MIU Team
Chairman - Alan Perry
Alan Perry is a veteran of the conference and exhibitions business having staged over 170 events since 1987. After graduating in 1975 he spent two spells working overseas, in Bahrain and the USA. During his time in the US he trained as an air charter/ taxi pilot operating out of San Francisco. On returning to the UK in 1981 he joined the London advertising agency MSA&L, where he worked in new product development and branding. In 1984 he co-founded the maritime industry magazine Port Development International and PDI Conferences. The company became the established market leader in its sector and consolidated and expanded through organic growth and acquisition, eventually the entire business was sold to Euromoney Plc in 1999. After a year out for restrictive covenants Perry founded MIU Events in April, 2000. MIU initially ran general transport events but these have been progressively sold off so the business now concentrates solely on aviation events with a specialised interest in very light jets and the air taxi, which is close to the founder’s heart and earlier interests all those years ago in Northern California.
Perry retains a keen interest in flying, has additional business interests in the aviation sector and is Managing Director of the Air Taxi Association in Europe.
Managing Director - Dr. Panagiotis Panagopoulos
Dr. Panagiotis Panagopoulos is a McGill University graduate and has an academic background as a political scientist, researcher, writer of published articles and is a Mediterranean specialist who has lectured at leading institutions all over Europe and the US. He has been educated in Canada, the UK and Denmark.
Prior to joining MIU, Panagopoulos held a number of senior positions specialising in business-to-business conferences in the maritime, commercial aviation, energy, finance and defence sectors. He previously held senior positions at SMi, Informa (IBC, Lloyd's List Events, Commercial Aviation Events) and Zelus, launching and establishing reputable events worldwide. He has developed a wide range of professional contacts at decision-making level in numerous countries and he is a well respected expert and commentator in the maritime and aviation sectors.
Having a special interest in both commercial and business aviation, he is a member of various academic and professional organisations including the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT), the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA), and the Light Aircraft Association (LAA).
Kristen Jurn, Vice President Sales & Marketing
Kristen is an avid aviation enthusiast and industry professional with a comprehensive background in both general and commercial aviation operations, sales and marketing. Her aviation career has grown along with the new technology aircraft both in the single engine and light jet category. Kristen led the branding, client services and sales operations in the South Florida market for Cirrus SR22 shared ownership programs as the Regional Sales Manager for AirShares Elite 2005-2007. Prior to selling Cirrus fractions, she worked with Mach 2 Management as a product specialist for the Eclipse 500 during the early years of the VLJ category introduction. She has over 1,200 hours of flying time and is a single and multi engine instrument and commercial rated pilot.
Her involvement in aviation began in 1991 when she earned her private license. After completing university and living in France, Kristen worked for United Airlines as an international crew member for 8 years. She was a lead pilot for the “Traffic Watch” in the Northeastern, US during 2000-2002. She is active in her local aviation community organizations and has competed in cross country aircraft racing.
Kristen has held sales and management positions with a variety of established and upstart companies. In 2007, she established an aviation specific marketing and sales consulting firm specializing in new technology based aircraft business models.
Kristen is affiliated and an active member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Ninety-Nines International Women Pilots Organization, Women in Aviation International (WIAI), and the Greater Miami Aviation Association (GMAA).
Logistics Co-ordinator - Iris Tomson
Iris Tomson has gained considerable experience in the aviation industry and contributes to MIU's business-to-business relations, negotiations and communication with its clients and partners. Her degree in Business Administration and Foreign Languages, previous work experience and communication skills are valuable tools for the successful development and logistics co-ordination of all events.
Tomson has worked for a number of years for a reputable travel agency in Estonia co-ordinating corporate trips and meetings worldwide. She also spent 5 years in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain as an office administrator for a regional corporation, model for an advertising company, and stewardess for Gulf Air.
As a former member of cabin crew of an airline, she maintains a strong interest in the aviation industry and enjoys travelling, building business relations, and looking after the logistics requirements of MIU's projects.
Molly Thiemann, Administrative Assistant, US Office
Molly is a new member of the MIU team and new to the aviation industry. She is a recent Business Administration graduate from the University of Phoenix, US.
Before completing her studies; Molly worked and traveled extensively throughout Asia and Europe as a fashion and print model.
She is knowledgeable in Asian languages and is excited to become part of a global team in a growing industry.
Her enthusiasm, cultural awareness, and communication skills will enhance the MIU Events team as a valuable member of the US office team.
