On 1 July 2026, the management of the LHCb collaboration is changing. The new spokesperson team of Tim Gershon (Spokesperson, University of Warwick) and Paula Collins (Deputy Spokesperson, CERN) will take over from Vincenzo Vagnoni (INFN Bologna), Patrick Robbe (IJCLab) and Ulrich Uwer (Heidelberg University). Tim and Paula will work together in the LHCb management with Eric Thomas (Technical Coordinator,CERN), Niko Neufeld (Resources Coordinator, CERN) and Ben Couturier (Software and Computing Coordinator, CERN).
This change in management coincides with the end of the third LHC data-taking period (Run 3). As LHCb enters a four-year shutdown before Run 4, the new management has three principal objectives. The first is to fully exploit the unprecedented data sample collected with the upgraded detector during Run 3. The second is to prepare the experiment for a successful return to data-taking in 2030 through continued developments of the detector, online data processing and software ecosystem. These developments, including major enhancements of selected detector components, form an important part of the work towards the third objective: continuing progress towards the realization of a second major upgrade of LHCb beyond Run 4, recently reaffirmed as a top priority of the European Strategy for Particle Physics.
Pursuing all of these priorities simultaneously presents a significant challenge, but is feasible due to the continued growth of the LHCb collaboration, which is on the verge of exceeding 2000 members (approximately double its size of 15 years ago). The new management is committed to building on the work of previous spokesperson teams, ensuring that LHCb continues to attract new institutes while providing existing members with every opportunity to realise their scientific ambitions.
At its summer BBQ on 25 June, the collaboration presented Vincenzo, Patrick and Ulrich with a number of gifts in recognition of their excellent stewardship of LHCb over the past three years. We now wish Tim and Paula and all the LHCb management every success for the exciting period ahead.