IASI Snowsports
Membership Matters
Meet the new IASI Board
Dear IASI Member,
We are writing to you to update you on the outcome of the recent AGM and introduce the new IASI Board.
What happened at the recent AGM and board election
This year’s AGM was hotly anticipated. We received a very large number of proxy forms and a strong attendance in person and online. In total, 194 people took some part in the AGM, which we believe is an Association record.
Key events at the meeting itself:
Stephen O’Hara tendered his resignation on the afternoon of the AGM, having come to a decision that he couldn’t give the role as much time as he’d have liked given his other extensive commitments
After Steve’s resignation, the outgoing board decided to expand their number to seven, which meant that there was no need to run the election, and all candidates that were standing for election were duly elected
The newly-elected board consisted of Dáire O’Connell, Blue Martin, Rich Egan and Aoife Totterdell from the previous board, and Ian McEwan, Mike Barker and Jonny Parkhouse Evans who were newly elected
At the first meeting to form the new board:
Roles were assigned to the newly elected members
Mike Barker took board responsibility for education (replacing Stephen O’Hara)
Ian McEwan became Company Secretary (replacing Fiona Mullen)
Jonny Parkhouse Evans took board responsibility for membership, which is a new board role
Shortly after that first meeting, there were some further resignations. Dáire O’Connell (Chair), Rich Egan (LCP Liaison) and Aoife Totterdell (Treasurer) resigned from the board.
At the next Board meeting, Blue Martin was elected as Chair. Shortly afterwards the Board co-opted Fiachra Etchingham as Treasurer. Read on to find out more about the new Board.
First, our thanks to the outgoing board members
The new Board would like to express our sincere thanks to outgoing Board members Dáire O’Connell, Aoife Totterdell, Fiona Mullen, Rich Egan and Stephen O’Hara and for the dedication they have brought to IASI over their terms on the Board. Their collective contribution has shaped a stronger, more transparent, and more resilient Association. From establishing robust financial systems and transitioning to modern accounting, from modernising the LCP contracts to building a skills-based Board that strengthened governance across the organisation, their work has laid foundations that will support IASI for years to come. Under their leadership, IASI has introduced a comprehensive governance framework which is nearing completion, and a new and much-needed focus on communications and strategy. We are grateful for the time, energy, and integrity they brought to these roles, and we wish them all the very best as they step back from Board duties.
Meet the new board members
At this year’s AGM there was a request to know more about who is on the IASI Board and their motivations for standing for election. Read on below to find out more about the people representing you.
Blue Martin - Chair
I first clipped into skis as a teenager at the old Hillingdon dry slope in west London, and instantly fell in love, but had to wait until I was 18 before sliding on snow for the first time. I immediately decided to do a season after uni, and the rest is history.
I’m half Irish, half British, and live between Tarifa in the south of Spain, London, and the Alps. This winter I’ll be working in Verbier.
Snowsports instruction is my second career –
I left full-time work in 2016 to take a career break, and to ski and windsurf more. I qualified as an L2 Alpine instructor in 2021 and I’m working towards L3. Before that, I was a director at a London research and strategy agency and Vice Chair of my industry association.
I initially volunteered to join the IASI Board with the aim of improving communications of all kinds. That ambition remains with me as Chair, in the service of helping all our members to pull together in the same direction in the best interests of our Association.
I’ve always been both a strategic planner and an active ‘do-er’. One of my favourite things is seeing people and organisations fulfil their potential – it doesn’t matter whether it’s on a ski slope or in business – I love making that happen. And it is what I will work towards during my term on the IASI Board.
Fiachra Etchingham - Treasurer
A relative latecomer to skiing, I only started in my mid-twenties but have only missed one season since.
Having, over the years, encouraged and assisted many friends to try skiing and, as I was running a school ski trip, I decided to obtain a qualification and joined IASI in 2022.
My instruction is limited to Kilternan where I serve on the Ski School Committee.
I am an accountant by profession, now semi-retired, I provide consultancy services on educational management and fundraising. I have served on a number of committees and boards over the years and was elected for a term on the Town Council of Greystones, where I live.
I hope to apply that experience to the IASI Board, building on the work of my predecessors to strengthen our administration and finance systems.
Ian McEwan - Honorary Secretary
I first joined IASI in 2017 after many years involved in race coaching and snowsports. What drew me to the Association was its professionalism and the sense of community among instructors who genuinely care about raising standards across every level of skiing.
Now semi-retired, I divide my time between ski teaching and coaching during the winter and skippering classic boats on the River Thames through the summer.
My professional background is in commercial leadership, having spent most of my career building and leading sales teams before moving into a more balanced lifestyle that keeps me active and close to the mountains and the water.
I stood for election to the board because I believe IASI is at an important point in its growth. We have a strong international reputation, and I’d like to see us strengthen the same sense of quality and structure at home – supporting educators, engaging members, and developing clearer pathways for progression from entry level through to top qualification.
My focus will be on transparency, communication, and building practical initiatives that help instructors feel valued and better connected to the Association’s long-term direction.
Jonny Parkhouse Evans - Membership
I joined IASI in 2018, having previously been a member of BASI. I was drawn to IASI’s clear standards and well-structured education pathway, which I believe set it apart in our industry.
My career in the creative sector has taken me around the world, working in partnership with some of the largest organisations. Looking ahead, I would like to see IASI strengthen its presence on the global stage – our education process and training techniques are world-class, and the Association truly punches above its weight. I am especially proud that our Educators are regarded as some of the best in the world.
Like many of you, skiing is my passion, and some of my closest friendships have been formed both on and off the slopes.
I am proud of my Welsh heritage and when I’m not skiing, you’ll usually find me on the golf course or in the studio painting and drawing. I’m also a keen photographer and enjoy architecture, reading, fine art and cinema.
Mike Barker - Education
I’ve been working in snowsports for more than two decades, and my passion for the mountains has shaped pretty much every stage of my career. I’ve been lucky enough to coach at the highest levels, support pathway development across the UK and abroad, and work with instructors and athletes who continually inspire me.
I earned my Level 4 in 2008 while coaching a national team, and later stepped into the role of National Team Head Coach (IVSI L4) as well as achieving Canadian Coach L3. Over the years I’ve designed and led adventure programmes on five continents, and I delivered my first IASI educator course back in 2016 — an experience that really cemented my commitment to instructor education.
Alongside coaching, I’ve contributed to various organisations and committees to help strengthen and refine the coaching landscape. That’s included work with BASI, UK Snowsports (UKSS), and the UK home-nation bodies, as well as developing coaching materials and athlete pathways that are now used across the country.
Outside the snowsports world, I’ve picked up a fairly eclectic mix of qualifications and roles — from being a qualified electrician to working as a PADI Staff Instructor and leading logistics teams for European brand activation roadshows. All of it has added something different to how I think about teaching, leadership, and progression.
Most recently, my family and I relocated to Villars, Switzerland, where we’re settling into a new chapter of life in the mountains. I’m excited to continue supporting IASI’s education pathway and to help instructors at every stage develop their skills, confidence, and direction.
Would you like to contribute to IASI's future development?
If you think you’ve got something to contribute to IASI as a volunteer, please let us know. Whether you’re an education expert, really good at making content, great at organising events or anything else that might be relevant to IASI’s work, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact Blue or any member of the board to discuss.
