PCMA ANNOUNCES CEMA 2027 ADVISORY BOARD

CHICAGO, IL – Following the largest CEMA Summit in CEMA’s 36-year history earlier this month, Sherrif Karamat, CAE, PCMA and CEMA President & CEO announced the 2027 CEMA Advisory Board. The exceptional group of leaders represents a collection of the world’s most innovative brands and organizations and joins CEMA at a moment of strong momentum. Together, the Board will help guide CEMA’s strategic direction in its continued focus to build the premier global community for corporate event marketers.

“The current and incoming CEMA Boards reflect the community we set out to build,” said Sherrif Karamat, CAE, President & CEO of PCMA and CEMA. “These are leaders from some of the most respected brands in the world, and they’re stepping in at a moment when corporate event marketing is being asked to prove its value in new ways. Their guidance will be central to how we scale CEMA’s impact globally.”

The incoming CEMA Advisory Board is comprised of respected leaders from across the Technology, Financial Services, Healthcare and Life Sciences industries. Collectively, they will provide guidance on CEMA’s long-term vision, member experience, educational programming, industry initiatives, and global growth strategy — the same growth trajectory that has carried CEMA to more than 30% growth since joining PCMA in 2021.

Executive Leadership

Chairperson
Bridgette Birdie
Senior Director, Global Events & Outreach, Moody’s

Vice Chairperson & PCMA Board Representative
Leslie Hasvold
Senior Director, Global Strategic Events, Cloudflare

Past Chairperson
Gary Murakami
Vice President, Global Sales & Industry Relations, Teneo Hospitality Group

Incoming Advisory Board Members

Shane Aube – Vice President, Brand Experience, U.S. Bank

Annie Booth – Senior Director, Global Events

April Shomper – Senior Event Marketing & Planning Director, Vizient

Jeremy Youett – Head of Proprietary Events, Atlassian

Returning Advisory Board Members

Maggie Barton Baird – Head of Events, Jobber

Katie Batten – Director, Strategic Events, Customer Portfolio, Okta

Grace Burns – Senior Director, Events, AppFolio

Jessica Colmenares – Director of Sales, Worldwide Accounts, Hilton

Paula Grayson – EVP, Client Services Delivery & Operations, Opus Agency

Laliv Hadar – SVP, Marketing & Brand, InVision

Rodney Hart – Vice President, Events, RainFocus

Sarina Patel – Director, Global Events, Procore

Heather Shuman – Global Director, Events + Experiences, Celonis

Andrew Swanston – Assistant Director of Sales, ExCeL London

Megan Warzeniak – Director of Sales & Strategy, Streamline Events

“We listen to this community, and we build for where it’s going, not just where it’s been,” said Karamat. “As CEMA continues expanding through Summit, Study Tours, Executive Experiences, Regional Dinners, mentorship, and global programming, this Board’s leadership and expertise will play a critical role in shaping how corporate event marketing evolves.”