Grace McConnell to be ARMA’s next Chair

Following an open and transparent recruitment process, ARMA’s Board is delighted to recommend that Grace McConnell be appointed as the Association’s next Chair. Grace has been an engaged member of the Association for many years and a dedicated member of the Board with responsibility for Member Engagement since 2023.

Grace will begin their term of office on 1^st August 2026 for 3 years. Until then, Grace will serve as Chair Elect.  This is an opportunity to work closely with current Chair, Deputy Chair, and CEO to better understand the operations and governance of ARMA before assuming leadership of the Board.

In common with other Board positions, the appointment of the Chair requires ratification by the Association’s membership. Grace’s appointment will be confirmed at ARMA’s AGM which is scheduled to take place during ARMA2025 in Edinburgh.

 Commenting on their appointment Grace said “I am thrilled to be appointed as the next Chair of ARMA. It is an honour to lead this vibrant community, and I am committed to supporting ARMA as we continue to grow our membership, influence, and impact. As an ARMA Director, I have worked closely with the Chair and Board members to shape a bold Vision, Mission, and strategic plan. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together, and as Chair, I am excited to build on this momentum, driving forward our ambitions and ensuring the successful delivery of our strategy.”

To find out more about Grace, please see their profile below.

As an existing board member, Grace will be required to step down from that role upon their appointment as Chair Elect. As a result, we will be recruiting a new Director of Member Engagement to start in August 2025.

Alasdair Cameron

CEO

Grace McConnell Profile 

Grace is Deputy Director of Research & Innovation at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), after joining LSE in March 2020 originally as Head of Research Development. She has a career spanning universities, public bodies and the private sector. Grace’s focus is to get the best out of people in all aspects of her role. She particularly enjoys thinking creatively about individual development and generating evidence of what works for research and innovation management.

Grace was a member of the ARMA Professional Development Committee and led the Professional Development Framework review and consultation due to her interest in staff development and career pathways for research managers. She also took part in the ARMA and Science for Africa Foundation’s programme with six universities across Zimbabwe on the barriers and tools to communicating with research managers across the world.

Grace is Director of Member Engagement and through the Member Engagement Committee has led the Regional Groups Pilot launch, contributed to enhancing how ARMA supports SIGs, and supported the recent re-launch of the ARMA Awards.