IES and AES Strategic Partnership 2025: A Game-Changer for Lighting and Audio

How Long Will She Stay Question Seems to be Resolved

IES has announced a new shared resource agreement with the Audio Engineering Society (AES), expanding IES’s collaborative support to include the global audio engineering community.

As part of this collaboration, Colleen Harper will serve as Executive Director in a shared role between IES and AES. Colleen previously served as AES Executive Director from 2019-2022, and her proven leadership helped guide the Society through significant growth and development. This partnership starts 16 December, 2025, with Colleen as shared Executive Director and Graham Kirk as Director of Business Operations, backed by three new hires and dual-role staff.

In an email to your humble editor, she shared, “Everyone will remain employed by IES and we will receive a management fee from AES, exactly like our arrangement with NCQLP.”

Your humble editor attended the Global Lighting Community discussion led by Dr. Amardeep M. Dugar at IES 25, The Lighting Conference. Speakers from Canada to India discussed mutual problems within their organizations and potential ways to address them. One idea that stood out was resource-sharing among the groups.

Colleen attended the meeting as well, and though I’m unsure if the discussion influenced this decision, it is a wise choice.  It makes much more sense to share resources with AES, an organization that Colleen and Graham have worked for and is in the same time zone, than trying to share resources with a lighting organization on the other side of the world.

Leadership Insights and Vision

IES President Wilson Dau emphasized, “This partnership represents IES’s commitment to supporting technical and professional societies. By sharing our resources and expertise, we can help AES continue its important mission while leveraging operational efficiencies that benefit both organizations.” AES President Gary Gottlieb noted, “The last time we had this staff combination, AES saw measurable gains in membership and event attendance. This arrangement brings us back to that formula, with access to a larger, flexible team.”

Colleen added, “This arrangement empowers AES to focus on serving its members and advancing audio innovation, while generating a reliable revenue stream for IES. It allows both Societies’ members and volunteers to prioritize connecting communities, supporting education, and creating world-class events.” Graham Kirk reinforced, “This collaboration diversifies IES’s revenue, combines resources to reach new markets, deepen engagement, and develop innovative events, driving growth for both.”

Impact on IES Operations and Future Growth

Colleen’s leadership at IES has transformed operations with streamlined processes and enhanced digital tools, despite membership challenges. At the IES25 Lighting Conference Board of Directors meeting, we learned of robust plans to boost recruitment and retention, targeting growth in 2026. LightFair, where IES holds a one-third stake under Messe Frankfurt, faces hurdles, but significant 2027 improvements are planned.

According to their website, AES boasts over 12,000 members, 90+ professional sections, and 120+ student chapters.  While  some might be concerned with workload, Colleen and Graham’s prior AES experience reduces that risk.

Given her strong record at IES, there’s been quiet chatter among past presidents and others about how long she’ll stay. Typical executive-director tenure at U.S. nonprofits is roughly five to seven years. Think about it: IES hasn’t been growing, and she’s had to cut, cut, and cut. How long before she throws in the towel and takes the helm of an AI organization? My view: this AES arrangement keeps her fully challenged, likely provides a bit more income, and lets her share best practices between the two groups—keeping her with us for many more years. In the meantime, IES picks up some additional revenue.

This alignment offers fresh challenges, potential income growth, and best-practice sharing, while IES secures steady revenue—a win for all.

Read the press release here.