Kevin Scott was elected as the new President of the IP Federation at our Annual General Meeting held on 10 July 2026. The handover from Sarah Vaughan, now Immediate Past President, was formally marked at the President’s Reception hosted by Bird & Bird at their London office.

In his acceptance remarks, Kevin reflected on the important role the IP Federation plays in representing the views of UK industry on intellectual property policy and practice both in the UK and internationally. He paid tribute to Sarah Vaughan’s leadership over the past year, noting that it had been a particularly busy and successful period for the Federation.

“Last Friday I was delighted to be elected President of the IP Federation for the coming year,” he writes. “The past year, under the charge of our Immediate Past President Sarah Vaughan, has been a very busy and successful one and I look forward to building on her success with continuing high-quality policy work and expanding interactions with national and international organisations.”

Kevin highlighted the strength of the Federation’s membership and community, recognising the contribution of its committee members, consultants, policy advisers and Secretariat. He said that the Federation’s ability to influence policy and engage effectively with key stakeholders depends on the expertise, commitment and support of the people involved across the organisation.

“The most important element of the IP Federation is the people involved in it,” he said. “We are fortunate to have a professional Secretariat to keep things running smoothly and an impressive and supportive set of members, consultants and policy advisers to discuss with and learn from.”

As President, Kevin will lead the Federation’s continued engagement on intellectual property policy issues affecting innovative UK businesses, while further strengthening relationships with government departments, intellectual property offices and international organisations.

A selection of photographs from the President’s Reception follows.