September 23, 2024: Maura McDermott, the guiding force and spiritual mentor of ELBC (and the ILA for that matter) was honoured by Andy Bush at the ELBC opening day in Milan last week for her contributions to the lead battery industry.
Maura has been one of the key figures in making the events activities of the ILA — starting in 1990 with 2ELBC in Brussels, right up to this year’s 19ELBC in Milan — an integral part of the lead battery industry calendar.
Maura had already been honoured with the International Lead Medal and her retirement last year but, said ILA’s managing director Andy Bush, needed to be recognised at the full audience of the ELBC.
“I’m glad she’s receiving the recognition that she’s due,” one ELBC delegate said to Batteries International. “She’s always been a well-liked and popular figure in the conferences — she’s been scrupulously fair with everyone even with some of the more difficult exhibitors who can be very, very pushy.
“She’s been very much a landmark at our events and a welcome face too!”
Maura joined the Zinc and Lead Development Association in November 1988, as executive assistant to the chief executive, David Ward. She started work at the association’s offices in Berkeley Square, London.
Following a series of reorganizations, the Zinc Development Association moved to Birmingham, and Maura stayed at the International Lead Association, and worked as EA to David Wilson who was then managing director of ILA until his retirement in 2012.
It was during this period that she helped induct a shy new ILA recruit, Andy Bush, who joined the association on completing his doctorate. He was eventually to become managing director.
Commenting on her career she earlier said: “It’s a real honour to be recognized by the industry to which I’ve devoted almost my entire career. It’s such a social and friendly industry, I will take with me many happy memories and just as many friends.
“I’ve enjoyed many aspects of the job, but I’ll particularly miss the events and the colleagues and delegates who helped make them such a success.
Andy Bush said: “In three and a half decades Maura has made a huge contribution to the work of the lead association helping to make two of the major conferences supporting our industry — Pb and ELBC — the leading events they are today. She has been a much loved and respected point-of-contact for so many members and partners, as well as our employees. She’ll be greatly missed.
“On behalf of the whole industry I would like to thank her for her unstinting loyalty and service over so many years and wish her a long and well-earned retirement. Since her first ELBC in 1990. She’s been central to the success and growth of ELBC into what it is today,” said Andy.
We couldn’t agree more, and we hope retirement will suit her as much as our pleasure in seeing her at industry events.
