How FEI governs itself.

• Author: Marshall, Jeffrey
• Position: FEI Overview

Like many trade associations, FEI has put together over the years a working arrangement featuring a central administrative staff and a diverse group of volunteer leaders working in harmony -- what incoming Chair H. Stephen Grace Jr. likes to call "the FEI family."

The structure has changed over the years, mirroring the organization's growth from the small Controller's Institute of America, founded in 4931, to Financial Executives Institute (FEI) in 1962 and then, in 2000, to Financial Executives International. With more than 15,000 members in the U.S. and Canada, and a growing presence around the globe, FEI has earned a worldwide reputation as the professional association of choice for senior financial executives from public, private and non-profit companies of all sizes and in all industries, and as the leading organization dedicated to advancing ethical, responsible financial management. FEI's professional staff, based in Florham Park, N.J., Washington, D.C., and Toronto, manages the operations.

FEI's governance structure now has five basic divisions. Working up the leadership chain, these are the Chapters, Area Boards, National Leadership Board, Executive Committee and Office of the Chair. All but one member of these groups are volunteer leaders; FEI President and CEO Colleen A. Sayther is a member of the Executive Committee, the Leadership Board and the Office of the Chair.

While other members of the headquarters staff in Florham Park and Washington don't sit on these boards, they are actively involved in many of the meetings and are in regular contact with volunteers at all levels. Staff members are responsible for the administrative side of FEI (accounting, membership, marketing, Web site, etc.) as well as professional services (conferences, publications, newsletters, advocacy, etc.)

FEI's technical committees -- the most prominent of which is the Committee on Corporate Reporting (CCR) -- aren't part of the governance structure but are a vital element in developing public policy positions, advancing member interests before legislators and regulators and sharing knowledge among members.

FEI Canada is a separately chartered entity with its own governance and bylaws, though leaders of the U.S. and Canadian associations work closely on many issues.

Looking more closely at the five principal parts:

CHAPTERS

FEI has 75 chapters in the U.S. and 11 in Canada, ranging in size from under 30 members (Inland Empire) to more than 1,000 (Boston). Chapters are run relatively auto-nomously, with a board of directors and a rotating leadership that allows interested members to serve in a variety of leadership roles over a period of years.

Chapters have a variety of offerings every month, including regular meetings, professional development sessions and career services offerings, to name a few. Traditionally, chapters follow a "school" calendar, and stop their regular meetings for July and August, which is also the transition period for its volunteer leaders. Chapters frequently engage in community services efforts in their local area -- such as teaching finance to local students or pro bono financial work for struggling companies -- and many have scholarship programs for college students choosing careers in accounting or finance. Many members view the social aspect of chapter meetings and the networking opportunities they provide as one of FEI's core membership benefits.

"The value proposition chapters offer has steadily grown over the last few years," says Andrej Suskavcevic, FEI's Director of Chapter Relations and...