Ian D. King, MBA, has joined the APA staff as its first executive director for member recruitment and engagement.King joins the association after seven years as director of marketing and member services at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, where he played a key role in managing the organization's approach to membership, engaging with both internal and external stakeholders, and revamping the member value proposition to include a suite of new member benefits.
"Ian has a strong understanding of marketing, technology and association management," APA CEO Norman B. Anderson, PhD, said in announcing the appointment. "He has experience in all aspects of membership operations, including data-gathering and analysis, finance, budgeting, communications and general administration. He is aware of the membership challenges APA has faced and is enthusiastic about bringing his skills and abilities to our association."
King's prior positions include founding a startup company that offered career information and job search tools for life scientists and directing sales and marketing for that organization after it merged with a sister publication, The Scientist.
His portfolio includes APA's current membership marketing team and the APA membership service center, both the operations and fulfillment functions. An energetic and optimistic team builder, King plans to develop a fresh, coordinated department with responsibility for member recruitment, retention and engagement.
"I am excited by the opportunity to work for such a great organization," King said. "APA already offers its members significant value. Our goal is to refine and enhance our offerings so that we deliver tools, services and experiences that help our members in every stage of their career."