International Project Management Association (IPMA) Council of Delegates (CoD) convened in Baku, Azerbaijan, and elected IPMA President, IPMA Executive Board (ExBo), and Chairman of IPMA CoD for 2013 … 2014. The official meeting of IPMA CoD, the highest decision-making body of the first global project management association, took place on September 29th … 30th 2012 with delegates from thirty IPMA Member Associations in attendance and further five being represented through a proxy system. The meeting was hosted by the Azerbaijan Project Management Association (AzPMA), the local IPMA Member Association.
Professor Mladen Radujkovic, the current IPMA Vice President of Research and Education / Training and President of Croatian Association for Project Management (CAPM), was elected IPMA President for 2013 … 2014. Dr Radujkovic assumes the two-year position after the tenure of Mr Roberto Mori, the current IPMA President, concludes at the end of 2012. The main duties of IPMA President include providing guidance and coordination to the ExBo activities aimed at fulfilling its basic tasks, which are representing IPMA in all its external relations including new memberships and strategic alliances, serving the CoD and implementing the decisions taken by the CoD, managing the IPMA pursuit of integration and effectiveness of all its activities, as well as supervision of all IPMA Management Boards, Working Groups, Programs and Projects.
Professor Radujkovic is extremely happy with his election and states “During my professional career with many companies and the university, I have achieved much more than I planned, so I am now able to focus on additional contributions while being a professor at the university. I have been with IPMA for more than twenty years, from individual member to vice president. While serving IPMA, I have become familiar with IPMA’s organization, people and procedures. I believe that this is the proper time for new improvements, new developments and changes which will move IPMA forward. We shall introduce new dynamic and perspectives, synchronously practicing respect and balance, and challenged for even better results of member associations and IPMA itself. Therefore I would like to take part in and provide my contribution in creating new developments and values to sustain IPMA’s worldwide recognized top position.”
Mr Roberto Mori, the current IPMA President and Board member of IPMA-Italy, section of Associazione Nazionale Impiantistica Industriale (ANIMP) of Italy, was elected Chairman of IPMA Council of Delegates for 2013 … 2014. Mr Mori assumes the two-year position after the tenure of Mrs Brigitte Schaden, the current Chairman of IPMA Council of Delegates, concludes at the end of 2012. The main duties of Chairman of IPMA CoD include supporting new IPMA President and ensuring the continuity of IPMA governance, making sure all ExBo decisions are in the interest of the IPMA Member Associations and leading the CoD meetings in which the main decisions are made by delegates of IPMA Member Associations.
Mr Mori is delighted with his election and comments “I intend to serve IPMA development needs availing of experience gained both as Project Manager/Director on international projects implemented over decades and through activities in favor of IPMA and PM divulgation to foster related mentality/skills in any industry. The recent international professional experiences have been showing that the world will never be as before. Certainly many more projects, in all fields, shall be conceived and implemented, many of them impossible to be envisaged now. To accept the challenge it could only be possible with widely disseminated PM skills: what implies IPMA should focus on both quantity (wider network of active, performing MAs) and quality (continue extending the range of valuable effective products, consolidating strategic partnerships, providing services to global companies), within an organization and governance framework which should be improved to cope with the challenges of a sustainable growth.”
Dr Jesús Martínez-Almela, the Chairman of Asociación Española de Ingeniería de Proyectos (AEIPRO) Certification Body, was elected IPMA Vice-President of Education, Training and Young Crew, with main duties relating to setting strategic direction for the IPMA Education Board, identifying strategic opportunities connected to all levels 
of education, training and supporting the development of new products by other IPMA management boards, and mentoring the Young Crew board and supporting the expansion of their activities in IPMA Member Associations.
Dr Martínez-Almela is very happy with the election and states “I will be working actively for better support of MAs, including creation of new services and products; furthering the development of research and education activities for supporting IPMA visibility at the global level; facilitating and developing research and education in project management which will positively influence development of PM profession and IPMA itself, and joining efforts with other remits for new Member Association establishment. I am convinced that there are many more opportunities and strong needs for education and training activities within IPMA, in the way that it can bring many important stakeholder groups much closer to our family.”
Mr Andrew Bragg, the Chief Executive of Association for Project Management (APM), was elected the IPMA Vice-President of Administration and Finance, with main duties relating to supervising IPMA administration, financial procedures, accounts, work at IPMA secretariat, management accounting, reporting and long term finance strategy, and providing support to project teams on development of business cases and project budgets.
Mr Bragg is very happy with the election and states “IPMA has many significant strengths, but even its strongest supporters acknowledge that IPMA has not yet realised its full potential. Prior to APM, my career focused on professional business management, underpinned by an MBA from Cranfield University. I would like to offer to IPMA my recent professional experience of helping change APM into a dynamic professional body which exerts influence and authority. The change process has impacted every area of APM, whether setting strategy, introducing new governance arrangements, coordinating volunteer effort, developing financial strength, or influencing government and private sector organisations to fully embrace professionalism in project management. I believe that IPMA needs to change how it operates in order to realise its true potential. I would welcome the opportunity to build on recent positive initiatives within IPMA to play an active and committed part in its continued development.”
