AMERICAS - Sally Shankland will step down as chief executive of UBM Americas in June, after 28 years with the organisation.
Shankland, who joined the company in 1988, plans to work in a different industry, but has not revealed details of her new employer.
UBM Americas is expected to appoint an in-house successor before Shankland leaves the organisation at the end of June.
The company’s chief operating officer, Brian Field, previously served as chief operating officer at Turner Broadcasting, while chief financial officer Margaret Kohler was the global finance director at McCann Worldgroup.
Shankland said the decision to move on was far from easy.
“I feel passionately about the organisation and the people that work here,” she said.
“However after 28 years, I feel I am ready for a new challenge – at a new company and in a new industry.
“I will look forward to watching as UBM realises its ambition of becoming the world’s leading B2B events organiser,” she added.
Tim Cobbold, UBM chief executive said Shankland had made a significant contribution to the group, as it “transformed from a print-heavy conglomerate into an events-focussed media and communications business".
“Her (Shankland) role within this transformation has been noteworthy, particularly her long tenure as leader of our US medical media assets,” Cobbold said. “I thank her warmly for her contribution and wish her every success in her new role.”
In 2007, Shankland was appointed chief executive of UBM Medica US, before being named head of UBM Americas in May 2012.
After studying in Italy and Germany, Shankland was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science (Summa Cum Laude) from San Francisco State University.
She has also completed executive development courses with the Harvard Business School and Cornell University.
UBM Plc (LSE:UBM) is traded on the London Stock Exchange.
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