European Cities Marketing appoints new Chairman of Research & Statistics Knowledge Group

At the ECM International Conference & General Assembly in Malmö, Harry Mirpuri from London & Partners, was appointed to Chair the Research & Statistics Knowledge Group, in succession to Olivier Ponti from Amsterdam Marketing.

Olivier Ponti, Manager of Research at Amsterdam Marketing, has been leading the ECM Research & Statistics Knowledge Group since 2010 and has played a key role in continuously developing the group, its research tools and reports as well as important partnerships. Olivier announced he is stepping down in June as he will leave Amsterdam Marketing to move towards new horizons.

His replacement, Harry Mirpuri is the Director of Research & Insight at London & Partners, the Mayor of London’s official international promotional agency. The organisation aims to tell London’s story brilliantly to an international audience by collaborating with partners who have a stake in London’s international promotion. This commitment to collaboration extends across Europe and includes city to city partnerships, joint tourism campaigns, and business engagement to showcase that London is Open.

Harry leads a talented team of insight and research specialists whose role it is to understand audiences, gain new insights to help set strategy and to evaluate the impact of their activities. He has worked in Research & Insight across a number of sectors including financial services, energy, consumer services and broadcasting, a wide range of experience that he hopes will assist the work of the Knowledge Group. He is also a committed cyclist and is keen to enjoy a ride in every member city. Harry has also previously chaired AURA Insight, an association of over 500 insight and research buyers (www.aura.org.uk).  He has therefore first-hand experience of leading specialist networking groups, to learn, support members to achieve their goals and to encourage collaboration on common issues & challenges.

“I am absolutely delighted to have been elected to Chair the ECM Research & Statistics Knowledge Group. The members are extremely engaged and we have a number of projects underway that enable us to learn, compare and meet our common challenges. Most members of the group are making an active contribution, strongly supported by ECM and our committed research partners. This high level of engagement is partly down to the great work of Olivier Ponti [the Vice-Chair then Chair for the last 12 years – Ed.]. We will do our best to keep his legacy alive as he moves on to pastures new.” said Harry Mirpuri about his election.

“After many years being involved in the ECM Research & Statistics Knowledge Group, it is hard for me to step down. But, with the hard work of Lone Alletorp Callard [Head of Research at Wonderful Copenhagen – Ed.], Vice-Chair of the Group and the new Chair Harry Mirpuri as well as all the group members and our research partners, I am pretty confident that the Research & Statistics Knowledge Group will live on and grow to continue to identify promising research themes for members, to develop methodologies and innovative tools to answer questions and coordinate research activities within the network.” added Olivier Ponti.

Dieter Hardt-Stremayr, ECM President, concluded “The contribution of the Research & Statistics Knowledge Group to European Cities Marketing has been tremendous over the last years; Olivier’s concern was to keep on finding topics and reports to help members in their daily jobs and strengthened this collective research spirit within the organisation. I am sure that Harry will perpetuate that. It is always rewarding to see our members’ engagement in the ECM Knowledge Groups. They are the core of the association and they allow members to MEET, SHARE and GROW all together.”

 

**ENDS**

 

*European Cities Marketing is a non-profit organisation improving the competitiveness and performance of leading cities of Europe by providing a platform for convention, leisure and city marketing professionals to exchange knowledge, best practice and widen their network to build new business. European Cities Marketing is promoting and linking the interests of members from more than 110 major cities in 38 countries.

For more information and pictures, please contact:
Flavie Baudot, press@europeancitiesmarketing.com, +33 380 56 02 00