News from the ACE Annual General Meeting

SIMON PRODGER HANDED OVER the chairmanship of ACE to Ceva’s Mark O’Connor at the recent Annual General Meeting of ACE.
There are also a number of other new appointments. Shona Keith from Focus Media International is the new vice chairman for 2008, and Tracey Coyne from the Telegraph and Adrian Hughes from Marketforce – one of the delegates of the inaugural ACE Ashridge Foundation Programme - join the committee for their first terms of office.

“We all know the year started with difficulty,” Prodger told the AGM. “The appointed ACE chairman lost his job and resigned, and there was some unfinished business with regard to the 07 Ashridge Programme.

“Thanks to trustee Adrian Smith in particular, and Neil Jagger and Joe Clark, all of the Ashridge issues were smoothed over, and after a rocky start we have managed to have a relatively successful year as an Association.” There were some major successes, he said.

He picked out the terrific ACE Christmas luncheon last year, and an equally successful Press Awards night in the spring. The NewstrAid/ACE fishing festival in Poole, the charity Walk in London and the Northern Division’s Summer Pie also worked very well.

“I think these events are a real credit to our secretary Trevor Collier, as well as to the other organisers,” said the chairman. However, the biggest hit of the ACE year has undoubtedly been the second ACE-Ashridge Foundation Programme.

“The feedback has been nothing but positive,” he said. “This year the Ashridge Programme has improved in all respects. We have moved on, and go into year three of this initiative certain that our collaboration with Ashridge Management College is alive and kicking!”

He added: “What we have achieved in such a short time scale is quite remarkable. It is something that people are privileged to be a part of, and a party to.

2008 committee

Chairman Mark O’Connor
Vice Chairman and Treasurer Shona Keith

Simon Prodger
Barry Allaway
Wendy Sly
Harvey Gidley
Adrian Hughes
Neil Jagger
Joe Clark T
racey Coyne
Jon Bunting
Adele Nash

Head of Marketing Chris Collins
Secretary Trevor Collier

Trustees

Adrian Smith
Mike Newman
Leonard Stall

The committee and trustees of ACE would like to extend a special thanks to Ceva for its ongoing sponsorship of the Association.