25 October 2022
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Sara Purdy as Chief Executive from 24 October 2022.
She succeeds Simon Thompson who has held the position for the last five years. Simon has a new role as Chief Executive of The Geological Society.
Sara Purdy joined the BIR in January 2022 as Director of Publishing, after a career working alongside scholarly societies to launch, develop and grow top-quality journals, helping fulfil their society’s mission, and delivering important revenue streams. Sara has senior management experience from across the charity and private sector, having run the Publishing Departments of the British Society for Immunology and the National Gallery Company, and having worked for publishers including SAGE Publishing, Hodder Education and Elsevier.
Professor Stephen Keevil said “Sara has extensive publishing and management experience together with a wealth of strategic and leadership skills which are a great fit for leading the BIR through its next strategic phase. She has already made a strong impact at the BIR in her role as Director of Publishing and I am delighted to welcome her as Chief Executive.”
“On behalf of the BIR Council, I thank Simon for his hard work, strategic vision and innovation over the last five years and wish him well in his new role.”
Sara said “In the short time I have been at the BIR I have been hugely impressed with the spirit of teamwork amongst staff and their drive to deliver value for BIR members. This all provides a strong foundation on which to build for the years ahead as we grow our membership and strengthen our reputation for high quality education and journals. I am honoured to accept this role and look forward to leading the BIR at this exciting time as we embark on a new five-year strategy.”
“I’d like to thank Simon for his invaluable support in the handover period and wish him every success for the future”.
