Humaid Al Dhaheri, managing director and group CEO of ADNEC Group, has been appointed the next chair of the ExCeL London Board, taking over from Kevin Murphy OBE who is stepping down from his ExCeL London position.
Having joined ADNEC Group in 2005, Humaid Al Dhaheri has contributed to strengthening the group’s position, by leading the Group transformation through seven clusters: venues, events, hotels, food & beverage, services, tourism and media. He enabled the group to become a key player in supporting Abu Dhabi and the UK’s economies, alongside enhancing the group’s businesses towards sustainable and innovative competitiveness, and currently is leading on the current expansion of ExCeL, which increases the venue’s total event space by 25%, approximately 25,000sqm.
Al Dhaheri comments, “I would like to thank Kevin for his work and commitment at ExCeL London and helping to bring success to ADNEC Group on an international level. I’ve worked with Kevin for more than 15 years and he’s become a highly-regarded and credible thought-leader for our industry. We wish him the best of luck in the future. I am now looking forward to a new chapter in ADNEC’s growth as we look to further strengthen the company’s leading position within the international events and business tourism industry.”
Murphy, under the umbrella of ADNEC Group, has supported in developing the London venue over the past two decades. His successful career spans more than four decades and has included private publishing, exhibition organising and various senior corporate positions, before moving to ExCeL in 2003.
Jeremy Rees, CEO of ExCeL, says, “Kevin really has done it all – entrepreneur, exhibition organiser, venue operator, publisher, event industry ambassador, friend and mentor. He’s fiercely loyal, charismatic and brilliant with people. He knows everyone at work – their names, families, back stories – which gives you a glimpse into why he has been so successful. He’s played a leading role in transforming ExCeL over the last twenty years and I know I speak for everyone in the company when I say he’s going to be sorely missed.”
Appointed as CEO from 2008 to 2012, Kevin worked closely with ADNEC Group leadership to help realise the vision for the investment of ADNEC Group in the venue’s first expansion, known as the Phase 2 project, including the creation of the UK’s largest auditorium within what became the London Mayor’s International Convention Centre.
In 2013, ADNEC Group appointed Kevin as Chairman of ExCeL where he focused on strengthening partnerships with both local and national government to boost London’s profile as a global centre for business tourism. He was appointed to the ADNEC Group Board in 2019.
