GainingEdge Appoints Steen Jakobsen as CEO

Tourism and business events consultancy GainingEdge has appointed Steen Jakobsen as its next CEO, ending a 17-month interim period and signaling a new phase in the firm’s leadership.

Jakobsen held prominent roles at the Copenhagen Convention Bureau, leading the organization for 7 years. He later served almost a decade as Vice President of Dubai Business Events, where he oversaw the destination’s international meetings growth and helped launch the Dubai Association Centre. Most recently, he stepped away from the events industry, taking the role of chief financial officer at Danish biopharmaceutical company Tetra Pharm Technologies.

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, GainingEdge consults for destination management organizations. It helps destinations develop business events strategies, including creating new convention bureaus, and providing operational consulting to major convention centers.

Recent clients include the national destination marketing organizations promoting Malaysia, Macao, Japan, Sarawak (Malaysia), South Africa, Panama, and Canada, as well as projects with Neom in Saudi Arabia and the China National Convention Center in Beijing, China. The company also manages the BestCities Global Alliance, a network of 13 major cities with significant presence at industry events.

The appointment marks a new chapter in GainingEdge’s leadership evolution. Founder Gary Grimmer, a former chair of Destinations International and a 2014 inductee into its Hall of Fame, served as CEO for the firm’s first 15 years before moving into the role of executive chairman and strategic advisor. Grimmer previously led the Melbourne Convention & Visitor Bureau for seven years and held leadership roles at Travel Portland and the Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau. 

Jon Sivertson led GainingEdge from 2019 through early 2024, steering it through the pandemic and achieving record financial performance. Senior partner Mike Williams has served as acting CEO since March 2024.

Jakobsen’s arrival is expected to give GainingEdge the long-term leadership it has sought since early 2024 and position the consultancy for continued global expansion.