DMA Announces Specifications for Position of President & CEO

March 19, 2010 — DMA today announced the specifications for the position of DMA President and CEO. All interested parties are asked to email their resume or referrals to dma@thebuffkingroup.com. Details of the position are elaborated below.

Job Summary:

The President/Chief Executive Officer is responsible to the DMA membership and Board of Directors with a specific reporting relationship to the Executive Committee of the Board. This position is to ensure that the Mission, Vision, and Goals of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) are aligned with the current environment and confidently position the DMA to remain relevant to meet the demands of the current and future membership. The President/CEO is also responsible for evangelizing the mission and value proposition of the DMA to current and prospective members and ensures the fundamental commitment to providing the membership the necessary tools and services.

The President/CEO is the principal spokesperson and advocate for the direct marketing community and is responsible for creating and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders within the industry.

Operationally, the President/Chief Executive Officer is responsible for day-to-day leadership/management of the DMA. The position provides the strategic vision necessary to move the association forward in an increasingly complex, demanding and rapidly changing integrated marketing environment and will provide the accountable management to ensure that the strategic plan is executed against a sound financial plan. The CEO provides accountable leadership and strategic execution for all of the operations of the Association.

The CEO is responsible for ensuring that the financial health of the DMA meets the expectations of the Board and the membership by holding the staff accountable to the budget for both revenues and expenses. The CEO will maintain transparency by providing timely and accurate information to the Board on strategic and operational issues; will seek input and direction from the Board on strategy and ensure adequate support is available for programs, staff, and members.

In addition, the CEO is responsible for leading the DMA and the industry it represents in the public policy arena. The CEO will work with the membership, Board and staff to creatively impact and influence the DMA’s legislative and regulatory strategy and to tackle the continuing on-slaught of initiatives (privacy issues, internet sales tax, a viable and healthy USPS, etc.) at the state and federal level.

Candidate Profile:

A proven track record as a CEO, president or general manager with a background in the direct marketing community spanning both traditional and interactive marketing channels

Proven leadership/management experience in a company, division or association with a particular focus in a turnaround environment preferred

A demonstrated, proven ability to build world class teams that have the ability to execute a strategic plan within strict budget constraints

Ability to enhance the DMA’s value proposition and competitive membership benefits to its constituencies, strengthening the association’s credibility with the various segments within the community

Digital savvy – knowledgeable about the digital sector and the ability to communicate a relevant DMA vision to the interactive sector

Demonstrated competency in providing sound financial oversight and financial management to an organization

Leadership expertise in bringing a board and staff to consensus around a vision for what has to be done; winning the support to execute the vision and managing to achieve established business objectives; a thought leader who can build consensus and shared perspective among the different constituencies and agendas represented by the Board and the membership

The candidate must have, or demonstrate the ability to develop an understanding of and communicate effectively how current and emerging global trends (economic, social, cultural, environmental and political) within the direct marketing community impact the Association’s ability to realize its Vision, Mission, and Goals and to meet membership needs

An individual whose experience allows him/her to be quickly seen by the organization as someone with outstanding leadership, management capabilities and substantive credibility among the members, the public, the press, and governmental leaders both domestic and foreign

A demonstrated ability to raise awareness and funds from various constituents to address specific, critical issues

Experience directing the development and implementation of operational strategies and plans which directly support the long-range strategies and objectives of the association, increasing the profitability of existing revenue streams – and creating new ones, and further exploring international opportunities

Personal Qualities:

Excellent communication skills; demonstrated ability to represent the direct marketing community as a credible spokesperson

Superior oral and written communication skills, as well as the ability to promote and sell ideas and concepts to various constituencies, internal and external to the organization; strong presentation skills in one-on-one executive briefings and large audience settings

A high energy individual who is disciplined and focused and yet viewed by colleagues and subordinates as a very positive, genuine personality; someone who is clearly focused on doing what is in the best interest of the association

An even-tempered, balanced and culturally sensitive professional who excels in forging close and productive working relationships with a broad range of personality types, styles and perspectives; a team builder.

A perpetual learner who has the business acumen, curiosity and ability to work across a diverse set of products and business interests, bringing rational focus to the efforts and setting in motion a series of strategic and product initiatives designed to meet certain membership and business objectives.

