BPMA announces new chair, president, vision, look and board members

The British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) has elected Gill Thorpe as new BPMA chair at the Annual General Meeting. In addition to this, the BPMA unveiled its new look and announced new board members at the National Incentive Show 2008.

Gill Thorpe, previously vice chair, was formally voted in as new chair at the BPMA AGM, held at the National Incentive Show, while outgoing chair, David Lebond, was voted in as BPMA president.

Following her election Gill Thorpe presented the agenda for moving the Association forward.

Gill Thorpe has 23 years experience in the promotional marketing and product sourcing industry. As a board member of the BPMA for the past 14 years, Gill is known for her wealth of knowledge on many industry subjects and issues, and is widely recognised as an industry authority.

Gill has previously worked within a major marketing agency and business gift house before going on to becoming the founder and entrepreneur behind sourcing company The Sourcing Team, over the past 12 Years. She is also incoming council member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS).

David Lebond, The BPMA outgoing Chairman commented: "I couldn't be handing over the mantle of chair to better hands. Gill is an individual who I believe has no equal in her understanding and support of the BPMA and her knowledge and expertise, particularly on sourcing and procurement will be an asset to the BPMA, all its members and the industry."

At the AGM, a new vision for the Association was laid out by Thorpe:

* The BPMA will move towards covering every aspect of the supply
chain from manufacturer to distributor, to end-user.
* The BPMA educational Academy will be grown and nurtured to
provide training professionalism across the industry.
* A robust procurement support system to cover all members and
serve the industry.

The board of directors was further strengthened with the addition of Andrew Hill of Senator Pens, Graham Winter of PF Concepts, and industry veteran, Ian Allchild of IA Consultancy. The agenda of both Hill and Winter will be to strengthen the BPMA's trade side of the Association, while Allchild will provide his expertise as an industry and exhibition specialist.