ASAE Board of Directors Appoints Susan Robertson President and CEO

National search for president and CEO will commence on October 1, 2020

The ASAE Board of Directors today announced an executive staffing decision that will position the organization for sustained growth following the death of longtime president and CEO John H. Graham IV, FASAE, CAE, in January.

Effective March 1, 2020, Susan Robertson, CAE, was named president and CEO on an 18-month engagement. Robertson will oversee all ASAE operations, including Centennial related activities and a recent board-approved strategic planning process. Since last June, Robertson has been serving as interim president and CEO during Graham’s illness and has more than 19 years of experience at ASAE, including most recently as executive vice president of ASAE, and president of the ASAE Research Foundation. Robertson will be the first woman to lead ASAE as president and CEO in its 100-year history.

“Susan has the board’s full confidence as a chief staff executive,” said ASAE Board Chair Patricia Blake, FASAE, CAE, CEO of the Heart Rhythm Society. “ASAE continues to thrive as an organization under her leadership, and continuity is very important for ASAE during its Centennial and beyond. The board looks forward to working with Susan to give her the volunteer support she will need to ensure ASAE meets and exceeds the expectations of its members, volunteers, industry partners and other important stakeholders. This board decision provides clarity for Susan, the staff and the ASAE community.”

“I’m thankful for the board’s confidence and look forward to working with them and the great ASAE staff to keep us firmly on course as an organization,” Robertson said. “I work with a very talented team, and together we fully understand and truly appreciate that ASAE represents the entire association community. We do not take that responsibility lightly, and everything we do is with an eye toward giving association leaders the tools and resources they need to be successful in their own organizations.”

The board also announced that a national executive search for the next president and CEO will begin in October 2020, with the intention of a new CEO beginning September 1, 2021. Information about the executive search will be posted on ASAE’s website, in CEO Update and other pertinent industry publications.

“The board has a responsibility to ensure the most efficient, effective transition possible, so we will perform our due diligence and retain professional, external assistance to conduct a national search for ASAE’s next president and CEO,” Blake said. “ASAE’s future is dependent on strong CEO and staff leadership, and it is the board’s intent with an executive search to prudently safeguard ASAE’s stature and ensure the organization is positioned for long-term growth and success.”

WEBSITE : asaecenter.org