September 9, 2024
Departing at year-end, the 28-year CEO looks back on creating new services and thought leadership; ‘I had a couple of early wins’.
Henry Chamberlain is one of the old guard. And like several of his long-term association CEO peers, he is preparing to ride off into the sunset.
The 23-year president of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International will pass the reins at year-end to the successor he mentored, BOMA Senior Vice President Mary Lue Peck.
Peter Pantuso, 28-year leader of the American Bus Association (and a CEO Update CEO Roundtable member) is stepping down in September, and Andy Doyle, who has helmed the American Coatings Association since 1988, is leaving in January.
Relationships with Pantuso, Doyle and other CEO peers are critical for association leaders, Chamberlain said.
“You really need to go out there and get involved in other groups, whether it’s ASAE (the American Society of Association Executives) or the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Committee of 100,” he told CEO Update in a video interview. “There are lots of different networking groups. You learn a lot from folks, and whenever you need help, you can reach out and find that help. And be active, particularly on boards, because that teaches you how to be a better speaker, a better presenter and to think differently.”
Chamberlain also has a family connection to another veteran CEO leaving at year-end: Doug Pinkham of the Public Affairs Council. Their ancestors had a bitter feud going back to the 1930s that still divided the family, leading to a lot of Pinkhams never meeting or knowing their cousins. Then Chamberlain reached out to Pinkham and asked if he was related to Lydia Pinkham. It turned out the founder of the Lydia E. Pinkham Medicine Co. was the great-great-grandmother of both. Their story was featured in CEO Update in 2018.
Family ties are a big deal for Chamberlain, a genealogy buff who’s traced his family line back to 17th century England. His love of genealogy will provide him with a post-retirement hobby and travel opportunities with his wife, Lisa Burns.
But he doesn’t want to retire completely, even from BOMA, where he has worked for 39 years since starting as director of communications.
“I would like to volunteer more,” he said. “I’d like to be a resource to BOMA International if they need me. I’d like to do board training and strategic planning.”
The capstone of Chamberlain’s tenure was the reunification of BOMA and the leading commercial real estate education provider, Building Owners and Managers Institute (BOMI), last year after more than 50 years as separate organizations. Peck led the integration of the two organizations but the acquisition of BOMI was Chamberlain’s longtime goal.
“That was one of my dreams,” he said. “I honestly never understood why the two organizations were separate. I always thought of myself as a bridge between the two because I never gave up on the idea.”
The pandemic made the reunification possible, as BOMI ran into financial difficulties.
“To their credit, they kept their staff together, but they didn’t have the resources to invest and keep the curriculum current,” Chamberlain said.
Developing staff
A hallmark of Chamberlain’s leadership is professional development for his staff.
“I’ve always invested in the staff here in terms of getting their (Certified Association Executive) credential, their meeting planner designations or their accreditation in public relations, which is the one I started with years ago,” he said.
“To me, it’s a retention strategy,” Chamberlain said. “Some say that people will leave when they pick up the skills, but you’re going to have great staff while you’ve got them, and a lot of people stay for many years. You have to concentrate on recruiting the right people but then develop them and give them the opportunities. That’s only going to contribute to your success.”
Peck was hired in 2021 from the National Speakers Association, where she had been CEO. The plan was to have her succeed Chamberlain.
“She earned her stripes in so many ways. It was one of those succession plans that actually worked,” Chamberlain said. “We’re spending time bringing her totally up to speed and introducing her to everybody I know and trying to do it as personally as I can.”
A more diverse membership
The demographics of BOMA International’s industry have changed dramatically during Chamberlain’s tenure, and the CEO has kept pace.
“When I started, the industry was primarily male. We are now majority women,” he said. “So, we have a diverse workforce, which you need as the demographics of the country change. And if you came to our meetings, you’d see a diverse crowd. You’d also see that we’re getting younger. Membership has been very strong.”
Another factor driving membership is Chamberlain’s decision to broaden membership categories. From a primary focus on office buildings, BOMA International has expanded to include industrial, medical, health care, life sciences, data center and self-storage facilities.
