Bold ambitions, exciting plans

Last month we held our 2018 AGM. As well as approving the previous year’s accounts and voting in new Board members, those who attended heard about the huge strides we are making, and how we are powering up to build on our successes.

I told the gathered members about the upswing in member engagement in events and webinars, the large numbers of members coming to us via IEMA approved training and the new scale of influence we now boast in policy decision-making. Monitoring and reporting that kind of activity is vitally important to the running of any business, and especially one like IEMA, which has bold ambitions. It also shows that, as we are working through the process of becoming a Chartered body, we’re in the strongest position we’ve ever known. But what next? How will we build on all of this, and, more importantly, what does it mean for you?

As I outlined at the AGM, our aim is to grow IEMA. Why? Because our profession will make more of an impact when its mass increases – the strength in numbers approach. It’s not about commercial growth; it’s about impact and profile, because as our numbers grow, our voice will be louder, our work more visible and our influence more powerful.

How will we achieve this growth and profile? By enhancing and improving the value of your membership, ensuring IEMA remains pertinent, applicable and attractive – something any environment and sustainability professional cannot get by without. We will continue on our path to Chartership, introduce a new platform to record your professional development so your learning has new relevance, create new training and development opportunities, focus on international development, launch member recognition schemes and awards, accelerate our strong media profile, seek out exciting partnerships and projects and open up influential new networks. The details of this will be designed with you – the IEMA member – at heart.

We will let you know more about our plans and what they mean for you over the coming months. It’s exciting stuff, and I can’t wait to talk more about it with you. I hope that, as and when each development opens up, you’ll continue to get involved and maximise every opportunity for yourself and your career. After all, when you win, the environment wins – and that’s our one common goal.