Mr Stacy Goff, the President of American Society for the Advancement of Project Management (asapm), was elected the IPMA Vice-President of Marketing and Events, with main duties relating to the establishing IPMA marketing policy, linking strategic aims with operational press and publications plan, developing brand image, coordinating
media relations, supervising IPMA non-technical external publications, and the marketing of IPMA Events, mainly the annual IPMA World Congress. This role is considered critical, as the time is perfect for IPMA Marketing to attract a more far-reaching audience, and as IPMA has an unparalleled product and service offering which improves and recognizes project and program competence and performance.
Mr Goff is very happy with the election and states” I originally ran for IPMA ExBo because asapm, my Member Association, needs stronger IPMA product visibility, customer focus, value proposition and market differentiation. We compete in a market dominated by another organization. It is clear that many other MAs face or will face the same challenges. I will promote IPMA’s clear strategic positioning, increased IPMA market visibility, enhanced customer focus, our product/service differentiation, and an indisputable Value Proposition. I also intend to further improve the value, accessibility, attendee satisfaction, exhibitor appeal, and reputation of IPMA World Congresses.
Mr David Hudson, the National President of Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM), was elected the IPMA Vice-President of Membership, with main duties relating to all aspects of the 
membership process, e.g. identification of potential new Member Associations, evaluation of their membership applications, recommendations for membership as well as support for existing IPMA Member Associations.
Mr Hudson is very happy with his election and states “I come to this role with one intent: To assist IPMA to grow and prosper into 2020 and beyond. I bring a perspective, not of AIPM per se, but a perspective of new and regional Members Associations more generally so that IPMA can embrace new and exciting opportunities for membership and influence, and can do so in the best interests of all interested parties. I encourage broader regional programs within IPMA to strengthen, not diminish the IPMA reach, and to find ways to make the spans of global distance, culture and language more of an opportunity than a threat to IPMA.”
Mr Nuno Ponces de Carvalho, a member of Associação Portuguesa de Gestão de Projectos (APOGEP) Supervisory Board, was elected the IPMA Vice-President of Certification, with main duties relating to directing the maintenance and development of IPMA four-level certification program, providing the strategic link between ExBo and IPMA 
Certification and Validation Management Board (CVMB), identifying new certification products, as well as acting as the sponsor for all certification projects and liaison issues between IPMA Member Associations and the CVMB. The VP of Certification also chairs the Appeals Panel in the event of certification disputes.
Mr Ponces de Carvalho is delighted with his election and comments “My motivation may be summarized in three words: To Serve IPMA. Since I joined the IPMA family, I never had personal or any kind of material motivations. In 2010 I was a candidate for VP Certification and I was the first non-elected candidate. Following Siva’s resignation, Roberto Mori invited me to join ExBo as VP for Membership & YC. Even with the perspective of just one year to the term, and with all the inconvenient to my Family and my professional life, I accepted because, again, the sentiment of service to IPMA justified for me the personal sacrifices. I learned a lot during this year about Membership and Young Crew and I’ve a lot of work still to be done and ideas to be implemented.”
Mr Reinhard Wagner, Senior Vice-President R&D / International affairs of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Projektmanagement (GPM), was elected IPMA Vice-President of R&D and Awards, with main duties relating to identifying opportunities for developing IPMA standards in appropriate domains, ensuring IPMA representation at project-related bodies such as ISO, CEN and national standards institutions, the development of IPMA standards, providing oversight of the IPMA awards process, ensuring harmonization between various award categories, working with IPMA VP of Marketing in order to maximize publicity of awards system and Awards brand image, setting strategic direction for the IPMA Research Management Board, 
developing of plans to exploit developments in project management research and translation of newly identified research trends into IPMA policy, as well as supporting the development of new products by other IPMA management boards.
Mr Wagner is very happy with his election and states “I want to bring in my expertise in the field of standardisation as well as research & development and move IPMA and its MAs forward. I would like to bridge IPMA and its MAs better to international standardization bodies like ISO/TC 258 ‘Project, Programme and Portfolio Management’. The Member Associations of IPMA have a lot to offer and could contribute to the ongoing projects of these committees. Furthermore I want to enhance the capabilities of IPMA to develop own standards in the field of project management, using the capabilities of more than 50 Member Associations. This includes also the research capabilities, because good standards are built on profound research.”
Mr Amin Saidoun continues to support IPMA through his work as IPMA Executive Director, and comments “I congratulate the newly elected executive staff and look forward to continuing my support to them”.
Mrs Christianne Janssens continues to support IPMA through her work as IPMA Executive Assistant in charge of IPMA Secretariat.
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This report prepared by Jouko Vaskimo (Finland), IPMA’s official correspondent. Thank you Jouko!