David Hackett to chair Grass Roots events business

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Global performance improvement business Grass Roots has appointed David Hackett as the Deputy Chairman of its events businesses which it is uniting under one umbrella.
 
Hackett has 36 years of event management experience and founded The Travel Organisation in 1980, which rebranded as The Marketing Organisation in 1987. TMO was sold to BI in 2001 at which David was Chairman until 2005 and was subsequently Chairman of BI Worldwide.

Hackett led the strategic acquisition of The MINT Organisation, extending BI’s operations into Australia, Asia and Dubai. He left BI in 2011 to start a new venture which helped Smart Hospitality win the catering at The Olympic Hospitality Centre, a dining venue at the 2012 Olympic Park.

Hackett will chair the monthly meetings of the Grass Roots events businesses which manage billings in excess of £100m and have four primary business locations: Fleet in Hampshire; Marlow in Buckinghamshire; Putney London and Worcester. The directors responsible for each part of the enterprise: Giselle Ripken (Fleet), Jon Shilling and Warren Hiller (Marlow), Des McLaughlin (Putney) and Charles Moyle (Worcester) will continue in their roles as heads of these businesses.
 
David Evans MBE, Founder and Executive Chairman of Grass Roots, noted: “David Hackett and I have known one another for two decades and more. He has a distinguished history in the space, is a clear thinker and an experienced Chairman. I enjoy his companionship and it is widely known that he treats the event industry with respect and dignity.”
 
The new report framework, Grass Roots claimed would lead to a more practical approach and give the Group PLC “some room for manoeuvre and expansion outside the UK in this quartile of its businesses”.

The Group has not yet confirmed officially that its Tring MD, Andy Lister, has left the company, although David Evans is quoted as saying there were differences over strategy.

Annual trading results for the year to December 2011 show turnover of £21.1m for the year, representing a small loss of just over £1m after administrative expenses.
 
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