For the last five years, Kilbee has been based in Amsterdam with UBM where, as group director, he has led the growth and development of the company’s global pharmaceutical portfolio. As part of this role, his responsibilities included the P&L performance of a global events portfolio and the development and execution of a global strategy to drive performance across all brands.

His tenure in Amsterdam included new launches in North America, Turkey, the UAE, South Korea and in a number of adjacent vertical markets. Prior to his time in Amsterdam, Kilbee was based in London as managing director of UBM’s Built Environment business, which included media brands in the real estate, architecture and construction markets.

“His wide-ranging experience of leading and developing large-scale global event businesses, along with his deep experience of the built environment sector, made Chris the obvious choice to take dmg events’ construction division to the next level,” said Matt Denton, president of dmg::events.

“With new launch events on the way, plus our continued efforts to geo-adapt leading brands to new locations, our construction division is enjoying a period of dynamic growth. We’re looking forward to seeing how it continues to grow under Chris’s leadership,” said Denton.

Discussing his new role, Kilbee said: “I am looking forward to the challenges of developing this dynamic portfolio and building out from its successful platform in the Middle East, Asia & Africa. The flagship Big 5 Dubai has mirrored the success and growth of the UAE and together with the dmg team I relish the opportunity to shape its future and adapt that exciting formula in other territories.”