We sat down to chat with our new CEO – Kylie Lyons to find out who she is, her thoughts on taking the role and her plans for the future….

KW: Kylie, thanks for meeting me today. Tell us why you are the best person to take on the role of the CEO of the WPC?
KL: Can I start by thanking the Governing Committee for appointing me, for trusting me and for giving me the opportunity to step into this role. It truly excites me, and I am thankful to Giuseppe Scozzi for his leadership and developing the WPC into what it is today.
I am a Professional Photographer and have been operating my own business Handprint Photography since 1993. I have a tertiary background in graphic design specializing in Photomedia from the University of Western Sydney (Nepean) and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
I am a Master of Photography I with the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP). For my services to the photographic industry, I was awarded an Honorary Life Membership (HLM) of the AIPP in May 2012. I was also awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Institute in 2021.
I have been a member of the WPC Governing Committee since 2014 so have a deep understanding of how it works and what is needed for the next stage of its evolution.

KW: What was your motivation for taking on this role?
KL: I am passionate about photography and the vision of the WPC to unite photographers around the world through competition. My motivation is for the WPC to be more engaging and to grow and further develop WPC into a global premier photographic competition, with increased participation from eligible countries around the world.

I am a former National President and National Chairman of the AIPP and enjoyed growing the reputation, skills and professionalism of photography in Australia. I have gained knowledge and insights over the last 30 years and like to share it with others.

With the advances in technology, we can connect with each other around the world. Distances are no longer a barrier and we can harness technology to turn us into a truly global community. It doesn’t matter where the CEO is based. Or the Committee members. Or the entrants.

I think Covid has changed all our mindsets in regard to how we value and perceive the world. Whilst our worlds shrunk to the size of our lounge rooms during lockdown, we saw how we could enlarge our lives and still meaningfully engage with other across technology.

KW: The future of WPC sounds very exciting! How do you plan to achieve this?
KL: (Kylie laughs) Certainly not on my own! The WPC Committee is made up of very experienced and professional photographers and business people. My plan going forward is to utilize the skills and abilities of our fabulous Committee members and volunteers, they are the powerhouse behind all the running of WPC.
I am amazed and humbled by the dedication and commitment that our committee members and volunteers give to the WPC every year, remembering that everyone is a volunteer – and their time is unpaid. We have past committee members and friends of the WPC that continue to give their time, provide invaluable knowledge and resources to grow and develop WPC. To these people, I give a huge thank you. Without them, we could not provide the competition to our entrants at such a competitive price.
Also, to our sponsors, with special mention to ChromaLuxe for their continued support over many years, we thank you for your support.

We are currently working on developing a new website to be more user friendly for our community, including improved functionality for Cup participants. We are spending a lot of time making sure that any changes are transparent and meet our whole community needs, on a long term and strategic basis. We are ‘future proofing’ WPC, but always ensuring we stay true to our Mission and Objectives. It’s a thrilling time and I am looking forward to presenting our developments to you all.