Association search consultants see high demand for candidates who have bipartisan respect, can navigate new industry dynamics

From left, CEO Update's Mark Graham, Leslie Hortum of Spencer Stuart, Lorraine Lavet of Korn Ferry, Stephanie Tomasso of Russell Reynolds Associates and Jim Zaniello of Vetted Solutions.

Despite political uncertainty and an evolving environment for association management, executive recruiters see a strong market for executives with the right attributes.

Leslie Hortum, managing director at Spencer Stuart, said it's not all about which party is in power now.

"The old adage that you need a demonstrated track record of working both sides of the aisle to advance your organization's agenda is still true," she said Thursday before an audience of 94 association executives and others at the CEO Update Live: Executive Recruiting forum.

"Nobody wants to hire a political lightning rod, nobody wants to have somebody where the other side is going to say, ‘We can't work with that person,'" Hortum said.

The other executive search consultants on the panel were Lorraine Lavet, association sector leader at Korn Ferry, Jim Zaniello, president of Vetted Solutions and Stephanie Tomasso, association practice leader at Russell Reynolds Associates. CEO Update Managing Director Mark Graham moderated the breakfast event, which was held at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Tomasso said influence in the nation's capital is not all that hiring associations are looking for.

"There's a shift. You need the ability to drive the agenda in Washington, but also much more importantly from a national and state perspective.

"I've seen a lot of search committees veer toward a candidate who has some campaign-style advocacy experience, who has grass-roots advocacy experience, because the partisan environment in Washington is so locked up that sometimes a lot more change is coming from the states," Tomasso said.

But it's not just the political landscape that's evolving.

"Boards want CEOs who are exceedingly comfortable with change," said Zaniello. "It's the environment we're in and it will be for some time. Boards still want individuals who can drive revenue growth—not so much for the association but for the industry they serve. And then it's about raising the visibility of the industry or profession they serve."

Lavet said associations need CEOs who can help them stay relevant.

"I'm hearing a lot about transformation," she said. "Everyone is hearing that and to every group it means something different. But if you haven't already envisioned what you need to be doing now and moving forward to fundamentally become relevant in the future, you won't be.

"Many times a client comes in that has had very little change and you can see revenue and membership dipping. It's like a slow death spiral. Great leaders are the ones who meet the new expectations, who frankly know how to (discuss a vision) with the board and actually challenge the board's thinking," Lavet said.