New president for IAPCO Council gets down to work

Sissi Lignou, CEO of AFEA Congress (Greece), has been elected to the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO) Council as president, following an announcement made at the latest IAPCO Annual Conference and General Assembly 2025 in Taipei, Taiwan.

Having served as IAPCO President-Elect since February 2024, Lignou will now begin her new mandate for the next two years. Her latest appointment earns her the responsibility of setting the direction of IAPCO and driving the association's growth and development.

Based in Athens, Lignou has more than 20 years of experience in the meetings and events industry. Following her activity at the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (2001-2004), she joined the family-owned business AFEA Congress. She is currently the CEO and President of the Board of AFEA Congress, a long-standing PCO in Greece.

Lignou’s contributions to the industry have been widely recognised. Throughout her tenure at IAPCO, she has worn many hats, including serving as an Edgineer, Ambassador, member of the Editorial Committee and speaker at WebEdge, IAPCO Edge seminars and other educational events hosted by the Association. Furthermore, she has been a member of the IAPCO Training Academy and IAPCO Faculty since 2021.

Outgoing president, Sarah Markey-Hamm, CEO of ICMS (Australia), will take on the role of IAPCO Immediate Past-President and Chair of IAPCO’s Committee of Ethics. Meanwhile, Nicola Testai, CEO of OIC Group (Italy) and Jason Yeh, CEO of GIS Group (Taiwan) have been re-elected to the IAPCO Council.