Currently UK managing director of major projects advisory at KPMG, Kershaw becomes the first female president of the chartered body for the project profession.

As president, Kershaw will advocate for the project profession, host the association’s high-profile events and facilitate engagements.

John McGlynn, chairman at APM, said: “As a well-respected and high-profile project management practitioner and leader, we’re delighted to have Sue as our first female president. She joins us during a period of ongoing growth, but also at a time when there are numerous challenges facing the project profession (including economic uncertainty, digitisation and transformation, and skills shortages).

“Her experience will be invaluable in supporting us to further help people and organisations to deliver better projects and also to promote our vision, mission and strategy to new and more diverse audiences.”

The 2018-19 APM Members’ Review reveals the growth of the organisation. Almost 800 individuals have achieved the Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) status, including 495 within the first five months of the standard being announced in October. APM reported a 17% growth in revenue and individual membership grew to nearly 30,000 (an increase of 16% on 2018 figures).

Sue Kershaw said: “As the second woman to receive an APM Honorary Fellowship back in 2011, I have witnessed their fantastic efforts in driving change within the project management space.

“APM’s work has been essential in equipping people with the skills required to build successful careers in the sector and develop professional benchmarks that demonstrate attainment of technical knowledge, professional practice and ethical behaviour. I’m very much looking forward to getting started in the coming months, helping to shape the future of the sector and drive professionalism. I’m also keen to champion important professional issues like driving gender diversity in project management.”

Outgoing president David Waboso, who himself made history as the first black and minority ethnic (BME) president of APM, said: “Three years ago when I took on the role, my ambition was to enhance APM’s status as a body that supported the needs of the profession – and in doing so, further raise the profile of the profession both at home and abroad. Fast forward to today and I see great progress has been made and a profession that has grown in stature and strength.

“Having secured chartered status, APM is now collaborating with an increasing range of bodies and is building the talent and capability of the profession. As such, we’ve significantly improved the delivery of the programmes – in spite of the increasingly complex nature of organisations and in an extraordinary economic climate.

“It’s been a true honour to be a part of APM’s journey and I stand aside knowing that the association is on a skyward trajectory and in safe hands.”