Anita Gaffney

Anita Gaffney is a Canadian arts executive who has served as the executive director of the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario since 2013.

Early life and education Gaffney was born and raised in Stratford, Ontario. Her father, Oliver Gaffney, owned the construction company that built the Stratford Festival's original theatre in 1953.

Gaffney attended the University of Western Ontario (now Western University), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature in 1990. She later completed a Master of Business Administration at the Richard Ivey School of Business in 2002 and participated in executive education programs at Harvard Business School.

Career Gaffney began her career at the Stratford Festival in 1991 as a publicity assistant. She is responsible for the festival's administrative, operational, and strategic leadership. During her tenure, she eliminated a $3.4 million operating deficit and achieved consistent operating surpluses. In 2019, Western University awarded her an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Her earlier recognitions include Stratford Woman of the Year in Arts (2010), participation in the 2008 Governor General's Leadership Conference, and a Business Excellence Award from the Stratford District Chamber of Commerce in 2006.