Our leadership team gives strategic direction to the business, living the Nation's Experience Capital values which drive the business culture, and with a focus on delivering unforgettable live experiences.
Paul Reeve became CEO in 2026, having previously served as CFO for three years. He brings significant experience across the UK and European entertainment and media sectors.
Prior to joining the NEC, Paul spent 10 years at AEG, where he was European CFO responsible for its venue, ticketing, touring and festival businesses across the region. He has also held senior finance roles at WPP plc and Dentsu. Paul qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PwC.
Nick brings a wealth of Board and sector expertise to the NEC. He has over 30 years’ experience working in the tourism and leisure industry and was Chief Executive Officer at Merlin Entertainments from its inception in 1999 to his retirement in November 2022. He oversaw a period of extraordinary growth for Merlin and transformed the business into a global provider of memorable experiences for over 60 million guests every year.
Nick has previously served as Chair of UKHospitality, the trade body representing the UK’s hospitality and tourism industry, is currently a non-executive on the board of Marstons PLC, a Senior Advisor to Blackstone Private Equity, and a non- executive chair of Bath Rugby.
Stephen joined the NEC as Chief Financial Officer in January 2026. This followed a four-year tenure as Group Finance Director at Bourne Leisure where he led the business through various transformation programs. Before this, he held a variety of commercial and operational finance roles across leading UK retailers, including Argos, Sainsbury’s and Dunelm.
With over 20 years of experience, Ian has a wealth of knowledge in the events industry. In his role as Chief Operating Officer, Ian leads the operations team and relationships with strategic service partners, overseeing the delivery of thousands of events at the NEC venues each year.
He joined the NEC in 2014 as NEC Venue Sales Director and oversaw the commercial transformation of the exhibition business, and in 2020, became Managing Director for Conventions and Exhibitions.
Prior to this, he was Commercial Director for Marketing Birmingham (now West Midlands Growth Company) and Newcastle Gateshead, driving the cities’ visitor economies, and Head of Conference and Events at Emap.
Sarah joined the NEC in May 2025, bringing a wealth of experience from a career spanning strategy, product development, marketing, and operations.
In her role, Sarah is responsible for the NEC's core exhibitions offer and the wider NEC Campus strategy, overseeing campus development, building the NEC's new content and IP, as well as marketing.
Her background includes roles at larger companies including Bain & Company and Diageo as well as fast growth scale-up companies in the events space (Tough Mudder) and technology (the US fintech Block and Prodigy Finance).
She is also the Chair of STS Global Income and Growth Trust plc.
Phil Cooksey joined the NEC in October 2025. In his role as MD for Conventions, Phil leads the team at the ICC and Vox to deliver hundreds of events each year.
He has over 25 years of experience across hospitality, fitness, media, and entertainment, with a consistent focus on business development, sales leadership, and customer excellence. He has built and led high-performing sales, commercial, and customer success teams across the UK, Europe, and globally.
Jen Mitchell joined the NEC in November 2024 and is responsible for both Utilita Arena Birmingham and bp pulse LIVE.
She has over 25 years of experience in the live events industry, working all over the world. From leading the teams at AO Arena Manchester and Leeds first direct Arena, to playing a key role in the 15th Doha Asian Games and F1 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Jen is a charity trustee for Kings Place Music Foundation and also sits on the National Arenas Association steering group.
Paul joined the NEC in 2013. He is a commercial solicitor who has worked in and led in-house legal teams for the past 15 years and has significant experience across live events, sponsorship, and procurement. In addition to his role as Chief Legal Officer, Paul is the Group’s Company Secretary and also has responsibility for the Group’s Insurance portfolio.
Before joining the NEC, Paul spent four years at Home Retail Group as Legal Counsel advising UK and Hong Kong based procurement teams for Argos, Homebase, and Habitat, and prior to that he was a solicitor in the corporate/commercial team at The Wilkes Partnership.
