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CHI’s Sarah Golding to be IPA’s second woman president

CHI & Partners CEO and partner Sarah Golding (below) has been nominated as the next president of UK agency trade body the IPA, succeeding Tom Knox of what is now MullenLowe.

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Barring an unheard of outbreak of hostilities, her appointment will be ratified in March and she will lay out her plans for her two year presidency in May. Day to day IPA affairs are handled by director general Paul Bainsfair and his team.

The IPA, in so far as it represents UK adland, which it mostly does, is at an interesting junction. Agencies have been criticised recently on a number of grounds, particularly diversity and fairness to women. More generally there’s a feeling that it’s not as good a career as it was (it was never an especially secure one) and that this is one of the reasons an increasing number of marketers are seeking advice from elsewhere, particularly the big consultancies. Accenture Interactive has just bought leading London creative agency Karmarama, thereby becoming an IPA member presumably.

Knox set out a ‘here for good’ agenda two years ago, following in the footsteps of the likes of Dove and Always. It’s possible that this particular train had left town by then. The clever and capable (and feisty) Golding will probably outline a more down to earth agenda.

D-G Bainsfair says: “Sarah will make an excellent president. She is universally admired, tremendously popular and she knows what it takes to be successful in our industry today. I believe Sarah is an excellent choice to take over the baton from Tom Knox. I’m sure our members will join me in congratulating her and in looking forward to her agenda.”

Golding says: “’I am extremely flattered and honoured to be chosen as the IPA’s next president, and I look forward to helping the industry flourish in profoundly changing times.”

Golding will be the second female president of the IPA in its long history. Nicola Mendelsohn, then of Karmarama now at Facebook, was the first from 2011 to 2013.

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