diversifying it and taking it online. She also, of course, saw it through the huge public health crisis that was the current pandemic. She has done a lot for the festival in the ten years she has been at this position.
