As SPE continues to adapt to the needs of an increasingly diverse and complex industry, the organization has made several updates to the staff leadership structure for its global events.
Chief Global Events Officer Michelle Boyd will be leaving the organization in May. During her 15-year tenure, Boyd helped grow our Middle East events, shape our global events strategy, and guide changes as members’ and stakeholders’ needs evolved. SPE appreciates her leadership and contributions and wishes her continued success.
Aligning SPE’s Events Structure To Better Support the Business
In parallel with this transition, SPE evaluated how its events function can best support changing business priorities and regional needs. As a result, SPE has implemented a revised structure that increases regional focus while maintaining alignment across our global events portfolio.
This updated model includes two new leadership roles:
• Vice President, Eastern Hemisphere Events
• Vice President, Western Hemisphere Events
This structure will enable closer collaboration with regional teams and greater responsiveness to local market needs.
New Appointments
SPE is pleased to announce the following:
• Michelle Tan has been named Vice President, Eastern Hemisphere Events
• Michael Ryan has been named Vice President, Western Hemisphere Events
Michelle Tan brings more than 20 years of global event leadership experience, including nearly 12 years with SPE where she led the growth of its events portfolio and industry partnerships across Asia Pacific. She has also held senior roles with the Institute for International Research and Informa PLC in Sydney, New York, and Dubai, where she led production teams and market portfolios across the US, Middle East, and Asia Pacific.
Her career reflects broad experience in P&L management, portfolio growth, brand development, and international joint ventures. Tan is based in Kuala Lumpur.
Michael Ryan joins SPE on 1 May with over a decade of B2B event leadership experience. Most recently, he served as managing director of events at BridgeTower Media, overseeing a portfolio of more than 200 events across 40 media brands, including conferences, expos, and executive summits. Ryan is based in Houston.
In their new roles, Tan and Ryan will work in close coordination to ensure strategic alignment and continuity across all global events.