That diversification has helped as the office real estate market reels from pandemic-era work-from-home policies.
“Real estate always comes back really well because what my members are good at is creating value and reinventing and reimagining real estate,” Chamberlain said.
“Health care (is strong because of) demographics. Life sciences is an interesting bet on the future. Data centers are exploding. And then with self-storage, the Boomers don’t want to give up the stuff the kids don’t want,” he said.
BOMA also has a strong foreign presence, including in South Africa, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Korea and China, where other associations have struggled.
“We keep expanding, and a lot of it is around education, training and thought leadership,” Chamberlain said.
American Bus Association CEO since 1996 to retire in September; helped triple size of group, created representative councils.
NASBA’s leader went from busting drug dealers to boosting bean counters.
Steve Pasierb last days leading the Toy Association have come to an end, but payoffs from his navigation of international trade upheaval and industry turbulence will carry on. He occupied the CEO seat for nine years, and a focus on communication has been a through line for him.
“I think I leaned into it more myself maybe than I was asked,” he said. “If you can get those stories out in the right way and change people’s perceptions, change people’s beliefs, you can change their behaviors. That’s true both for our members as we talk to them and for consumers as we talk to them on behalf of our members.”
He spoke to CEO Update prior to his retirement this month.
Understanding youth
Pasierb arrived at the Toy Association with a background that included communications for the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. He also brought with him an understanding of youth.
“They were looking for somebody that understood associations, somebody that understood kids, somebody that was part of the New York world and understood big events, and who understood government affairs,” he said. “For periods of time, I practically lived on Capitol Hill.”
He was also able to approach with confidence its flagship event, the Toy Fair, an annual trade show in New York. It’s a massive effort run by association employees with some temporary assistance.
Companies of every size
The association serves household names like Mattel, Lego and Hasbro alongside lesser known but still prominent companies like Spin Master and Just Play, as well as tiny upstarts.
“What those companies need and what their expectations are from a trade association run the complete gamut,” Pasierb said.
The association provides opportunities to make connections and get an updated view of the industry via Toy Fair, which Pasierb calls “our cornerstone as an organization.”
“It’s our No. 1 source of revenue, it’s the No. 1 source of member value, and it’s the No. 1 driver of the industry,” he said.
The association also steps up on regulatory affairs, which vary between states and between federal agencies. And it handles international regulatory affairs, which affect large and midsized members looking to grow internationally.
Pivots in a changing industry
The organization’s annual operating budget hovers around $20 million, and with approximately 50 employees, Pasierb said, it’s a little leaner on staff than some other associations. Stakeholder involvement in planning has been important to him.
“You need your board fully engaged in the strategic planning process, and you need your entire staff fully engaged,” he said. “When they both own it, it gets driven forward.”
A limber mindset has also been a theme. Industry disruption, from the closure of brick-and-mortar retailers to international trade conflicts, has necessitated quick shifts. That flexibility has helped with staff retention as employees became connected to new initiatives, Pasierb explained.
“Not only do our people get what we’re doing, they like what we’re doing. They believe in what we’re doing, and they see their roles in pushing it forward,” he said.
One major pivot came as the pandemic flipped the retail world on its head in early 2020. At the time, the organization had a digital platform where toy sellers could conduct business. It had sat mostly fallow until the association revamped it into its current iteration, Toy Fair Everywhere, allowing industry members to continue making connections during the emergency.
“We literally, in the course of a week, flipped the switch, and we were up and running,” Pasierb said. “We were having companies meeting with buyers and buyers meeting with inventors. We were doing private previews for major retailers where we were bringing toy companies that met their exact product needs and pairing them together digitally.”
Pasierb has led association movement on major trade issues, too. Last year, the organization signed a coalition-issued letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai opposing tariffs on goods from China.
And his old standby skill — communication — has contributed to consumer engagement. Shortly after his arrival, the association launched its Genius of Play program, which conveyed information to toy shoppers on toys’ influence on emotional and social development. A $1 million first-year spending budget and a public service campaign resulted in tens of millions of dollars in free airtime and positive public reception.
