Cullom most recently served as executive director of the Queens Theatre. His experience also includes serving as managing director of the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, CT, and as executive director and producer with Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment at the Bethesda Theatre in the Washington, DC, area. Cullom will oversee the programming and operations of the center, which is a major new multi-venue performing arts complex set to open in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2013. The center features a 2,300-seat main stage, an 800-seat drama theatre and will be among the largest and most technologically advanced performance venues in the world.

"Ray brings an enormous amount of relevant expertise and proven management ability to the position, and will be a great asset to the project as we pioneer a new concept in venue management and entertainment programming in Istanbul, Europe's youngest and fastest growing major city," Robert Nederlander, Jr. said in a statement. "Ray's unique mix of experience both on the production and the venue side will serve this project very well. Along with the excellent local staff we have assembled in Istanbul, he will lead what will very quickly become one of the most important performance venues in the world."

"It's hard to believe that Istanbul, this incredible 4,000-year old seat of history and culture does not yet have a major performance venue like this, and I believe the entire worldwide arts community has been waiting for a project like this to happen here," Cullom said in a statement. "The response we have received so far has been overwhelming — from artists, agents and producers the world over. Our soon-to-be-announced programming will run the gamut from multi-week engagements of major Broadway titles, to the top dance and classical artists in the world, to family and international attractions, with a healthy dose of local Turkish and regional star performers that we hope to be able to shine an international spotlight on."