V&A selects the Tate's Whitmore for public affairs

the departure of Robin Cole-Hamilton last year.

Whitmore quit the Tate in July to head PR at the Museum of Modern Art in

New York (PRWeek, 29 June) but later decided to remain in the UK for

personal reasons. His decision was not linked to the terrorist

atrocities of 11 September.

As director of public affairs he reports to V&A director Mark Jones and

oversees all PR, advertising and marketing work.

He joins the V&A later this month, initially on a part-time basis then

full-time early next year, as the South Kensington museum launches one

of its biggest ever PR pushes.

The museum hopes to significantly boost visitor numbers after 22

November, when it drops its entry charges and opens its British

Galleries exhibition.

It had suffered from poor attendance since introducing admission charges

in 1996. Visitor numbers fell to a low of 1.22 million in 1999.