The sixth IAPPR AGM was held at Phyllis Court, Henley on Thames (UK) on the 20th October 2022. Due to the COVID pandemic, It was the first time the members had been able to meet in person since the 2019 AGM in Clearwater, Florida.

The day was split in two, in the morning a meeting of the Executive Committee and in the afternoon an open session for all member companies.

Present for the day were, An Stofferis (IGS, Belgium), Antoine Djipka (ADD Associes, France), Danny Curran (Finders International, UK), Klaas Zondervan (Tracers International, Netherlands) Dr Torsten Weherahan (GEN, Germany), Thomas… (GEN, Germany) and Geoffrey Odds IAPPR Company Secretary.

By Video link we were joined for the day by Ryan Gregory (Finders International, Australia), in the morning session by Aurelie Roger (ADD) and in the afternoon by Amy Crabill Lay (AGHS, USA) and Jan-Mathis Holstein (ADD-Holstein, Germany).

The formal business of the organisation was conducted by the Executive Committee before we were joined for lunch by David Stock of Meerkat who provided a presentation on media relations and Ali Sawab (Head of IT and Cyber Security) who provided a presentation on all things website and IT related.

Important points to emerge from the meeting were that:

  • The members are committed to expansion of the IAPPR.
  • There is active interest in membership from businesses in, the USA, Spain, India and South America and it is expected that membership will grow over the next year.
  • Member companies have adapted well to the problems caused by the pandemic and are all growing.
  • Over the next year the website will be further enhanced.
  • A new organisation the international Heir Hunters Association IHHA) will be launched under the auspices of the IAPPR. The new organisation will be a home for smaller businesses and individual probate researchers who will commit to the ethics and standards of the IAPPR.