Patrick Corcoran is stepping down from the National Association of Theatre Owners, ending a 24-year run that most recently saw him serve as vice president and chief communications officer of the exhibition industry lobbying organization. It’s a time of transition at NATO, with Michael O’Leary taking over as president and CEO from John Fithian, who ran the organization for decades.
Corcoran worked closely with Fithian, helping to manage the group’s public relations outreach. His tenure overlapped with tectonic changes in the theatrical landscape, from consolidation of major chains to the rise of streaming to a public health crisis in COVID that led to the closure of cinemas for months. Through it all, Corcoran, a wry, unflappable presence labored to argue that movie theaters were not in a death spiral and would continue to attract customers, just as they had for more than a century. He also had to deal with fractious theater owners, all while helping to launch NATO’s annual exhibition business conference, CinemaCon.
Corcoran, who came from journalism, joined NATO as a writer and editor of its monthly magazine and annual encyclopedia in 1998. In 2007, he was named director of media and research, as well as the organization’s California operations chief. In 2011, he was promoted to his most recent role running communications and serving as NATO’s vice president.
“Patrick has been an integral part of NATO’s growth over the past two and a half decades,” said O’Leary. “He has served our organization and the entire exhibition industry with skill and dedication, and we are grateful for all that he has done to drive the way NATO tells its story.We wish him the best in his next chapter.”
“It has been a tremendous privilege to serve as the voice of an industry that I truly love,” Corcoran said. “I approached the challenges and opportunities facing our industry the way we have worked as an association: with honesty, data, openness, and most especially, with respect for the journalists who cover our industry.”
