QATAR MUSEUMS APPOINTS KIRSTIN MEARNS AS NEW CEO OF ITS COMMERCIAL ARM, IN-Q

Qatar Museums appoints Kirstin Mearns as CEO of IN-Q Enterprises

DOHA, Qatar, 13 October 2023 – Qatar Museums today announced the appointment of Kirstin Mearns to serve as Chief Executive Officer of IN-Q Enterprises WLL (IN-Q), the commercial arm and wholly owned subsidiary of Qatar Museums within the retail, food and beverage, and hospitality sectors. IN-Q creates commercial opportunities for artists, designers, and entrepreneurs while also presenting curated experiences that demonstrate the hospitality for which Qatar is well known.

Ali Bouzarif, Vice Chairman of IN-Q, said, “Kirstin Mearns is a champion of artists with a keen mind for enterprise. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience from both the non-profit and business sectors, making her the ideal leader to create entrepreneurial opportunities for Qatar’s emerging creatives both on site and through digital engagement.” 

Mearns will oversee IN-Q’s expanding portfolio of restaurants, stores, retail and dining experiences, and online platforms, which include IDAM by Alain Ducasse at the Museum of Islamic Art, Jiwan Restaurant and Café 875 at the National Museum of Qatar, Café #999 at the Fire Station, Naua at 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, Profiles Café at M7, Ralph’s Coffee at Place Vendome, IN-Q Online, QM museum gift shops, Cass Art Qatar Shop, exhibition pop-ups at M7, QM Galleries, and the Fire Station, and more. 

Kirstin Mearns said, “‘It is with great pride in what M+ is, and what I know it will become, that I now embrace my new position of CEO of IN-Q enterprises. The Qatar Cultural Vision for 2030 is one built on Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani’s foresight and fortitude, and it is an honour to be part of that vision leading the IN-Q team. Cultural commerce has the potential to bridge the gap as a familiar context in a new and evolving Qatari cultural experience. I look forward to working with the Qatar Museums and IN-Q teams to become a global leader in cultural commerce.”

Mearns most recently served as Head of Commerce and Visitor Services at M+ in Hong Kong where she oversaw a large department that was responsible for visitor service, trademark and licensing, merchandising, membership and sponsorship strategies, placemaking, retail and commercial development, and generating new revenue streams.