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CHICAGO, IL — Sherrif Karamat, CAE, PCMA and CEMA President and CEO today announced the 2025 Board of Directors and Trustees Slate introduced to PCMA and CEMA members on September 1, 2024, has officially been approved. Directors and Trustees will assume office immediately following PCMA’s Convening Leaders January 12-15, 2025, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.
“The global business events industry is experiencing unprecedented changes post-COVID with the advent of generative AI, climate change and a rapidly evolving workforce” said Karamat. “The collective quality of leadership, diversity of thought, and global experience exemplified on this incoming Board of Directors and Trustees is essential to help guide PCMA and our industry forward.”
Effective January 15, 2025, the Executive Officers serving a one-year term include:
Chair: Neil Brownlee, Head of Business Events, VisitScotland
Chair-Elect: Kelly Ricker
Secretary-Treasurer: Robin Preston, CEM, DES, Managing Director, Events, The American Institute of Architects
Immediate Past Chair: Leonard Hoops, President and CEO, Visit Indy
CEMA Advisory Board Chair serving a one-year Director and Trustee term:
Gary Murakami, GTP, GLP, CMP Fellow, CMM, DES, Vice President of Global Sales and Industry Relations, Teneo Hospitality Group
The following leaders will begin serving a two-year Director and Trustee term (2025–2026):
Ari Goldsmith, Vice President of Marketing and Digital Media, KeHE Distributors, LLC
Dr. Edward Koh, Executive Director, Singapore Tourism Board
Ori Lahav, CEO, Kenes Group
Walt Leger III, President and CEO, New Orleans & Company
Heather Seasholtz, CMP Fellow, DES, Vice President, Operations, CM Event Solutions
The following leaders will serve a second two-year Director and Trustee term (2025–2026):
Gregg Caren, President and CEO, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau
Dr. Amanda Cecil, PhD, CMP, Professor, Department of Tourism, Event and Sport Management, Indiana University
Brian Landers, CDS, Senior Vice President / Team Director, ConferenceDirect
Stephen Rose, Head of Global Communication Services, Siemens AG
The following leaders are serving the final year of a two-year Director and Trustee term (2024–2025):
Deborah Caldwell, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific Head of Global Events, Bank of America
Patrick Espinoza, MBA, CMP, Director of Sales, Caesars Entertainment, Inc.
Fernando Fondevila, MBA
Gladys O’Mahony, Vice President, Global Sales Organization, Caribbean and Latin America, Marriott International
Peter O’Neil, FASAE, CAE, Principal, Perspective POV, LLC
Clifford “Rip” Rippetoe, President and CEO, San Diego Convention Center Corporation
Panos Tzivanidis, Director, Corporate Events & Services, International Olympic Committee
In addition, the President and CEO of PCMA and CEMA serves as a Director and Trustee:
Sherrif Karamat, CAE, President and CEO, PCMA and CEMA
For media inquiries from the Americas, APAC, EMEA and LATAM, please contact: Meghan Risch, PCMA Chief of Staff, Vice President, Corporate Communications PCMA, PCMA Foundation and CEMA educate, inspire, and listen, creating meaningful experiences where passion, purpose and commerce come together. We are the world’s largest community for Business Events Strategists, providing senior-level education, networking, and market intelligence for the global business events industry. Our mission is to drive social and economic progress through business events. Headquartered in Chicago, IL PCMA has 17 North American Chapters, regional communities in APAC, EMEA and LATAM, and members in 59 countries. The Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA), a PCMA subsidiary, advances strategic event marketing and marketing communications for senior-level event marketers and industry professionals. Visit us at pcma.org. The role of the Foundation of PCMA is to support the mission of PCMA through fundraising and grant-giving focused on scholarships, education and research that will advance the business events industry. Annually the Foundation funds over $900K in impact, and since 1985 has funded over 2,500 scholarships, 100 research studies and education programs, and $2.7M in charitable giving.About PCMA
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