Shirley Taylor becomes the 21st President of the Global Speakers Federation

I'm very proud to announce that on 8 July 2017, I was appointed President of the Global Speakers Federation (GSF). What an honour and a privilege this is.

After serving on the GSF leadership team for the past 4 years, I am now standing on the shoulders of some speaking giants who have filled this role before me, including the current President, Nabil Doss, pictured here as he handed me the presidential gavel at our annual meeting in Orlando recently.

The GSF exists to enhance global collaboration among speaking associations, so we can all share best practices, knowledge, ideas and expertise. There are currently 14 speaking associations around the world that are part of the Global Speakers Federation. Just this year, we were proud to welcome two new associations from Namibia and Sweden.

As GSF President, I will be visiting many of the 14 speaking associations around the world that are part of the Federation, including Asia Professional Speakers Singapore, where I was proud to be President in 2011-12. I'm looking forward to connecting with colleagues and speakers all over the world. It's a great opportunity for sharing, growing, learning and collaborating on a global scale.

To find out more about the GSF, and to check out where there may be a GSF speaking association near you, visit www.globalspeakersfederation.net. And if I can be of service to you on my travels, please let me know.

Huge Thanks

Thank you to all those who have supported me in my journey to becoming President of the Global Speakers Federation. Special thanks to all the GSF Presidents who I have had the pleasure of serving with over the past few years, namely Cheryl Cran, Lesley Everett, Lenora Billings-Harris, Jonathan Low and Nabil Doss. I have learned so much from you all, and I truly appreciate your support.

Thanks also to my wonderful team at STTS in Singapore – Joanna, Liz, Rekha and Marianna – who will of course be managing business as usual in Singapore and around Asia.

Thanks also to the GSF Past Presidents and Executive Director for giving me some great advice at our July meeting in Orlando. It's wonderful to have your support, and I feel honoured and blessed to be in the presence of such an esteemed group.

Celebrating 20 years of the GSF

At our July meeting, the GSF Board of Directors celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Federation. In 1997, Founding Chairman of the Federation, the late Warren Evans, said,

"The Federation creates numerous opportunities to enhance professionalism, grow markets and improve businesses."

As we enter the Federation's third decade, I hope to encourage more effective collaboration, so that we can all work together effectively to shape an even greater global community where we keep enhancing professionalism, growing markets and improving businesses.