1. 1
Trade Associations, Membership
Organisations, Professional
Bodies, Learned Societies
One of the most important elements
of such organisations’ success is the
ability to attract and retain members by
providing strong representation, first
class services and professional / sector
development. Our clients tell us that the
mark of success for an association is
linked to two metrics - impact and value
for money. Creation and demonstration
of both is frequently the challenge set to
new Chief Executives.
Providing a voice for a complex
and sometimes divergent group of
stakeholders can be challenging
– members often have competing
interests within the context of overall
sector development. Thus leading a
Membership Organisation is a very
specific role that requires exemplary
tact, diplomacy and leadership of
people and relationships; the most
successful leaders are ‘temperature-
takers’ and as authentic, compelling
and credible with staff as they are
with multinational companies, public
servants, politicians and the media.
Odgers Berndtson has significant
experience working with such
organisations. Our uniqueness at
Odgers Berndtson is our intimate
understanding of the dynamics
of non-profit organisations and
the governance of member-led
organisations, combined with our
commercial reach. We understand the
subtleties of working with an elected,
Non-Executive Council and we are
skilled at developing processes that
are sufficiently consultative with the
wider membership body. The views
of the membership form an important
part of the executive search process.
We focus heavily upon finding and
assessing the actual skills needed to
lead a membership body - this is often a
priority over previous experience of the
sector or profession.
At Odgers Berndtson we feel privileged
to play a small, yet significant role in
supporting those organisations that
support and represent large individual
swathes of the UK economy.
Our clients
tell us that
the mark of
success for an
association
is linked to
two metrics
- impact and
value for
money.
With so many designations, what defines those organisations that seek to
develop a trade, industry, profession or specialism? They are member-led,
member-governed and often exist to serve the public good. They hold a
unique position in society and can be particularly complex to run; it is not
unusual for such an organisation to support an entire industry / profession
with the staff compliment of an SME.

2. info@odgersberndtson.com | www.odgersberndtson.co.uk 2
Alex Hamilton-Baily
Alex Hamilton-Baily leads Odgers Berndtson’s membership organisation,
trade association / professional body work from London. He has worked
with the firm for 10 years, specialising in recruiting the most senior
executives to member-led organisations and wider non-profits. In recent
years Alex has led searches for those organisations serving engineers, newsagents,
veterinarians, young people, farmers, architects and chemists to name but a few. Searches
are often run in parallel with the relevant industry or public sector practice, thus
combining deep experience of member-led governance, with appropriate sectoral or
functional expertise.
Alex was educated at University College London and graduated with a degree in
Information Management. He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel &
Development (CIPD) and is a qualified psychometric assessor. He is a Trustee of Penny
Brohn Cancer Care.
For more information please contact Alex Hamilton-Baily:
T: +44 (0) 20 7529 3994
E: alex.hamilton-baily@odgersberndtson.com
■■ Agriculture & Horticulture Development
Boards
■■ Association of Chocolate, Biscuit and
Confectionery Industries of Europe
■■ Association for Project Management
■■ BCS
■■ British Beer and Pub Association
■■ British Institute of Inn-keeping
■■ British Poultry Council
■■ British Property Federation
■■ British Psychological Society
■■ British Retail Consortium
■■ British Science Association
■■ British Veterinary Association
■■ CEFIC
■■ Chartered Institute of Taxation
■■ Chartered Management Institute
■■ CL:AIRE (contaminated land)
■■ European Pet Food Industry Association
■■ European Grouping of Societies of
Authors and Composers
■■ FIA Foundation (motorsport)
■■ Food & Drink Federation
■■ Geological Society of London
■■ General Medical Council
■■ Heating & Ventilating Contractors’
Association
■■ Institute of Biomedical Science
■■ Institute of Actuaries
■■ Institution of Civil Engineering
■■ IET
■■ Institution of Mechanical Engineering
■■ Institute of Physics
■■ Institute of Directors
■■ London Mathematical Society
■■ Motion Picture Association of America
■■ National Farmers Union
■■ National Federation of Retail Newsagents
■■ The National Trust
■■ Nursing & Midwifery Council
■■ The Royal Academy of Engineering
■■ Royal Institute of British Architects
■■ Royal Institution Of Great Britain
■■ The Royal Society of Chemistry
■■ Society of Operations Engineers
■■ UK Council for Psychotherapy
■■ UK Green Building Council
■■ Worshipful Company of Mercers’
Representative clients include (predominantly CEO appointments):