Words from the Chair Obituary Ingrid Desrois 24 November 1940 - 14 April 2016 Ingrid Desrois was known by so many throughout our profession and the news of her sudden passing after a short battle with leukaemia has shocked us all, as the hundreds of testimonies flooding in bear witness. To quote Peter Müller who wrote her INTA Volunteer profile back in 2011: "If there is anything such as a “well-known trademark” in the field of IP personalities—one that has enhanced distinctiveness because of long-term use, has high recognition in the market and is valued by consumers—it would be Ingrid Desrois". She was first and foremost a woman who made it to the very top of her profession through sheer hard work and determination. However, Ingrid is remembered by most for her human qualities of generosity and advice, no matter the subject and situation. As many will know, I had the privilege of working in her team for more than 10 years when the Europe, Middle East and Africa Trade Mark Department of Procter & Gamble was based in Paris and grew from strength to strength under her leadership. After growing up in Munich, Ingrid moved to Paris in the mid-1960s, where she first became active in trade marks through an acquisition by Richardson-Vicks. Like many of us, her expertise in languages underscored the enjoyment that she found working in our specialised field. She was a demanding boss, expecting the same commitment to excellence that she herself demonstrated. Her particular brand of leadership was based on learning by doing coupled with natural mentoring skills. "Inspirational" is the word that stands out in all the testimonials received from those who were lucky enough to work with Ingrid, no matter what they have gone on to do subsequently. No problem was too small for Ingrid's time - be it professional (a minute detail in a file could reverse a legal situation) or personal. Working together on a Saturday morning to beat the administrative backlog or sharing a seven hour flight back from Cincinnati provided many opportunities to simply look, listen and learn. Richard Heath, former adversary at The year 2016 has started with another great PTMG Spring Conference at the legendary Savoy hotel in London. It was a pleasure to see so many of you in this splendid environment. I personally liked very much the combination of presentations looking at IP from different perspectives. The presentations we got again were fascinating and creative. It is nice to see that our major topic of trade marks has not lost its appeal over time. On the contrary! Now, while we were enjoying our conference in London, OHIM has undergone some kind of a metamorphosis and is now known under the much more obvious and catchy title EUIPO. More practical changes are to be expected from Alicante due to the enactment of the so-called Trademark Package. I guess this will be worth a presentation at one of our future conferences. Finally, I have to announce that Rosina Baxter of Reckitt Benckiser is retiring. She was one of the most active PTMG Committee members with a great sense of humour and so many creative ideas. Well, dear Rosina, I am confident that you will enjoy your well-deserved retirement, but you should know that we will really miss you! Frank Meixner Unilever remembers Ingrid's "gracious geniality coupled with steely resolve, which are admirable negotiating traits, whether in a commercial situation involving high stakes but apparently mundane products like toothpaste and laundry detergent, or in a policy situation when talking to Governments". In addition to being a PTMG Committee member until 2002, she also devoted much time to lobbying through other professional organisations such as AIM, ECTA and of course Board membership of INTA. She was elected the first female Honorary member of APRAM in January 2014. With her passing, the trade mark profession has lost a "grande dame", a committed European who from its very outset believed in the European Union trade mark. Hundreds of priority claim applications and of course the controversial BABY-DRY decision are witness to her supreme efforts to see the then OHIM office succeed in its aim of harmonisation. It was no surprise to anyone when the then President of OHIM invited her to become his special advisor, an industry ambassador rôle which she held for the past twelve years. Many practical and pragmatic improvements to the system, such as the user satisfaction surveys and specified Examiner training, are the embodiments of her approach to trade mark practice. She is survived by her husband, her son and daughter and four grandchildren to whom she devoted much of her time after retiring from P&G in 2003. To respect the family's wishes, PTMG has made a donation to Bloodwise. Vanessa Parker 2