The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors has selected a new CEO to lead the 117-year old organization as it endeavors to implement a strategic plan to arrest a decline in its membership.
John Healy, president and CEO of the American Machine Tool Distributors Association replaces outgoing NAIFA chief David Woods, who will step down as CEO in early September at the upcoming NAIFA annual convention to be held in Washington. Healy brings to NAIFA more than 25 years of association management experience, though none to date within the life insurance and financial services businesses.
"John Healy is the first professional association executive in our organization in more than 50 years, which is a dramatic departure from the past," said John Davidson, president of NAIFA, Falls Church, Va. "He's a consummate pro. At AMTDA, he boosted membership significantly, which is one of the criteria we're banking on as we sharpen our focus on the 250,000 licensed agents who have not yet made the decision to join NAIFA."
Said Woods, "John's track record is excellent. At AMTDA, he grew both revenue and membership. That's what NAIFA needs right now–someone who can implement the [strategic] plan and make it work."
Sources interviewed by National Underwriter said Healy will be charged with executing "NAIFA in the 21st Century," a plan unveiled last February that calls on NAIFA to strengthen its legislative and regulatory advocacy, create new products and services, and deliver solutions to members "on demand" using wireless and computer technologies. The blueprint also envisions a marketing program to showcase NAIFA's new products and services.
The plan will be put to a vote of NAIFA's National Council in September at the annual convention.
A chief objective of the blueprint, NAIFA executives said, will be to reverse a continuing slide in the organization's membership. According to a white paper issued in tandem with a January 22 release on the plan, NAIFA has "not kept pace" with changes in the life insurance industry, resulting in a 50%-plus drop in membership during the last 14 years. If NAIFA's rolls continue to decline at a 2% annual clip, the organization (absent program or staff cutbacks) will have spent its reserves and be insolvent by 2011, according to the white paper.
