Dawton to be DBA chief executive

Design Events founder Deborah Dawton will become chief executive of the Design Business Association with effect from 1 April.

British Design & Art Direction non-executive chairman Anthony Simonds-Gooding will meanwhile take on the same role at the DBA – a new position for the association.

Dawton (pictured), who studied product design at Newcastle Polytechnic, says the DBA job is ‘an opportunity that couldn’t be missed’, offering closer collaboration between design’s official bodies. Design Events has worked with most of the industry bodies.

DBA chairman Paul Priestman, who made both appointments, says he is also keen to bring design organisations together. He adds that his successor will take the title president, in line with the elected heads of other design organisations.

The majority of work at Design Events will be completed by April, says Dawton, and the company ‘will ultimately be wound down’. She aims to bring its ‘best prospects’ into the DBA wherever relevant. These might include the debates Design Events organises for the Packaging Solutions Advisory Group and Interiors Forum.

Dawton hopes the team at the DBA ‘will stay on board’, and is also keen to ‘hang on to’ Design Events’ skillbase.

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