I have just arrived home after a week in Atlanta. It was time for the annual Global Board strategy meeting. But before that I was able to spend a day with staff, and it was great to hear directly from them about their ideas and plans for improving member services. In particular there are actions already underway to eliminate ‘waste’ and improve efficiency, as well as for improving customer service.
The day before the Global Board meeting started was spent interviewing new CEO candidates. I am pleased to report that we remain on track to meet the commitment I gave at the Las Vegas Summit to be able to introduce the new CEO at the New Orleans Summit. In the meantime Ron Zappile has been doing a great job maintaining the momentum of our Association and the changes needed to improve our value proposition for members.
The Global Board meeting lasted a day and a half and had a full agenda. In particular we reviewed progress on developing the various options available regarding membership pricing, and hope to be able to clarify direction in this regard within the next few months. As with most things, the devil is in the detail and we need to understand fully the potential impact of such change before moving forward. A good part of the time was also spent validating the budget for the next financial year. Following this process we are again confident that we will remain robust in this regard for the next 12 months and beyond.
It is not long now until the Singapore Summit. I had hoped to attend in person but economic circumstances have now made this very difficult. Nevertheless it is an exciting and full agenda for the event and a lot of people have registered, so I am sure it will live up to expectations and be a highlight of the year for all of you who are able to get there.
I am looking forward to the New Orleans Summit. Although it will be tinged with a degree of sadness for me as it marks the end of my year as your Chair, I know that Lee Utke, who takes over from me, will do a tremendous job for us going forward. The program looks very exciting, with some very interesting and thought-provoking keynote speakers, as well as critical topics in the break out sessions. The Global Strategic and Portfolio Planning Community will hold their semi-annual meeting/workshop (the last 2 have been excellent...) and there are at least 2 workplace sessions, 3 innovation themed panels and new ideas for driving sustainability, entrepreneurship and taking advantage of social media, amongst others. Registration numbers are tracking well, so it promises to be a ‘not to be missed’ event.
I look forward to seeing you there.