In an exclusive interview with Event, Sharkey outlined his plans for the future and reviewed the success of the business during the last decade.
He said his decision to move on from the SECC after 11 years was a combination of leaving on a high and a series of work in the pipeline. "After six years as chief financial officer and most recently five years in my current position, I felt it was a good time to leave while the business was in such a strong position - with the in September, the build of the exhibition and conference businesses, and the launch and growth of our ticketing division."
Sharkey explained his plan was to stay within the event industry: "There are some fantastic people who work in this sector, I like the challenges it possesses and the industry makes a difference to lives. It is a positive force. My skillset includes conferences, exhibitions, events and finance – I need to find where best to add value in the future."
He added a number of interesting prospects have come his way since the announcement earlier this month. "A couple of interesting projects have been presented to me but they didn’t quite fit with what I wanted. Everything is in place for me to consider international opportunities given where I am at with my career.
"In 2014 I will also be talking to various groups about the story of the SECC business and how the vision of The Hydro became a reality, especially during an economic recession. It’s a fantastic story to tell."
Looking back on how the business has performed during his time at the SECC, Sharkey revealed the core events business has moved from hosting 70 events each year to 140 events.
"Exhibitions has also seen an upward trajectory, which is a good result in a difficult market," he added. "Conferences have continued to grow, moving from 30 each year to around 50/60 annually. Footfall typically across the site was around one million each year, but now with The Hydro it has increased to around 1.5 million and we are positive for the year ahead."
Sharkey highlighted a number of key events for the SECC's venues in 2014. "There are some big jobs and we have some exciting content coming through including the Commonwealth Games, the opening quarter of the Ryder Cup and the 20th MTV EMA awards."
When asked what the next chief executive will need to do to continue the success and growth of the business, he said long-term decisions will be essential. "When I started with the company I went back and looked at the origin of the business and how it performed early on. Looking through the accounts, seeing what the financials were saying, that was very important.
"The problem has been the company has been making all decisions on a short-term basis. Now it must invest in something to get the return on it. It’s all about getting the product right as Glasgow’s top event and entertainment destinations."
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