Sissi Lignou, CEO of AFEA Congress, based in Athens Greece, is officially announced as IAPCO President at the latest IAPCO Annual Conference and General Assembly held in Taipei, Taiwan from 21-23 February 2025.
Over her next two-year term as President, Ms. Lignou, having been previously elected as President-Elect in 2024, will now be responsible for setting the direction of the association, ensuring adherence to our statutes and standing orders, advocating on behalf of the global meetings industry and driving IAPCO’s growth and development.
Sissi Lignou commented “I am deeply honored and grateful to take on this pivotal role, continuing to serve our Association with dedication, alongside my fellow Council Members and Administration. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to our Immediate Past President, Sarah Markey-Hamm, for her remarkable leadership and unwavering support.
Our Association stands for excellence, and I am eager to embark on this shared journey of quality, collaboration, and friendship with our Members and Community. Together, as one IAPCO family, we have the power to showcase the extraordinary value of our future-focused global industry — one that unites people and drives meaningful progress. Let’s lead with a heart and take IAPCO to new heights!”
Martin Boyle, IAPCO CEO, commented “I have had the privilege of working with Sissi over the past 5 years in her role as IAPCO Council Member as well as whilst she has been President-Elect for the past 12 months and I am certain that her passion and drive for our industry will be of great value to our association.”
Sarah Markey-Hamm completes her two-year team and takes on the role of IAPCO Immediate Past-President and Chair of IAPCO’s Committee of Ethics. Sarah noted in her official handover to Sissi: “Sissi has been a force of nature on IAPCO Council and her work on our advocacy campaign demonstrates her commitment to our Association. I look forward to supporting her in her role as President.”
IAPCO Council 2025
Two existing Council Members, Nicola Testai of OIC Group (Italy) and Jason Yeh of GIS Group (Taiwan) were both re-elected for another two years. All other existing Council Members are mid-term so continued in their roles. The IAPCO Council for 2025 is:
President:
Sissi Lignou, AFEA Congress, Greece
Immediate Past-President:
Sarah Markey-Hamm, ICMS Pty Ltd, Australia
Treasurer:
Jason Yeh, GIS Group, Taiwan
Council Members:
Ajay Bhojwani, MCI Group, UAELimor Cunia, Kenes Group, Israel
Ellen Franck, Meetagain, Sweden
Stephen Noble, The Conference Company, Australia
Jimena Ruiz, BTC Group, Mexico
Nicola Testai, OIC Group, Italy
Giulia Sarri, AIM Gorup, Italy (Co-Opted Council Member)
Vassilis is the founder and Executive Editor of XeniosWorld, Greece's leading English-language travel trade media since 1997.
With 30+ years in media and hospitality, he's worked with over 200 luxury hotels and resorts across Greece. A marketing graduate with postgraduate studies, Vasileios specializes in hotel digital marketing, direct booking strategies, and tourism industry innovation.
His insights reach 45,000+ hospitality professionals globally. Based in the UK and Greece, he's passionate about helping hotels leverage technology and data-driven strategies to increase revenue and reduce OTA dependency.
