UFI Congress
New President picks up UFI diversity challenge
Mary Larkin took over as UFI President at the association’s 86th Congress
in Bangkok in November and immediately set out her vision for a sustainable and diverse future
ary Larkin’s
elevation to the
UFI Presidency
marks several
‘firsts’, as she noted in her first
speech to delegates at the recent
Bangkok Congress. She noted
she was the association’s first
female, first American, and first
Irish woman to take on the role.
“I wanted to ensure that these
firsts really make an impact on
our industry, which I have been
a part of for almost my entire
career,” she said.
She also asked, rhetorically,
what were the most pressing
issues and opportunities for
UFI, the global association of the
exhibitiion industry.
For Larkin the answer is
clearly sustainability and
diversity. “The areas I am most
passionate about are around
sustainability and diversity in
leadership,” she said.
“Making our industry
sustainable in all aspects of
the word is vital to our future
and is a moral obligation to the
sustainability of our planet, too.
My ties to the seafood industry
w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk
make this top of mind for me,”
she said.
“While I believe in looking
at the future, as an industry
we need to look at what we
leave behind. UFI is the global
leader on sustainability for
our industry. The Sustainable
Development Working Group
has a hefty task ahead,” Larkin
noted, adding that she expected
2020 would have a focus on
waste management given the
impact the industry has through
waste.
Larkin noted that UFI
had launched a Sustainable
Development Award and would
run a forum on the topic in 2020.
She added that sustainability
would be the focus of Global
Exhibitions Day next June.
Larkin also said in her speech
that while she considered it an
honour to be the first female
President of UFI, the real
diversity would happen with the
second and third Presidents.
“A SISO study showed that our
industry reflects 65% women
at entry level positions, which
drops to 50% at management
level, 35% at director and
only 9% at C-level,” she said.
“Businesses are missing out
on leadership skills that are
pertinent to our business,
industry and communities.
There are numerous studies
showing that having female
leadership and females at board
level reflects a higher return
on share price. Emotional
intelligence is recognised as
the most important leadership
skill to have to lead companies
into the future. The UFI board is
made up of 88% males out of 60
membership positions.”
Larkin admitted that diversity
was not just about gender, but
about race, origin and age. “UFI
does not have a board member
under the age of 40 – what else
are we missing out on?” she
asked.
Larkin concluded her
Congress speech by stressing
that 2020 would be a big year
with huge opportunity for
UFI. “We have the opportunity
to change how we view the
industry we all serve,” she
said. “2020 is an election year
– in more ways than one – and
we can make a difference
by changing the face of our
industry through the election
process for the board of
directors, the chapters, etc.”
She concluded with a
challenge to UFI members to
deliver on diversity at board
level and to reflect the diverse
next generation of leaders…
“and to ensure we take the
lead on making our industry
sustainable in all aspects of the
word”.
Issue 6 2019
29