Following his election at last year’s General Assembly as IPA Vice President, Giovanni Hoepli (Hoepli Publishing House, Italy) signaled his intention to stand down as Chair of the IPA Membership Committee. At its first meeting in 2025, Catherine Blache (SNE, France) was elected by the Membership Committee to succeed Hoepli as Chair.
The Freedom to Publish Committee also welcomes John McKay (AAP, USA) who succeeds Matt Stratton on the nine-strong Committee that leads the association’s freedom to publish work and administers the Prix Voltaire.
Giovanni Hoepli, IPA Vice President, said: Congratulations to Catherine Blache on her election as Chair of the IPA’s Membership Committee. My time as a member and Chair of the Committee was extremely rewarding and a great insight into the value that IPA offers its members and prospective members. The Committee will be in great hands under Catherine’s leadership.
Kristenn Einarsson, Chair of the IPA’s Freedom to Publish Committee, said: John McKay brings a great depth of experience to his new position. Given the proliferation around the world of threats to the freedom to publish, John McKay is a very welcome addition to our Committee.
Gvantsa Jobava, IPA President said: We were all shocked and crestfallen to lose Pedro Sobral in December. His insights were always valuable and he brought his warm friendship to our meetings. While we would of course prefer different circumstances, we welcome Paulo Oliveira to our Executive Committee and look forward to working with him.