Business-events management firm PRA has tapped industry veteran Ariane Coldiron as its new CEO, succeeding Tom Kemp, who stepped in as interim CEO last November. Coldiron brings more than three decades of experience to the job, most recently serving as senior vice president of corporate events at Production Resource Group, a provider of global entertainment and live-event production solutions. She will begin her new role on May 12.
Coldiron's experience is well-suited to lead PRA as the company continues its trajectory from its founding as a destination management company in 1981 to its current identity as a business-events management firm. PRA provides destination-management expertise as well as strategy and creative guidance, production and staging, and technology solutions. During her nearly two-year stint with PRG, Coldiron led the corporate events business and expanded their offerings to serve a wide range of big-name clients like Nvidia, Phillips, Nikon, Datadog, Mars and Volkswagen. Prior to that she spent nearly a decade with Freeman, overseeing the agency and experiential-marketing division.
Coldiron, known for nurturing relationships with high-profile clients as well as identifying innovative growth opportunities, looks forward to leading PRA. "I’m incredibly honored to take on the role of CEO at PRA during such an exciting period for the company and our industry," she said. "PRA has positioned itself well, with tremendous opportunities ahead and I look forward to guiding our teams in delivering tailored event experiences, driving continued growth and capitalizing on the momentum created as we continue to push the boundaries in our industry to provide impactful results for our valued customers."
Transitioning event-leadership expertise
Interim CEO Tom Kemp, who served as CEO of Northstar Travel Group (parent company of Northstar Meetings Group) from 2009-'23 before joining PRA's board, has been appointed as chair of PRA's board and will work closely with Coldiron during the transition.
"Ariane’s appointment reflects our commitment to delivering innovative solutions and exceptional service to our clients," Kemp noted. "Her extensive industry background and leadership acumen make her the ideal person to drive the company’s transformation while staying true to PRA’s mission of creating impactful experiences."
PRA's primary investor, EagleTree Capital, was an integral part of the process in identifying the selection of PRA's new leader. "We are confident Ariane’s strategic leadership and proven track record of client-centric success in the events segment will undoubtedly strengthen PRA's market-leading position," said Michael Struble, senior partner at EagleTree, also private equity investors in Northstar Travel Group.
Coldiron, who will be based at PRA's headquarters in Chicago, will oversee business operations across the company's 31 service locations, and more than 1,000 employees and field staff in North America. Last year, the business organized events in 32 states and 119 cities.
