It is a great privilege to serve as President of the British Society of Perfumers and I look forward to the year ahead. Thank you to our Immediate Past President, Julie Dunkley for giving me this opportunity.
I am delighted to announce Virginie Daniau as my Vice President. I very much appreciate her continued support on this journey.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our re-elected members of Council for their continued dedication and commitment to the Society: Peter Malton, Matthew Williams, Christina Koutsoudaki, Elizabeth Dowden, Allison Dixon, Hayley Forster and Inga Raftery.
A warm welcome is extended to our new members of Council: Jean-Charles Mignon, Tina Hotchin, Mustafa Varcin and Alexandra Birden. We all look forward to this new chapter with you on board.
At the AGM, one of my objectives was to highlight the ‘Aims of the Society’ as a way of crystalizing what we strive to be:
-‘Continue to be a respected voice in the fragrance industry’ we are a unique membership organisation for Perfumers and individuals working in related roles in the Fragrance Industry.
-‘Inform, educate, and inspire creativity’ our events calendar offers a mix of in-person and virtual events that cover a wide range of topics for our Members, Students, and Friends, and ‘provides a platform that facilitates networking and collaboration’.
-‘Maintain professional standards and long-term viability of the Society’ lies at the heart of my mission and focus this year. Our Strategy team and Council members are working behind the scenes to make positive fundamental changes that protect our organisation and keeps us relevant for existing and new members.
Planning for the year ahead began during my vice-presidential year and is well underway, with thanks for the support of our committed Council members.
We are delighted to announce that for the first time, the British Society of Perfumers will be represented at Simppar and WPC. I am grateful to both organisations for the invitation. Building relationships and working on mutual collaborations is key to us moving forward and staying relevant.
As a reminder, our next Society event will be hosting ‘An Evening with Michael Edwards’ for the launch of his new book ‘American Legends’. This special evening will be held in London at the Royal Society of Chemistry on Thursday 6th June 2024 at 6.30pm. Event details here.
I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to those who are stepping down from Council and have supported the Society over many years with hard work and dedication. We are all truly grateful to: Marianne Martin, David Whitaker, Helen Hill, Graham Bott, Pia Long, Roz Wicks and Mohammed Jamal.