The present terms of office of Presidents were established by Harold Rossmore, in order that a serving president would be present at each triennial symposium. One year as President–Elect (Vice President), three years as President and two years as Immediate Past President. There are exceptions; Jimmy Walker served for an extended term and Malcolm Greenhalgh a shorter one.

Honorary Secretaries initially looked after all administration, meetings and membership (together with the Hon. Treasurer). In the early years, meetings in the UK were cheap and cheerful in that free meeting rooms could often be provided in Members’ Universities and Government Institutions, lunch catering was available without special arrangements and meeting fees were kept very low. A day meeting (2 or 3 each year) would run from about 10.30 to 16.30, have a lunch break and have 6-8 speakers plus a discussion session. Attendance was usually 20-40 members, including some locals from the host institution. Venues used for such Scientific (and also Council) meetings included Aston University, Hatfield Polytechnic, Preston Polytechnic (Harris College), Phillip Lyle Memorial Lab (Tate and Lyle) at Reading University, Long Aston Research Station, Polytechnic of the South Bank, Portsmouth Polytechnic, Forest Products Research Station, Commonwealth Mycological Institute.

In later years, separate Meetings Secretaries, Membership Secretaries and Publicity Officers (the latter only until 2001) were created to spread the increased workload and demands on individual Council Members.

1970 – 1971: President: H J (Bill) Bunker, Hon. Secretary: John Elphick, Hon. Treasurer: Neil Butler

1971 – 1973:  President: Henk Hueck, Hon. Secretary: Dennis Allsopp, Hon. Treasurer: Neil Butler

1973 – 1975:  President: Howard Eggins, Hon. Secretary: Dennis Allsopp, Hon. Treasurer: Neil Butler

1975 – 1977:  President: Tom Oxley, Hon. Secretary: Dennis Allsopp, Hon. Treasurer: Ken Seal

1977 – 1979:  President: Dennis Allsopp, Hon. Secretary: Brian Hollingsworth, Hon. Treasurer: Ken Seal

1979 – 1981:  President: Arthur Lloyd, Hon. Secretary: Brian Hollingsworth, Hon. Treasurer: Glyn Morton

1981 – 1983:  President: Neil Smith, Hon. Secretary: Joan Maw, Hon. Treasurer: Glyn Morton

1983 – 1985:  President: David Houghton, Hon. Secretary: Joan Maw, Hon. Treasurer: Graham Lloyd

1985 – 1987:  President: Glyn Morton, Hon. Secretary: Joan Maw, Hon. Treasurer: Ken Seal

1987 – 1989:  President: Brian Flannigan, Hon. Secretary: Joan Smith (1988), Joan Kelley, Hon. Treasurer: Alistair Ingleby

1989 – 1991: President: Harold Rossmore, Hon. Secretary: Joan Kelley, Hon. Treasurer: Alastair Ingleby (1990)/Brian McCarthy

1991 – 1993:  President: Joan Kelley, Hon. Secretary: Paul Cook, Hon. Treasurer: Brian McCarthy

1993 – 1994:  President: Joan Kelley, Hon. Secretary: Paul Cook, Hon. Treasurer: Brian McCarthy

1994 – 1996:  President: Fernando Laborda, Hon. Secretary: Paul Cook, Hon. Treasurer: Brian McCarthy

1996 – 1998:  President: Malcolm Greenhalgh, Hon. Secretary: Paul Cook/Sue Surman, Hon. Treasurer: Brian McCarthy

1998 – 2000:  President: Judith Kinderlerer, Hon. Secretary: Sue Surman, Hon. Treasurer: Brian McCarthy

2000 – 2003:  President: Jimmy Walker, Hon. Secretary: Steve Percival,  John Gillatt (from June 2001), Hon. Treasurer: Brian McCarthy

2003 – 2006:  President: Hans-Curt Flemming, Hon. Secretary: John Gillatt, Hon. Treasurer: Brian McCarthy

2006 – 2009:  President: Joanna Verran, Hon. Secretary: John Gillatt, Hon. Treasurer: Kath Whitehead

2009 – 2012:  President: Chris Gaylarde, Hon. Secretary: John Gillatt, Hon. Treasurer: Kath Whitehead, Malcolm Greenhalgh (temporary replacement), Jeremy Webb

2012 – 2014:  President: Geoff Robson, Hon. Secretary: John Gillatt, Hon. Treasurer: Jeremy Webb

2014 – 2017:  President: John Gillatt, Hon. Secretary: Chris Gaylarde, Hon. Treasurer: Jeremy Webb

2017 – 2020:  President:  Brenda Little, Hon. Secretary: Chris Gaylarde, Hon. Treasurer: Jeremy Webb