Mimi Turtle

Chief Executive

Mimi qualified as a GP Chartered Surveyor in 2006.  During her surveying career she trained in valuation with CBRE London before working in Retail and Leisure Agency and Asset Management at CBRE Belfast.  More recently Mimi developed a boutique travel company with her sister which now employs 3 full-time and 8 part-time staff, she remains a shareholder.  In addition to her surveying skills, she has a sound understanding of finance and bookkeeping, experience in managing staff and designing and implementing a marketing strategy.  She has over 10 years’ experience running the Strand Arts Centre and in 2016 was recognised as one of Northern Ireland’s Rising Star Leaders receiving Business First’s ‘Top 40 Under 40’award.  In 2017 she graduated from Ulster University Business School with a First-Class Advance Diploma in Financial Sustainability for Third Sector Organisations. She was highly commended in the category of Social Entrepreneur of the Year at the Co3 Leadership Awards 2019.
The building that the Strand Arts Centre occupies is owned by Mimi’s father and before that her grandfather who bought the site in 1977.  When the commercial cinema’s tenant served their notice in early 2012 Mimi began looking into alternative uses for the building.