Director leaves DMA for equestrian body

Mike Barnes, the director of marketing and business development at the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), is stepping down to join the equestrian organisation British Eventing.

Barnes will leave the DMA in April after ten years in his position to take up the newly created role of commercial and marketing director at British Eventing.

His duties at the DMA will be handled by managing director James Kelly in the interim, as he considers the focus and challenge of the role for the next stage of DMA’s development. This will now form part of the association’s review of strategy and operations.

British Eventing is the governing body for Horse Trials in Great Britain and regulates the sport together with scheduling more than 190 events throughout the country.

It has been through a strategic restructuring intended to enhance membership value over the next five years.

Kelly says/ “I would like to thank Mike for the immense contribution he has made to the DMA. In particular, his energy, enthusiasm and significant input to the DMA’s strategy and business planning have been invaluable. He has spearheaded many initiatives that have helped to ensure that the DMA remains a highly effective trade body.

“However, we’re always looking at new ways of developing the DMA to keep it at the forefront of the direct marketing industry. I will therefore be taking the opportunity to review the position in the wider context of the DMA’s future priorities and determine how it can best serve the interests of our members in these challenging times.”