A person of personal courage, tenacity, integrity and judgment who embraces the opportunity to advocate on behalf of the direct marketing community

All interested parties are asked to email their resume or referrals to dma@thebuffkingroup.com.

Association Profile

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) (www.the-dma.org) is the leading global trade association of businesses and nonprofit organizations using and supporting multichannel direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA advocates standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities to improve results throughout the end-to-end direct marketing process. DMA today represents companies from dozens of vertical industries in the US and 48 other nations, including nearly half of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as nonprofit organizations.

Founded in 1917, DMA’s members include catalog companies, direct mailers, Internet marketers, teleservice firms, and other at-distance marketers from every consumer and business-to-business segment including commercial and nonprofit, as well as companies that provide supplies and services to marketers. According to DMA’s most recent Power of Direct Marketing study, in 2009, marketers – commercial and nonprofit – spent $149.3 billion on direct marketing, which accounted for 54.3 percent of all ad expenditures in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated approximately $1.783 trillion in incremental sales.

DMA represents its members’ interests in each of the 50 states as well as on Capitol Hill, at the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and other agencies such as the United States Postal Service (USPS). Each year DMA tracks thousands of proposed laws and regulations in Washington, DC and across the nation. We address key Federal and state policy issues that affect the direct marketing community such as behavioral marketing, data security, privacy, postal reform, Do Not Mail legislation (DNM), the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SSUTA), and others. DMA is increasingly active in international government relations, reflecting the rapid growth of trans-border marketing.

DMA also provides an array of member services, including:

· Promoting the direct and interactive marketing industry and member companies to consumers

· Fighting negative industry perceptions

· Offering professional development and training opportunities

· Conducting industry research

· Hosting dozens of networking events around the US, as well as major conferences and exhibitions annually

To serve the industry's various segments, DMA has two primary offices - its headquarters in New York and its legislative office in Washington, DC. In addition, DMA has 22 Councils and regional Chapters across the country. The DMA umbrella includes two independent subsidiaries that specialize in e-commerce: the Email Experience Council (eec) and the Internet Alliance (IA); as well as the Direct Marketing Association’s Nonprofit Federation (DMANF), the leading source for nonprofits, charitable organizations, and fundraising professionals. DMA is closely linked to the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF), which focuses on collegiate development and academic support.

The Email Experience Council (eec) (www.emailexperience.org) is a global professional organization striving to enhance the image of email marketing and communications, while celebrating and advocating its importance in business, and its ROI value. The eec is committed to regularly conducting a broad series of email initiatives for a variety of organizations that highlight the positive impact and importance of email as a marketing tool, communications vehicle, and branding device.

The Internet Alliance (www.internetalliance.org), based in Washington, D.C., is the only advocacy organization of Internet policy professionals representing the Internet online industry in all 50 states. Its mission is to promote confidence and trust in the Internet so it can reach its potential as the most dynamic market medium of this century. It advocates for the Internet industry on issues important to consumers and businesses, and takes a positive approach to the policy dialogue by developing consistent and strategic core messages in policy areas affecting consumers and businesses’ bottom lines. The IA is dedicated to building the confidence and trust necessary for the Internet to become the mass-market medium of the 21st Century.

The Nonprofit Federation of the Direct Marketing Association (DMANF) (www.nonprofitfederation.org) is the leading association for nonprofit organizations that use direct marketing channels such as mail, Internet, email, telephone, and social networking to gain support from individual donors. For more than 25 years, the Nonprofit Federation has served as an effective advocate for nonprofits both in Washington, DC and in all 50 states regarding postal rates and delivery service, data protection, fundraising accountability, and other legislative and regulatory issues that affect nonprofit fundraising. It also leads the way in professional education, market intelligence, and networking for its member organizations.

The Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF) (www.directworks.org), headquartered in New York City, works to attract, educate, and place top college students in the business of direct/interactive marketing and, thereby, expanding and enriching the talent pool of trained, market-ready marketers. Established in 1966 by members of the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) who wanted to give something back to the community, DMEF is today a separate, 501(c) (3) nonprofit corporation that is supported solely by tax-deductible contributions from individuals, companies, and associations.

All interested parties are asked to email their resume or referrals to dma@thebuffkingroup.com.

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