Meet the Council
Sissi Lignou
CEO, AFEA Congress
Born in Athens, Sissi has more than 20 years of experience in the Meetings & Events Industry. Following her activity at the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (2001-2004), she joined the family-owned business AFEA. She is now the CEO and President of the Board of AFEA Congress, a long-standing PCO in Greece.
In 2021, Sissi was elected to IAPCO Council for a 2-year mandate and re-elected in February 2023. In February 2024, Sissi was nominated and elected IAPCO President-Elect, and is taking over the role of IAPCO President in 2025 for a 2-year mandate.
She has served the Association through various volunteer positions since 2010. She has served Council of Greece’s National Association of PCO’s (HAPCO & DES) since 2007, first as Secretary General and then as the elected President for a 3-year mandate (2022-2025).
"I am truly grateful to be a professional in this industry—one that unites people, fosters knowledge exchange, creates lasting legacies, drives growth, and inspires collaboration.
I am also deeply appreciative of the opportunity to serve our industry in a voluntary capacity alongside incredible professionals—Council Members, Partners, and Administration. Together, we are dedicated to amplifying IAPCO’s influence as the global voice of PCOs in the Meetings and Events Industry, upholding world-class quality. We will continue to advocate for the essential role our profession plays in the global business events landscape and beyond."
Jason Yeh
CEO, GIS Group
President Elect, IAPCO
Jason Yeh is the Founder and CEO of GIS Group in Taiwan. He was elected as the President Elect of IAPCO during the IAPCO General Assembly in Athens 2026. He also serves as the Vice President of the Taiwan Exhibition and Convention Association. He looks forward to IAPCO creating a greater impact on the meetings industry while maintaining its distinctive identity and high standards. By attracting new members from different regions, generating new revenue streams and building new business models, the association will achieve stronger financial growth and long-term sustainability.
Stephen Noble
Manager (APAC), The Conference Company
Council Member, IAPCO
Stephen Noble is Manager Asia Pacific at The Conference Company, where he is member of the senior management team. Stephen joined The Conference Company in New Zealand in 2007 and in 2017 moved to Sydney, where he is now based leading company operations in Australia and Asia.
In addition to his role at The Conference Company, he serves as the Chair of the IAPCO Training Academy and is a member of the IAPCO Council. Reflecting on his involvement with IAPCO, Stephen emphasizes the importance of continuous professional development and knowledge sharing within the meetings industry. As Chair of the Training Academy, he is committed to providing high-quality education and training opportunities for industry professionals, aiming to elevate global standards in congress and event management. Stephen believes that through collective efforts and embracing innovation, the meetings industry can continue to thrive and adapt to changing global dynamics.
Ajay Bhojwani
Regional Managing Director, Middle East & Africa, MCI Group
Council Member, IAPCO
Ajay has spent 20+ years in the meetings industry working for brands like Informa and MCI Group. In his current capacity as Regional Managing Director – Middle East and Africa for MCI Group, he looks after an operation spanning over 250+ events annually spread across 20+ countries through 5 offices and nearly 100 talents. And during the pandemic, he also led the major transformation for his team to deliver events digitally followed by hybrid events. Over the 16 years at MCI, he has not only opened new markets with physical offices and teams in Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia but also led several large association meetings strategy and supporting them with rotation around the world through government partnerships, tourism endorsements as well as strategic sales & marketing efforts to grow the events year on year.
In addition to his full-time role with MCI, he holds several positions, which include being on the board as a council member for International Association of Professional Conference Organisers (IAPCO) as well as ambassador for The Iceberg – an industry communication publication led by the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC). And, he is also the current president for the The Events Group (TEG), a not-for-profit registered organisation bringing event professionals from various facets of the industry in UAE together.
Jimena Ruiz
Chief of Staff, BTC Americas
Council Member, IAPCO
As a professional with 17 years of experience in the business events industry, Jimena Ruiz has dedicated most of her career to event planning as a PCO for international conferences and product development. She has gathered all the resources necessary for strategic priorities, integrating cross-functional collaboration across various departments and teams to ensure alignment and coordination on key initiatives.
“As a forward-thinking individual with a vision for the future of the congress organisation industry, I am passionate about embracing innovation and exploring new trends and technologies that can enhance quality and effectiveness. I believe in the power of collaboration and teamwork to foster a culture to ignite our industry path.”
Giulia Sarri
Head of Service Design, AIM Communication | AIM Group International
Council Member, IAPCO
Giulia has been active in the Meetings Industry since she was 17. She worked as a hostess at congresses and events during her school and university years and later graduated with merit for a thesis on the German Meetings Industry's approach to sustainability. Her passion for the industry led her to gain a year of experience at a small DMC and event management company in Milan, where she assisted the team with organising VIP weddings, corporate events, and leisure travel. Following that, she joined AIM Group International, a leading global company in the organisation of congresses, events, and communication. She initially assisted the Marketing & Sales division while learning Corporate Communication skills on the job. Four years later, she joined the team at AIM Communication, the open innovation network of the Group, which was born during the pandemic. After becoming a Creative Strategist with the aim of creating innovative and valuable projects for associations, pharma companies, and corporations, she now serves as the Head of Service Design and Sales, leading a small team.
Giulia was also a recipient of the PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association) 20InTheirTwenties Class of 2019 Recognition and was the winner of the first IAPCO Hero Award in 2019.
She served as a Board Member for PCMA EMEA, and today she is a Co-Opted Council Member at IAPCO, representing the Next Gen.
