The British Promotional Merchandise Association (BPMA) has announced that Jon Birrell has decided to step down as CEO. Carey Trevill will step in as interim CEO following Birrell’s departure in April.

Jon Birrell

The BPMA previously recruited Trevill to manage projects on linking sustainability and end-user research with industry standards. She’s been a longtime supporter of the BPMA throughout her career, which includes leading a marketing trade association.

Birrell joined the BPMA in November 2018. He previously spent 10 years as marketing director at GeigerBTC, a U.K.-based subsidiary of Top 40 distributor Geiger (asi/202900), and plans to return to commercial life.

“Jon has taken the organization through a tricky economic period of change for our members, and we wish him well on the next step on his journey,” Angela Wagstaff, chair of the BPMA, said in a press release. “The board welcomes Carey to the role and feels our members will benefit from her expertise during the changing business climate as we deliver significant resource to help the industry grow.”

The BPMA partners with Sourcing City to host Merchandise World, the U.K.’s leading promotional merchandise trade exhibition, and the place for the industry to come together in February and September each year. United Kingdom and Ireland annual promotional merchandise sales are more than 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion), and Merchandise World draws from the industry’s approximate 1,400 distributor buyers having attended previous individual events.