Catherine Franche is the Executive Director of Ecsite, the European network of science centres and museums.
Ecsite, the European network of science centres and museums, was created in 1990. Its stated mission is to inspire and empower science centres, museums and all organisations that engage people with science, and to promote their actions. For close to fifteen years Franche has been its inspirational and charismatic Executive Director and has been instrumental in the organisation’s growth and continued success.
Active in the field of science communication, Ecsite’s approximately 350 members are science centres, museums, research bodies, festivals, universities and planetariums. Under Franche’s leadership the annual Ecsite conference has grown to become the largest science engagement event in Europe. It now attracts over 1200 science centre professionals from over 60 countries.
Responding to the pandemic, Franche and her team have been a vital resource for members. Resources have included a Covid-19 resource page, a series of webinars and a couple of one-day educational conferences. All of these resources have been provided to members free of charge.
A skilled communicator in a multi-cultural and multi-linguistic environment, Franche holds an MBA in cultural management from HEC Montréal (Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales).