Barri Stirrup has been appointed as the new National Executive Officer of the National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM), replacing Theresa Quinn, who resigned at last year\'s annual conference after 12 years at the head of the organisation.

Since Theresa left at Christmas, David Holtom, the facilitator of the industry\'s Joint Steering Committee, has been Acting Executive Officer, although he always said it was a post he only intended to occupy for six months. Part of his role has been to help find a successor to Theresa.

Holtom said there were 20 good candidates for the job. Stirrup, with a background in science and marketing, was selected and took up his post this month (June).

He says he has had no previous contact with the memorial masonry trade and is starting his association with it with a three-week induction period during which he will meet NAMM members and discuss issues concerning the trade.

The induction period did not include a meeting with anyone from Mike Dewar Associates, who co-ordinate the Memorial Awareness Board (MAB), although Stirrup said he had discussed MAB with NAMM member Peter Aspinall, who is part of the MAB executive.

Stirrup began his career in 1976 with Lucas Industries at their research and development centre in Solihull after gaining a PhD in chemistry at Loughborough University. With Lucas he was involved in work on the development of vehicle batteries and electric cars.

He moved to Hawker Siddeley as a technical manager and marketing and sales roles followed with the Compton Parkinson division of Hawker Siddeley. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. For the past few years he has been a consultant and working in intermediate management.

He says of his new role: I think we would all agree that the industry is rather traditional, if I can put it that way, and needs to be modernised, which in itself creates something of a challenge, which is why I wanted to take the job on.

It is interesting that there is quite a technical aspect to memorial masonry and clearly there are some areas of marketing that need to be carried out. Everyone agrees that the industry needs to be well promoted. That\'s something that will need to be further addressed.

I\'m keen to get on with developing the organisation to the benefit of its members.

Andrew Hawley, immediate past president and current Acting President of NAMM, said in a letter to members: I am confident that Barri has the skills and experience to help move NAMM forward in this rapidly changing, highly competitive market place.

I\'m sure you will all join me in congratulating him on his appointment and wishing him good luck and success in his new role.