
Lerzan Aksoy – Past Co-Chair SERVSIG
We have big news at SERVSIG. As you may know, SERVSIG recently adopted a tradition of electing 2 individuals to serve as co-chairs simultaneously. My term as co-chair is coming to a close. I can’t express how much I have enjoyed working with everyone in SERVSIG including my dear friend, Bart Lariviere, my co-chair these past 2 years. Bart is the most genuine, hardworking and kind person I know. I will miss working with him in this role tremendously—but I know that we will still work on many more great things together!
Recently SERVSIG members received an invitation to nominate the next SERVSIG co-chair. Our incoming co-chair received by far the highest number of nominations. Although this person is a relatively young member of our community, she is not only a scholar, but is also an active contributor to SERVSIG. Everyone who knows her likes her. It’s impossible not to as she embodies the true meaning of service. There is no doubt that she will push SERVSIG and our community even farther. Congratulations Linda Alkire!

Bart Lariviere – Co-Chair SERVSIG
I met Lerzan for the first time in 2006 in Groningen, where she was one of the keynote speakers at a CRM seminar organized by Peter Verhoef. Being a marketing modeler interested in service marketing, this meeting was a very important stepping stone in my career. Lerzan and Tim introduced me to service research, and to the service research community. As an outsider, any advice on which topics to focus on, collaboration opportunities, how to position your paper, which conference to attend, which journals to target are very welcome, and needed. We also started collaborating and co-authored many papers.
Lerzan also introduced me to SERVSIG. It was my good fortune to co-chair the AMA SERVSIG Doctoral Consortium with Lerzan in San José. Two years later, we again joined forces and became the co-chairs of SERVSIG for two years. Lerzan has been my partner in crime, also my mentor for SERVSIG related tasks. I loved collaborating with you, I learned so much, and it was so much fun. I enjoyed every minute of it. Thank you Lerzan for all the mentoring, introducing me to service research and to this amazing SERVSIG community!! You made a difference, both professionally and personally!!
Equally, I am excited about joining forces with the in-coming co-chair, Linda Alkire. I met Linda for the first time at the inaugural Let’s Talk About Service (LTAS) workshop in Belgium, and over the years I started to know her better, as a researcher, as a dedicated SERVSIG Officer, and someone who goes the extra mile to service this community. I really look forward to working with you Linda!

Linda Alkire (née Nasr) – New Co-Chair SERVSIG
It is with great pleasure that I take on the co-chair role for SERVSIG.
SERVSIG has been my academic home since I started my PhD. As an early career researcher, SERVSIG offered me a countless amount of opportunities. I attended SERVSIG Doctoral Consortiums, presented at various SERVSIG conferences and events, was awarded SERVSIG Liam Glynn Scholarship, etc. Through these experiences, I met wonderful colleagues and co-authors, and many became close friends. Every year, I look forward to SERVSIG activities and eagerly wait for the service conferences to reconnect with friends and meet new service enthusiasts.
My volunteering at SERVSIG started by applying for the Electronic Media Officer position. Through this experience, I worked closely with Werner Kunz on our social media efforts. Werner has done an amazing job building our various platforms and keeping us connected and informed about the wonderful world of Service. I have learned a lot through this great experience and networked with many of our readers as I interviewed and compiled a number of our SERVSIG stories.
As a board member, I also had a great opportunity to work closely with the various members of the board. The amount of dedication and enthusiasm is delightful and I am forever thankful for all the work each and every one of them is doing across the various fields and continents so that our community, conferences, awards, journals, etc. can always stay on top!
SERVSIG is a striving community. All this wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication and enthusiasm of its co-chairs. I am very humbled to be elected as co-chair at this early stage of my career, but above all I am very pleased to be able to continue the wonderful work Lerzan has done. Lerzan is a role model of dedication, commitment and professionalism and I am very honored to have her as a mentor.
I am also looking forward to continue working with Bart. He has been a wonderful supporter and a great friend. I admire his positivity, hospitality, attention to details and creative ideas. No matter what event he organizes, it always turns out a big success!
Finally, I am very excited to continue working with the board members, and with each and every one of you. This community is built on 3 principles: Open, Flexible, and Fun, and I will strive to continue with this spirit as together we take SERVSIG forward!