"When thinking of the evolution of the meetings industry, I envision a future ripe with potential for agencies that prioritize custom content, sentiment analysis, experience design and predictive participation as key offerings to their clients. Data, technology, and innovation are our tools for making impactful strides in this area, and IAPCO has consistently led the charge in empowering agencies to expand and refine their services and solutions. IAPCO stands as the ideal platform to dissect, study, and provide its members with cutting-edge solutions to stay ahead of trends, conquer challenges, and continuously set higher standards."
Ginevra de Bellis
Chief of Global Projects, OIC Group
Council Member, IAPCO
Ginevra’s professional background is in Clinical Psychology, a field in which she holds a degree and has authored numerous articles published in European university journals, particularly focusing on group dynamics and techniques. She also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Ginevra believes that combining her psychology studies, with the strategic and managerial tools gained through her MBA provides a strong foundation for working effectively with people in business environments.
With ten years of experience in the meetings and events industry, Ginevra plays a key role in managing international bids and serving as a primary point of contact for association clients. She finds the diversity of each project especially rewarding, as every collaboration presents unique challenges and opportunities.
Ginevra loves working in a team and enjoys leading OIC Group in the development of new international projects. Since 2016, she has been actively involved in IAPCO. She contributed to the organization of the first EDGE seminar held in Italy, in Florence in 2018, and supported the IAPCO General Assembly & Annual Meeting in Rome in 2022.
Outside of her professional life, Ginevra has a deep passion for travel and enjoys getting to know different cultures around the world. She is also an avid reader and a cinema enthusiast.
Benoît Dubuisson
Managing Director, Downtown Europe (Europa Group)
Council Member, IAPCO
Born and raised in Belgium, Benoit has over 15 years of experience in Business Development, Marketing, and Event Management. He holds a degree in Hospitality Management and has held senior positions in the meetings and hospitality sector, building strong expertise in delivering high-impact events, congresses, and conferences.
Benoit serves as Managing Director at Downtown Europe (Europa Group), a leading PCO in Brussels with a long-standing track record in international congresses and conferences. In this role, he drives business growth, cultivates client partnerships, and champions innovative, technology-driven event solutions.
In February 2026, Benoit was elected to the IAPCO Council. His key interests include innovation, the adoption of new technologies, education, and leadership, which he views as essential to the future of the meetings and events industry. Outside of work, Benoit enjoys family life with his partner, Nathalie, and their three children.
Websites : www.downtowneurope.be / www.europa-group.com
Jessica Ferguson
Chief Executive Officer, Arinex
Council Member, IAPCO
Jessica Ferguson is Chief Executive Officer of Arinex, one of Australasia’s leading professional conference organisers, and brings more than 20 years of experience across conference management, event operations, business development and marketing. With deep expertise in the association meetings sector across Australia and New Zealand, she has built a reputation for combining operational excellence with strategic growth, client partnership and innovation. Jessica began her career in conference management and operations, including work with major convention venues, before moving into commercial and leadership roles that shaped her broader industry perspective. Today, she leads Arinex with a people-first approach, helping associations deliver conferences that create lasting professional, scientific and community impact. She also serves as West Australian Chair of the Australian Business Events Association, reflecting her commitment to advancing the business events sector both regionally and as part of the global meetings community.
Alexandros Terzis
Event Coordinator, ERA Congresses & Events
Co-Opted Council Member, IAPCO
Alexandros Terzis is an Event Coordinator at ERA Congresses & Events in Athens, Greece, and has been active in the meetings industry since 2017 (initially part time), with full-time experience since 2019.
At ERA, he has progressed from Congress Secretariat to Junior Project Manager and now Event Coordinator, supporting the planning and delivery of local and international medical and scientific congresses.
His work spans stakeholder coordination, programme logistics, speaker and participant management, and industry liaison, with a strong focus on consistent delivery and delegate experience.
Alexandros served as a member of IAPCO’s Next Gen Committee from 2024–2026 and currently serves as Chair of the IAPCO Emerging Leaders Committee and a Co-Opted Council Member (since 2026).
He is committed to strengthening engagement and development opportunities for emerging leaders worldwide and supporting initiatives that elevate professional standards across the meetings industry.
Alexandros Terzis serves as a Co-Opted IAPCO Council Member in his role as Chair of the Emerging Leaders Committee.
Amit Saroj
Chief Executive Officer, IA Meetings
Co-Opted Council Member, IAPCO
Amit Saroj serves as a Co-Opted IAPCO Council Member in his role as one of the hosts of AM&GA 2027.
Amit Saroj is a Graduate in Commerce from Delhi University. He Started his Career with the Hospitality Sector. He spent close to 5 years in Sales and Marketing in the Hospitality Sector working for Hotels and started “Attitude Events Private Limited” in the year 2000 with a vision to build a leading Conference Organizing Company in the world.
Amit is a Governing Board member of ICPB and a conference specialist in the MICE Industry with over 25 years of extensive experience, He continues to lead the company, presently operating as “IA Meetings” brand name with operations in India, Singapore, Dubai and Germany.
In his current role he looks after international expansion, development goals of people, infrastructure and technological advancement in the organisation.
Roles and Responsibilities of the IAPCO Council
The work of the Council is to administer the Association, to ensure that the quality standards as set are maintained, to serve the members and to guide IAPCO as the leading authority on professional congress organisation worldwide. Furthermore the Council is responsible for ensuring that IAPCO fulfils its responsibilities in accordance with the Statutes in a professional manner and in accordance with the laws of the land, and operates in a business-like and financially viable manner.
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