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NEW YORK (April 19, 2022) – RIMS, the risk management society®, has announced Gary LaBranche, FASAE, CAE as the Society’s new Chief Executive Officer. LaBranche will succeed longstanding RIMS CEO Mary Roth who announced her retirement in late-2021 after 37 years of service with RIMS. LaBranche will assume his new role on June 1, 2022.

Since March 2017, Gary LaBranche has served as President & CEO of Virginia-based NIRI: The Association for Investor Relations. NIRI’s members represent 1,600 publicly- traded companies with a combined market cap of $9 trillion.

Previously, LaBranche has served as CEO for the Association for Corporate Growth, the Association Forum of Chicagoland and two other organizations. In addition, he was a senior executive at the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. At the Forum and ASAE he was responsible for identifying, developing, and sharing best practices, models, and innovation in association management. At ASAE he produced the 6,000-person ASAE Annual Meeting.

ASAE named him the Key Award winner for 2007, the highest award in the association management profession. He was also named the 2012 National Association Executive of the Year. The Association Forum named him the 2019 recipient of the Samuel B. Shapiro Award for Chief Executive Achievement. He is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Association Committee of 100 and is past chairman of the Chamber’s Institute of Organization Management. He was named an ASAE Fellow (FASAE) in 1995.

A graduate of The Ohio State University and resident of Evanston, Illinois, LaBranche has authored more than 300 articles, podcasts and columns, as well as the book, “The Association CEO Succession Toolkit” published by ASAE in 2018. Additionally, he has consulted and presented to over 300 associations.

QUOTES

RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche

“Risk management makes the world safer, more secure and more sustainable,” said RIMS newly appointed CEO Gary LaBranche. “I am honored to be asked to help advance that important work and pave the way for this dynamic professional community’s continued success. I appreciate all that Mary Roth and the RIMS team have accomplished and look forward to partnering with RIMS leaders and this Society’s powerful and engaged community to continue that legacy.” 

RIMS Board President Patrick Sterling

“Recent events have elevated risk management expectations and, as we approached this executive search, we were determined to identify a leader with the skills and experience to help RIMS meet risk professionals’ evolving needs,” said RIMS Board President Patrick Sterling. “Gary LaBranche brings a world of knowledge and a proven track-record as an association management leader. Throughout his career he has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to lifting his staff up, creating opportunities for them to grow and, in turn, achieving impressive results for his previous associations. We look forward to learning from him and are proud to welcome him into the global risk management community.”

RIMS Outgoing CEO Mary Roth

“My RIMS journey has been remarkable,” said Mary Roth. “Starting in the Society’s Research and Education department and advancing to its CEO, I am so proud of the progress we have made, the barriers we have broken and all the milestones we have achieved. I am eternally grateful for all the exceptional RIMS staff members, volunteers and risk leaders who have contributed to our success.  Most importantly, throughout my RIMS career I have made some wonderful friendships that I know will carry-on long into my retirement. I want to congratulate our executive search team for their excellent work. Gary LaBranche will add tremendous value to RIMS and this amazing risk management profession.”

About RIMS
RIMS, the risk management society®, is a global professional association committed to advancing the practice of risk management throughout the world. We bring networking, professional development, certification, and education opportunities to our membership of 10,000 risk management professionals in over 60 countries. Founded in 1950, the Society represents more than 3,500 industrial, service, nonprofit, charitable and government entities throughout the world. To access RIMS Risk Knowledge resource library and for additional information about the Society, visit www.RIMS.org.

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