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ABTA plans to ditch elections for future chair
ABTA’s board wants to be given the power to appoint the association’s future chairman rather than allowing members to vote for their chosen candidate when Noel Josephides’ second term comes to an end in 2017.
It believes the chairman should be appointed from among existing board members ‘to ensure the efficient running of the board’.
Under existing rules, the chair is elected by members following a selection process whereby any candidates who put themselves forward must be supported by two board members.
ABTA is proposing that in future, the chair will be appointed by the board from among its members, which include elected and appointed directors.
"This is a model that is commonly used in organisations to ensure the efficient running of the board and reflects the increasingly technical demands of the chairman role," it said.
Members will be asked to vote on the proposal at a general meeting on November 10. It will require 75% of votes to be passed.
ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer said: "The most important role of the Chair is to manage the Board meetings and the debates that take place around the ABTA Board table. We have been fortunate in that our recent Chairmen have had deep experience of the industry in general, and of ABTA’s agenda in particular.
"The best way to ensure this continued level of expertise in the future is for the Board to appoint a Chair who has been part of the ongoing discussions, understands the context, and the issues, and has built a working relationship with fellow Directors.
"ABTA Members will continue to elect directly a number of the Board positions, and the Board will continue to be fully representative of the ABTA Membership as a whole."
The proposal by the board will reduce the number of elected members on the board to four, with 10 appointed members.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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