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Irving to step down as chief executive of Four Culture as Spruyt and Railton take the helm
Dotti Irving is stepping down from her role as chief executive at Four Culture at the end of June to pursue a consultancy career, as Truda Spruyt and Matt Railton take up the helm.
Irving has worked on the Booker Prize since 1993, when she was c.e.o. of PR firm Colman Getty, which became part of Four Communications in 2012. She has become known for her work on major literary prizes, including the Baillie Gifford Prize and the International Prize for Arabic Fiction.
Despite leaving Four Culture, she will continue to work for the company on a consultancy basis and will remain a part of the Booker family. Four said the plan is for her association with the prizes to continue in a different form. Four Culture’s work on this year’s prizes will be led by Spruyt, who will be building on her close involvement with the International Booker Prize.
Spruyt and Railton have both been with Four since before 2012, when the company acquired Colman Getty.
Nan Williams, group chief executive of Four Communications Group, said: “Matt and Truda bring incredibly strong complementary skills to the culture team. We are delighted that they have taken this next step in their careers at Four, to now lead the culture team within our wider lifestyle unit. We are looking forward to continuing our relationship with Dotti, who has been a driving force in the culture communications space since she founded her agency in 1987. Since she brought her Colman Getty team into Four 10 years ago, she has helped us establish Four as the go-to agency for culture and the creative industries.”
Spruyt will retain her job title as managing director for culture, taking on additional responsibilities originally held by Irving. She leads on strategy and integrated communications campaigns across the cultural and creative industries, currently leading on accounts including the International Booker Prize, StoryTrails (part of Unboxed 2022), The Reading Agency’s 20th anniversary and the Baillie Gifford Prize. She said she was “delighted” to to take this next step with Four “especially at this time when the cultural and creative sector is burgeoning after the challenges of the past two years”.
Railton will also retain his title as fellow managing director for culture. He develops creative strategies for campaigns and oversees communications for some of the world’s most high-profile brands and events, including galleries, universities, research and innovation organisations and local authorities. He sits on the Place+ group within Four, a cross-sector service, which harnesses data-driven insights and marketing services to provide deeper understanding, analysis, strategy, execution and evaluation for organisations involved in place making.
He said: “I joined Colman Getty back in the day as an intern, learning from the inimitable Dotti Irving, and so I am very proud to be part of the pair now leading the culture team at Four in its next phase of growth.”
Irving said: “I’ve had a fulfilling and very happy working life to date, first setting up Colman Getty and then working with Four for the past decade. I’m proud of what I have achieved, aided and abetted over the years by so many brilliant people who are now scattered throughout the creative industries.
“I’m very proud of the culture team at Four. They are top rate; passionate about everything they do and great to work with. I would like to thank them and all our clients who have made working so rewarding and such fun!”
Gaby Wood, director of the Booker Prize Foundation, added: "It is hugely to Dotti’s credit that the Booker Prizes have acquired the global prestige they enjoy today, and it’s a privilege to build on that with her blessing. Every judging panel gratefully acknowledges the vital role Dotti and her team play with their efficient, professional and always cheerful support. Though Dotti will step aside from those day-to-day operations, we’re glad of the chance to draw on her expertise in future as well as celebrating her achievement. Congratulations to Truda, who we know will ably fill Dotti’s shoes."
