Who Should Manage Your Organization? Industry Experts vs. Association Experts

by Brian Reuwee

Welcome to a fight for the ages! This battle royale will decide who should be the next executive director for your association.

In this corner, the 800-pound. guerrilla. With 25 years of experience in the field, he recently retired from an executive-level position and launched a consulting business. He's served three terms on the board of directors. You know him well -- the Veteran Industry Expert!

And in this corner, weighing in at 130 pounds. She's spent 15 years in the association industry and successfully grew association membership and revenue. She manages a team of 8 staff members and is an ASAE-certified association executive! Please give it up for -- the Association Manager!

Let's get ready to rumble!

All drama aside, this is a serious debate within the association community. Should your organization be led by an industry or an association expert? There's no clear-cut answer. Industry experts provide depth of knowledge, make strong spokespeople and can be great leaders and managers. Association experts bring an understanding of nonprofit best practices; governance, leadership and management experience and can become well versed in your organization's industry and vernacular (surprisingly quick, too).


Any board of directors considering new leadership should consider their current needs:

• Will this individual need to be out front speaking on our industry's issues? Or could he or she coordinate and delegate that responsibility, with training, to volunteer leaders?
• Can the individual build consensus and buy-in for initiatives?
• Does the organization need an individual who understands every facet of how the industry operates? 
• Is it critical to the success of the association he or she knows best practices for associations?
• What are the skills of the staff, if any, surrounding the executive director? This is especially critical for small-staff associations, an industry veteran used to have staff support may not adapt well to being a one-man band?

How might the association evolve over time:

• How is the industry changing? How is the membership changing?
• Does the executive director need to be able to identify and adapt to trends in the association industry?
• Can he or she manage growth, contraction?

What style will best suit the organization going forward:

• Is there a long-term need for a spokesperson/industry-expert leader?
• Is there an opportunity to hire a strong number two (and staff) to handle association management issues (governance, committee leadership, publications, etc.)?
• What's more difficult to learn -- association leadership or the industry expertise?

My association management peers had this to say on the topic:

"The key components that an executive director brings to the table are the ability to facilitate, build consensus, provide advice on a variety of association aspects, build relationships, motivate staff to provide high quality services, and provide valued oversight and stewardship of the organization's financial and overall well-being. None of these characteristics necessarily are dependent upon subject or technical knowledge of the industry or profession that is represented."- David Stumph, President, Resource Center for Associations

"There's one relevant reason to hire a chief staff officer with substantive knowledge of the organization's professional or market segment interest -- if they need the individual to be their 'external face and voice.' However, many boards use this as a rationalization to hire 'one of them.'"- Michael T. LoBue, CAE,  President at LoBue & Majdalany Management Group

AMR Management Services uses both industry and association experts. We have a former state chief information officer who leads the National Association of State CIOs. And we have a certified association executive who leads a niche organization for dairy farmers, the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association.

Unfortunately, there is no knock-out punch in this fight. From this commentator's perspective as an association management company employee, I see a greater rationale for the generalist experience in association management. Industry knowledge can be taught and learned over time; whereas the leadership skills critical to the success of the association may not carry over.