Leading Through Change, a conversation with Dan Weiss, Director and CEO, Philadelphia Museum of Art

Host Maiken Scott (right) and speaker, Dan Weiss (left) in discussion at the October 2026 event.

By: Maiken Scott

From catching thieves in a gift shop to stopping Justin Bieber from vaping in the Met’s bathroom, Dan Weiss shared wonderful stories - and great insights into leading institutions. The new CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art spoke about his life, his passion for both art and managing organizations, and the future of this important institution.

Two themes from the conversation:

Serendipity - and how a chance interaction or opportunity can alter the trajectory of our lives.

From the magnetic art history college professor who introduced Dan to the field and inspired him to pursue this as a career, to the surprise opportunity to manage the gift shops at the Kennedy Center that led to a career in steering institutions - Dan has embraced these moments, and seized the chance to turn them into something meaningful.

When you see problems, double down and find solutions.

At just 22 years of age, Dan discovered significant “shrinkage” at the Kennedy Center gift shops. That’s retail speak for theft. Rather than shrugging this off, Dan wanted to do something about it. He enlisted the help of a detective to set up a sting operation and caught a perpetrator. (He told this great story on “This American Life”) But the real problem turned out to be much bigger. To fix that, the place needed an inventory system, so that’s what Dan set up. And the shrinkage shrunk!

As Dan’s career progressed, the institutions he managed became much bigger, as did the problems.

Leading higher ed institutions during times of financial pressure, getting through COVID at The Met, and now steering the Philadelphia Museum of Art through a budget crisis.

Dan’s message was clear; yes, there are problems, but we will solve them.