Chair Filled at MRS After No-Show

The UK's MRS has elected Eamonn Santry of Network Research as its new Chairman and Raz Khan of IT services firm Cobalt Sky as Honorary Secretary-Treasurer, following an Extraordinary General Meeting. The meeting was required because - for the first time in the Society's history - no nominations were received for the post.

Following the unprecedented candidate no-show, DRNO understands that the Society made the two appointments before discovering that its constitution prevented this. An EGM was hastily arranged and the decision ratified. Santry received 283 votes, with four votes against - he takes over from Jenny Beck. Khan, MD of Cobalt Sky, was named Honorary Secretary-Treasurer at the meeting on Wednesday night.

Rumours suggest that the Society has already had to defend itself from criticism over the way the initial lack of nominations was handled. With many of the industry's most actively involved people away at Conference today and tomorrow, was this a 'good day to bury bad news' ? Well maybe, but in the absence of Labour-government-style email evidence we doubt we can drum up a scandal: and in any case, the problem of finding volunteers to help out on industry committees is one with which we're painfully familiar. DRNO therefore wishes the excellent Messrs Santry and Khan the best of luck in their new roles, and takes comfort in the fact that after this distinct wobble, UK research is once again in good hands.

The Society is online at www.mrs.org.uk

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.