Looking forward
Before his departure, Pasierb worked in tandem with former Toy Association board member Andy Keimach, who has stepped in as interim leader.
“We’re dividing and conquering as a way to make sure that the transition is a smooth landing and the smoothest possible take-off it can be for the next person,” Pasierb said.
At 62, he’s not looking for another full-time gig, but interim work for trade associations seems attractive.
“I like the idea of doing something that’s intense but time-bound — something that’s four, six, eight months long — and being able to dig into issues of an organization to help them,” he explained.
In today’s trade climate, where upheaval and crisis seem constant, Pasierb said inquisitiveness is key for CEOs looking to catch the wave of the future.
“They’ve got to look to other industries for models, for ideas they can borrow or steal,” he said. “AI is disrupting everything, and they need to be well-versed,” he said.
Figuring out the push-pull of the work-at-home trend, and what impact it could have on the future of organizational culture, will also be important, he said.
But, amid uncertainties, the importance of providing and demonstrating value to members will remain a constant, in Pasierb’s view.
“Don’t tell your members you’re bringing them value,” he said. “Help your members articulate what they think your value is.”
As Susan Neely prepares to retire after nearly 20 years as an association CEO, she has this advice for other group leaders: Think of the sweet spot for advocacy as the middle of a Venn diagram of sometimes conflicting interests.
“You’ve got what public policymakers are concerned about, you have what consumers are concerned about and then you have what your member businesses need to be successful,” she told CEO Update.
“The sweet spot among those three circles is what your ‘for position’ needs to be,” she said.
“For position” is a term Neely coined, meaning the place where members should be advocates on important issues that affect their industry and society at large.
Neely is CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), which announced in March that she would retire at year end. Recruitment firm Heidrick & Struggles is assisting in the search for her replacement.
“In the life insurance industry, ‘for positioning’ means we’re going to be front-footed about closing retirement savings gaps and advancing policy that does that, we are going to be front-footed on advancing paid family and medical leave policies that help the caregivers in this country, and we’re going to be front-footed on advancing tax solutions that allow businesses to work to support consumers’ needs,” she said.
Neely has led ACLI since 2018. In her previous role as CEO of the American Beverage Association for 13 years, she responded to concerns about childhood obesity (and proposed soda taxes) by leading competing soda makers in an initiative to reduce calorie and sugar consumption from soft drinks.
“Susan brought vision, strength, and purpose to her leadership of ACLI,” board Chair Paul A. Quaranto, Jr., CEO of Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company, said in a statement.
Neely has been president of the Global Federation of Insurance Associations since 2022.
Benefits of volunteerism
Neely has been active in the association community. She was named Trade Association CEO of the Year by CEO Update in 2017. She has been chair of ASAE and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Committee of 100. Neely also earned ASAE’s Certified Association Executive credential.
Such activities “have been very important opportunities for me personally, and I highly recommend them to others in our community,” she said.
“It provides great professional development, and you can learn through formal education and networking with your peers. That’s where great ideas come from, and you learn things that you should be worried about that maybe weren’t even on your radar, and learn what others are doing about them.”
After retiring, Neely plans to remain active in civic and philanthropic organizations including the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute and the Global Child Nutrition Foundation.
Before becoming the beverage association’s CEO in 2005, Neely was special assistant to President George W. Bush and helped create the Department of Homeland Security after 9/11, later becoming its first assistant secretary for public affairs.
Before that, she worked in top advocacy roles for the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Health Insurance Association of America, one of the two organizations that merged in 2003 to create what is now known as America’s Health Insurance Plans.
Earlier in her career, Neely was a press secretary and campaign manager for then-Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad.
Certification plays an important role in organizations’ success. Receivables Management Association International (RMAI) Executive Director Jan Stieger’s career has been dedicated to creating a framework for the credit ecosystem that protects consumers and gives member financial services companies more control over credit access.
RMAI represents more than 600 companies that support the purchase, sale and collection of performing and nonperforming receivables on the secondary market. Member companies cover a variety of financial services fields, including debt buying, collection agencies, law firms, originating creditors, and industry-related service providers.
