On the job - and thrilled to be here.

• Author: Macfarlane, Sandy
• Position: Tax Executives Institute - President's page

It is an honor to serve as your international president. While it seems like only a short time ago that I received the happy news from Nominating Committee Chair Paul O'Connor that I had been nominated for TEI treasurer, almost four years have, in fact, passed.

During that time, I have observed TEI from the various positions of the Institute's senior leadership queue, the goals that have been set, initiatives commenced and completed. All the while, I have been considering how, when my turn came, I would try to make my mark on our organization, to advance TEI's mission of serving the needs of the in-house tax professional community around the world. Well, my term has just started and I chose Building for the Future as the theme for the 2015-16 year. This theme reflects my belief that we as an organization must continue to grow our membership by ensuring that we meet the changing needs of in-house tax professionals, both present and future, by carefully adapting our education, networking, and advocacy missions.

The first step in this effort was to share my proposed goals with our team at TEI's Leadership Foundations Seminar, held this year at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. Over the two days, we discussed these objectives in detail, outlining my thinking and explaining my priorities. As I left Asheville, I was particularly struck by the energy and enthusiasm of our group, their focus, commitment, and desire to forge ahead.

In the coming year, our energies will be directed toward the following initiatives.

Expanding Current and Future Membership Bases

The lifeblood of TEI is its members. Staying in touch with their needs and expectations will continue to keep TEI relevant and a key part of their professional lives. However, because the in-house community has, over time, become far more diverse on many levels, it is imperative that we as an organization carefully identify those different needs, tap into them, and provide corresponding value. Put another way, we must endeavor to give all in-house professionals a reason to join TEI. In this regard, most recently, we have begun to scratch the surface to reach the emerging tax professional, i.e., those in the early stages of their careers. Because they may learn and acquire knowledge and intelligence differently, it is imperative for us to expand TEI's value proposition to make it attractive specifically for them. In some respects, we will be creating new value to make TEI...