Westminster Collection’s Board to fill gap after René Dee retirement

The Chief Executive and founder of the venue marketing consortium The Westminster Collection (TWC), René Dee, has announced his decision to retire in March 2012.
 
Dee had spent eight years at the helm of the London consortium.
 
TWC’s Board of Directors said it would use the opportunity to restructure and execute a fresh development strategy for 2012.
 
Established in 2003, The Westminster Collection has grown to 53 full members and 36 Associate and Affiliate members, all part of a network for driving sales leads, increasing exposure of Westminster as a business destination and sharing referrals.
 
In 2009, TWC grew by 33 per cent and in 2010 by a further 100 per cent.
 
Director of the Board and Business Operations Manager at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Allyson Hargreaves, said it was “with sadness” that the Board announced the retirement of René Dee “Nevertheless, 2012 promises great things for London and the UK as a whole and we are very enthusiastic about TWC’s role within that.”
 
TWC will be run from March 2012 solely by the Board of Directors, with direction from the Marketing Committee. The post of Chief Executive will not be replaced.
 
Splitting redefined responsibilities among the fiveBoard Directors, Wendy Greenhalgh will assume charge of Partnerships and Business Trends; Nigel Collett of One Wimpole Street will be Company Secretary and Treasurer; Jonathan Morris of No.11 Cavendish Square will assume responsibility for Membership Relations and Allyson Hargreaves of St Martin-in-the-Fields will assume charge of Management Accounting.
 
The GM of Church House Conference Centre, Robin Parker, will be joining as the fifth Director of the Board and he will assume responsibility for Marketing, managing communication between the Chair of TWC’s Marketing Committee and the Board.
 
The Collection’s visions and goals will be expanded to include a special focus on training and personal development for the teams behind the venues that make up TWC. It will enable ‘The development of future leaders and industry professionals through the creation and provision of learning, development and networking opportunities, as well as the sharing of industry knowledge and experience.
 
In a letter to the member venues of The Westminster Collection, René said: “It has been a great privilege, and tremendously satisfying, to have been able to drive TWC from its small beginnings to its current position as a leading venue marketing collective in London. I am proud of the success achieved.
 
“I now wish to spend more time with my wife and family, promoting my book, walking to more places of natural beauty in the UK and overseas, and learning to cook.”
 
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