In an interview with CEO Update before stepping down from her role, Stieger reflects on her successes in developing a new certification program, updating RMAI’s code of ethics and forging essential industry collaboration.
Strategizing a career path
Knowing she wanted to be an association executive early on, Stieger’s career trajectory was traditional. In college she began her career as a legislative intern at the California Optometric Association. She stayed with the group for 15 years and even served as interim executive director during her tenure.
Stieger went on to hold positions at the California Pharmacists Association and the California Association of Collectors, the latter a place where she spent 10 years gaining experience in receivables. Later in her career, Stieger helped lead Debt Buyers Association (DBA) International, the organization that would become RMAI in 2017, a place she stayed for 13 years.
A history of achievement
Steiger has been with RMAI since the original association’s inception, in 1997. “When I took over RMAI, at that time, it was called DBA International. We were managed by an association management firm. And when I was hired, the intent was that RMAI would move out on its own and have its own dedicated staff. And so, we did that,” she said.
After increasing staff at RMAI, Steiger created a new certification program. “We took a year to develop it. And it's gotten a lot of recognition,” she said. “Many, many creditors require certification for people to purchase debt. This program has gotten recognition by federal and state regulators.”
The program started small and now it certifies the entire credit ecosystem. RMAI began certifying businesses and individuals as DBA in 2013. “As of 2023, over 460 certifications have been authorized. Prior to the launch of the certification program, there were no uniform standards across the United States,” Steiger said.
RMAI’s role in the credit system
The U.S. credit system provides necessary financial access to individuals. “It is difficult for individuals or businesses to operate in the United States without access to credit. You can’t rent a car or make a hotel reservation without a credit card,” Steiger said.
“Most major purchases are via some sort of credit — mortgage, car loans, student loans, utilities, large appliances with credit cards. Therefore, everyone in the credit ecosystem, whether they are the lender, the servicer, collector or the consumer, have a vested interest that all segments are working effectively and are not impacted by negative laws and regulations which hamper their ability to fulfill their part in the credit cycle,” Steiger said.
RMAI’s role in this system deals directly with consumer access.
“For RMAI, our members are at the end of the credit cycle, dealing with creditors and consumers who have defaulted on their accounts,” Steiger said. “If there was not a mechanism for collecting on these accounts, creditors would cease to continue to lend and/or increase the cost of credit. Therefore, our members play a key role in making sure consumers have access to credit and that the cost of credit does not increase,” Steiger said.
Updating RMAI’s code of ethics
Stieger was also responsible for updating her organization’s code of ethics.
“All of RMAI’s members agree to adhere to the code of ethics. The code of ethics details our process for investigating complaints as well as establishing the ethical standards all members must adhere to,” she said.
Under her leadership, the code of ethics was updated in 2015.
Forging industry relationships
Stieger’s prowess in establishing and maintaining key industry relationships has contributed to her success.
“I’ve made a concerted effort to form coalitions that include the originating creditors and all aspects of the credit ecosystem so that we can look more holistically at issues and determine what is best for the consumer in the financial services arena,” she said.
With her priorities set on facilitating collaboration with all stakeholders for consumer protection, Stieger’s certification program and those who earn the certificate have changed the way the credit system operates.
Stieger’s advice for those who are looking to succeed in her industry: put in the time without taking shortcuts.
“Whether it’s a staff member, it’s a colleague, whomever, I’m a firm believer that you need to work hard, you need to put your time in, and you need to be willing to pay your dues in order to gain the respect of other colleagues,” she said.
Next steps
Stieger’s final project with RMAI was the annual conference, which was held in Las Vegas, Feb. 5-8.
“I certainly want to go out on a high note with a great conference behind me,” she said. “I want to make sure that there is a very smooth transition with the new executive and that I’m available to them, in advance of my leaving but also afterwards as an advisor,” she said.
Stieger is excited to see what ideas will flourish under new leadership. She also plans to use the extra free time to take a “brain break” and spend more time with her grandson.