David Carrithers is the founder, president, and managing director of Affinity Center International (ACI), a new business of Maritz that develops loyalty coalition marketing programs for associations. ACI's flagship offering is AchieveLinks, an association member loyalty program that helps associations engage members and build loyalty through rewards for purchases from industry partners. Members earn points from purchases that can be used for rewards, and associations receive royalties from the partners. Previously, David held leadership roles at Maritz developing some of the industry's first stored-value rewards cards and new business divisions. He has a bachelor's degree in marketing communications and certificates from top business schools in areas like change management and new product development.

1. David C Carrithers
Founder, President & Managing Director
Affinity Center International (ACI)
As founder, president and managing director of Affinity Center International (ACI), the newest Maritz business, David
Carrithers has full P&L responsibility along with providing strategic direction and priority setting, team development,
business focus and creative leadership. ACI is developing loyalty coalition marketing programs based on people’s
professions helping associations engage their members building improved loyalty.
ACI’s flagship offering is AchieveLinks ®, an association member loyalty program that helps associations engage
members and build loyalty by providing rewards to members for buying from merchant partners in their industries.
Members earn Links® Reward Points with every purchase, and associations, in turn, receive a royalty from the merchant
partners. Members can accumulate Links points faster with the AchieveLinks Visa Rewards Card. In many ways David
acts as a “chief beekeeper” of the hive of start up, launch and ramp up activity at ACI. David also works with association
clients, merchant partners, support partners, technology development and association industry efforts.
David began his career with Maritz Motivation Company in 1990 as a program director, supporting Xerox, Rich Products,
M&M Mars, Diebold and other clients. He earned Project Head of the Year in 1992. David moved to Maritz Travel
Company, in the Exclusively Yours Cheques department in 1992 as Director of New Development & Planning. During his
time in MTC David worked with a group of employees to create the Exclusively Yours and the Your Choice Card
MasterCard products – the first prepaid, stored-value rewards cards in the industry. As lead inventor David worked with
the Maritz intellectual property team to receive two patents based on the products. In 1995 David worked on the creation
of the Individual Awards Division at Maritz, the first combined travel, merchandise and reward card business, as Vice
President of Product Management and New Development. In 1997 David was on the team that negotiated and eventually
launched American Express Incentive Service and became CIO Vice President Technology, New Development and
Marketing.
David is active in the community, volunteering with the Cyprus Peace Program, the Girl Scouts of America, and The
Carpenters Shelter. He serves on the boards of a variety of associations including the Alliance for Construction

2. Excellence at Arizona State University, in addition he was the Chairman of the Center for Job Order Contracting
Excellence. David is also active with ASAE – The Center for Association Leadership.
David holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing communications from Loyola University. In addition, David has certificates
from Wharton Business School, Harvard Business School, Kellogg Business School, Ross Business School, The
Brookings Institute and others in a variety of areas including change management, new product development, and
strategic planning. He presents on a regular bases at conferences, industry groups and workshops on topics ranging from
change management to product and company innovation.
David lives in Reston Virginia with his wife and two daughters. The family enjoys pursuing a mutual interest in American
history and the arts.