LONDON.- After serving ten years as Chief Executive of LAPADA, Sarah Percy-Davis has announced that she will step down in March 2014. The timing is led by a family decision to move to a new home in the countryside outside London.

LAPADA is the largest association of art and antiques dealers in the UK and is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2014. The LAPADA Board has been advised of the change by its Chairman, Lord Chadlington and interviews for the new Chief Executive will begin early in the New Year.

Sarah Percy-Davis will personally oversee the transition period to ensure a seamless hand-over of responsibilities and it is anticipated that she will remain closely involved with LAPADA as she begins her new role as an arts consultant.

Peter Chadlington, Chairman of LAPADA: “Sarah has made an immense contribution to the vibrant development of the organisation during the past ten years. Whilst she will undoubtedly be a hard act to follow, we are fortunate to have in place an established and dynamic LAPADA management team. LAPADA will continue to provide wider benefits to its members, use its influence to actively represent the best interests of the trade and promote the highest professional standards.

We have a fantastic programme for 2014, which includes our annual conference at the House of Lords and the celebrations for LAPADA’s 40th anniversary.“

Under Sarah Percy-Davis’s management, LAPADA has been at the forefront in setting new standards within the trade, introducing and promoting innovative and successful contemporary initiatives that have brought a fresh approach to collecting, and to buying and selling antiques.

During her tenure LAPADA launched its hugely successful LAPADA Fair, now in its eighth year and located in its prestigious home in Berkeley Square. The Object of the Year competition, the launch of LAPADA Modern, the substantial overhaul of the LAPADA website and the release of four Apps for Smart Phones have seen Sarah further establish a contemporary, fresh face for the Association and the trade.

On her decision to stand down, Sarah Percy-Davis: “After ten hugely rewarding years at the helm of LAPADA, we have taken a family decision to relocate from Central London to provide a better quality of life for my family and it is inevitably with a heavy heart that I begin to hand over the reins. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many of you that have made my time as Chief Executive so incredibly special. I will look forward to continuing my warm association with LAPADA.”