The President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) works with the Board of Directors to advance and enhance ASAE’s strategic vision and execute the strategic business plan. The CEO is responsible for the leadership, direction and overall management of the organization and its resources, including the recruitment, retention and motivation of a high-performing team. This leader oversees the organization’s budget and allocates resources to ensure maximum impact on behalf of the membership.
The CEO is the primary spokesperson for ASAE and the association community and will be a frequent speaker and commentator in multiple public settings. This leader will articulate and enhance ASAE’s value proposition to current and prospective members, ensuring that the organization maintains and grows its engaged membership base and related dues and non-dues revenue streams.
Key Relationships
Reports to: ASAE Board of Directors
Direct reports:
President, ASAE Business Services, Inc.
President, ASAE Research Foundation
Chief Administrative and Credentialing Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Information and Engagement Officer
Chief Learning and Meetings Officer
Chief Marketing and Product Strategy Officer
Senior Vice President, Public Policy
Vice President and Publisher
Director, Executive and Board Operations
Other key relationships:
Current and prospective ASAE members
Broader association community
Relevant legislators and regulators
Desired Outcomes
In the next 3-5 years, ASAE will be:
The “go to place” for current and cutting-edge resources, innovative educational content, best practices and an inclusive sense of community for CEOs, C-suite executives, and their association professional staffs
Comprised of an engaged and expanded multi-generational membership with wide geographic representation and a clear and distinct value proposition
A “digital-first” organization with a fully integrated and nimble digital strategy
A truly inclusive and representative organization that inspires the association community through its racial, ethnic, and gender diversity
Employing a fully diversified revenue model that results in significant growth from current and new revenue streams
A responsive and agile organization that can quickly shift and evolve to meet member and community needs
Populated with talented and committed staff who bring a fresh perspective to the organization and who sustain a performance-driven culture
The next CEO of ASAE will be a deeply experienced and credible leader, influencer, innovator, and collaborator who can drive alignment, results, and systemic change in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment. This leader will bring inspiration, energy, transparency, and a “servant leader” approach as they seek to advance ASAE’s strategic plan and transform the organization for sustained impact and success.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
Ideal Experience
Proven senior executive leadership experience Has held direct accountability for driving the success, growth, and financial sustainability of an organization of comparable scale, scope, and complexity; leadership experience in a membership organization context is preferred
Experience with and commitment to the association community Resulting in a deep understanding of ASAE’s mission and credibility with its membership
Revenue growth experience Experience driving substantial revenue growth from both current and new revenue streams
Experience serving as a respected “face and voice” for an industry or organization Effectively and credibly communicates to a range of external stakeholders, including relevant policymakers and regulators, the board, members, peer associations, and the media
Proven commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Track record of measurable results and business impact from successfully incorporating DEI priorities as part of a broader organizational strategy
Experience working with and/or for a volunteer board
Certified Association Executive (CAE) Credential Preferred, but not required
Critical Leadership Capabilities
Strategic Thinking
Successfully implements ASAE’s newly approved strategic plan, adding value if/where appropriate, and by translating the plan into a clear direction for the team and driving forward its execution.
Drives innovation and entrepreneurial thinking throughout the organization; anticipates future challenges and opportunities, illuminates and builds awareness of emerging priorities and adjusts the organization’s direction accordingly.
Challenges assumptions and conventional wisdom with specific, supported, reasoned proposals.
Maintains a steady forward focus, navigating ASAE through the current pandemic dynamic while keeping their eye on long term strategic goals.
Collaborating and Influencing
Quickly engages and develops trusted relationships with a complex and diverse membership and effectively navigates often competing interests to drive consensus on the organization’s priorities.
Leads, inspires and galvanizes a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to build productive partnerships with allied organizations.
Serves as a credible and compelling spokesperson before the media, policymakers, regulators, current and prospective members, advocacy organizations and other key constituencies on behalf of the organization.
Articulates ASAE’s value in a thorough yet concise way that compels new and existing members to stay – or become – invested and engaged.
Inclusive Leadership
Effectively communicates the organization’s long-term direction to all relevant stakeholders and collaborates with the team on how to reach it.
Delegates strategic objectives to the whole team with clear and explicit intent and calls upon team members to contribute to the best of their ability; focuses on the team’s growth and development as a group and as individuals.
Builds a culture of respect and responsibility, and an inclusive workplace and membership environment, that is aligned with a broader organizational equity agenda.
Defines measurable goals and regularly collects data to track where the organization stands on its equity, diversity and inclusion efforts.
Identifies and addresses policies, procedures and unspoken rules that could disadvantage underrepresented employees, as well as current and potential members, because of their ethnicity, disability, gender, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.
Engages, inspires, and motivates the team to meet and exceed their commitments and reach their full potential.
APPLICATIONS AND NOMINATIONS
If you wish to submit application materials or nominate someone to serve as the next CEO of ASAE, please email ASAECEO@SpencerStuart.com.
About ASAE: the Center for Association Leadership
ASAE is the essential organization for association management, representing both organizations and individual association professionals. ASAE believes associations have the power to transform society for the better, and the organization is passionate about helping association professionals achieve previously unimaginable levels of performance. ASAE’s membership consists of more than 48,000 association executives and industry partners representing 7,400 organizations. Its members lead, manage, and work in or partner with organizations in more than a dozen association management disciplines, from executive management to finance to technology. In 2020, ASAE celebrated 100 years of making the world better, safer, and smarter.
KEY FOCUS AREAS
- Building knowledge: With the support of the ASAE Research Foundation, a separate nonprofit entity, ASAE is the premier source of learning, knowledge, and future-oriented research for the association and nonprofit profession and provides resources
