A WELL-known arts administrator from Sydney has been announced as the new CEO of the National Film and Sound Archive, the first Australian in more than a decade to occupy the position.

Patrick McIntyre, who has been the executive director of the Sydney Theatre Company for the past 11 years, has a broad interest in the arts and was for a time published widely as a freelance entertainment writer for “Cosmopolitan”, “Rolling Stone” and “Black+White”.

McIntyre succeeds Dutch film digitisation expert Jan Müller, who resigned last December to return to the Netherlands after serving for three and half years.

A writing and performance studies graduate of the University of Technology, Sydney, McIntyre has held positions at Sydney Opera House and Sydney Dance Company, later becoming general manager of Sydney Film Festival and associate executive director of the Australian Ballet.

He has also been chair of the Streetwize Communications board, a non-profit community publishing business, and SCOPE for Artists, a service provider advising artists on career transition strategies. He was also a member of the NSW State Creative Industries Task Force and a member of the executive council of the national industry body, Live Performance Australia.

Retiring chair of the NFSA board, Gabrielle Trainor, said she believed that McIntyre would bring to the job “a deep appreciation of Australian storytelling, a love of our film and music culture, exceptional leadership skills and entrepreneurship, as well as a record of growing connection with audiences”.

Trainor said she expected McIntyre would take the institution further along its transformation from a collecting institution to a more vibrant participant in Australia’s national cultural life.

Nancy Eyers, chief operating officer, will continue as acting CEO until McIntyre takes up his position in October.