I look back on my 9 years as a Director of the MMTA with much satisfaction. In that time the MMTA has changed from a small, largely UK-focussed, traders’ association with no office and a one day a week semi-retired secretary to an internationally focussed trade association with members ranging all the way through the supply chain from producers to consumers.
There is still a lot of progress to be made, but we shouldn’t underestimate the achievements of the MMTA to date. The association is unrecognisable, now run by a very capable General Manager, Maria Cox, who I am extremely grateful to, supported by an equally capable assistant, Tamara Alliot, from an outstanding office in Whitehall, Central London.
The quality of output from the MMTA today is demonstrated by, for example, the astounding quality of its regular publication, The Crucible, the market leading and uniquely successful annual MMTA Minor Metals Conference, arranged in a very successful joint venture with Metal Events Ltd, and the role the MMTA is now playing in raising awareness and contributing to the formation of European policies that impact metals. These outputs and their delivery are unrecognisable when compared to 9 years ago.
I am stepping down from a MMTA board of Directors of outstanding quality and professionalism to each of whom – past and present – on a personal level I am extremely grateful. I am stepping down as an MMTA Director and as Chair of the MMTA Directors because I am forced to do so by rules that I took a part in drafting that form part of the modern and workable new constitution of the MMTA, which are specifically designed to keep the organisation fresh, vibrant and moving forward.
In this 9 years the role of Chair of the Directors has also developed with the MMTA, changing beyond recognition from that of one high profile individual running the association on a day-to-day basis to the much less demanding role of Chairing the MMTA Directors, who are all very actively involved in the association, sharing the responsibility of every aspect of running it, which is actually run day-to-day by the General Manager in accordance with the policies determined by the Directors.
This dynamic is important and manifests itself quite simply in that the MMTA Directors had a choice of very capable candidates volunteering for the role for the next 3-year term. As a result there is progression planning that the MMTA has not previously had the luxury of, in that the next Chair is covered as well. Both candidates were already serving MMTA Directors, which is also important in that it assists in ensuring consistency of MMTA policy and direction building on the achievements to date.
I am absolutely delighted with the progress that has been made, and I am confident that the MMTA Directors, present and incoming, assisted by the MMTA General Manager and Assistant will continue the vibrant and progressive development of your association.
