The British Association of Specialist Congress Organizers (ABPCO) has announced that the association’s director, Heather Rishman, will retire early at the end of 2025.
Lishman will officially resign in December following the annual ABPCO Excellence Awards held at Manchester Central, Manchester.
Lishman’s tenure has led ABPCO to grow and evolve into one of the most respected voices in the UK’s events industry.
Lishman said:
She added: “It was an honor to work with such passionate experts and support the growth and recognition of our industry.”
Under the leadership of Rishman, the association has overcome challenges, achieved unprecedented milestones, reaching its peak to date in the most successful year of today.
She leaves ABPCO at its strongest position in its history. This is in terms of financial, operational, and membership engagement and industry impact. Her legacy will be celebrated in the coming months, culminating in the ABPCO Excellence Awards in December, where friends, colleagues and industry leaders will gather together to mark an extraordinary contribution to the event’s profession.
Pauline Beattie said ABPCO co-chair: “Heather was a true force of goodness in our industry. Her commitment, leadership and unwavering positivity helped shape the ABPCO of today.
The ABPCO executives will begin a formal recruitment process to appoint new executive directors to guide the association into the future.
This process will officially begin in July with the support of experienced third-party recruitment specialists.
With the continued support of a robust and focused executive team and Heather during this transition period, ABPCO wants to reassure members, partners and sponsors.
“We want to reassure members, sponsors and stakeholders across the industry that this process will be implemented with the highest level of transparency and integrity,” said Kate Sargent, a member of the Association’s Accounting and Executive Committee.
She added: “We will adhere to a well-defined framework, as outlined in the Association’s article, and ensure fairness and accountability throughout.”
For more information about ABPCO and updates on Excellence Awards and Leadership Transition, please visit www.abpco.org.
Source link
