Matt Shay’s career provides a blueprint for the rise of an association professional through the ranks to eventually take the CEO job. It’s also a lesson in waiting. Shay was passed over for the CEO job in 1995, when the board chose a seasoned leader from outside IFA. Instead of defecting, Shay stayed on board and was one of the few senior executives kept on during the transition. What he didn’t know is that the board had already taken note of his potential. Four years later, he was named heir apparent to succeed then-CEO Don DeBolt after his retirement. In the interim, the young executive gained the confidence of the board, the credibility of the staff and learned… Read More