08/05/2024

Keys to a Successful Merger

Mergers can allow for a better focus on mission

On July 30, 2024, the Endocrine Society (ES) announced that it was merging with the Association of Program Directors in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism (APDEM). On the surface, this seems like a simple arrangement: The leading umbrella organization in a medical field brings in a smaller group working in the same area. But as with many mergers, the reality is more complicated.

Endocrine Society CEO Kate Fryer, CAE, explains that the society has had a long relationship with APDEM, effectively serving as an AMC for it since 1998. But over time, that relationship became more of a pain point than a source of unity. “It had moved into a place that was more transactional—we were having conversations about how many hours staff were spending on this job [of administering APDEM], and how much we were charging," she said. "It ended up taking conversations away from being about our groups working together, on getting our shared missions accomplished."

Fryer shared a few ideas about what made the Endocrine Society-APDEM merger worth the effort, and which may apply to associations considering a merger discussion of its own.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.