WASHINGTON— As part of ASAE’s ongoing efforts to increase global awareness of the Power of Associations, ASAE President and CEO Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE, presented the inaugural Global Association Visionary Award to Susan Sarfati, FASAE, CAE, during the IMEX Gala Dinner on May 15 in Frankfurt, Germany.
ASAE created the Global Association Visionary Award to recognize an association leader who has demonstrated a lifetime of commitment and service in advancing and elevating the visibility and impact of the association profession globally.
Sarfati, CEO of High Performance Strategies LLC, currently consults with associations around the world, including in India, Uganda, Thailand, Malaysia, Jordan, Serbia, South Africa, Bangladesh and, most recently, the Republic of Georgia. Prior to starting her own consulting firm, Sarfati was the founding President and CEO of The Center for Association Leadership and Executive Vice President of ASAE. She also was President and CEO of the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives (GWSAE) for nearly 13 years. Among her achievements are launching the Nation’s Capital Distinguished Speakers Series, which hosted such global luminaries as Queen Noor Al Hussein, F.W. de Klerk and Desmond Tutu. Additionally, Sarfati pioneered the first-ever Global Summit on Social Responsibility in 2008.
“ASAE and the association community owe Susan Sarfati a debt of gratitude for her visionary leadership and innovative thinking over her decades-long career,” Mason said. “Susan’s passion for associations and her driving commitment to advancing this vital sector around the world made her the obvious choice for ASAE’s inaugural Global Association Visionary Award.”
“I am thrilled to be the inaugural recipient of the Global Association Visionary Award, and I couldn’t be more proud of ASAE’s expanding global presence,” Sarfati said. “Receiving this honor at IMEX is truly unforgettable – it’s a gathering where everyone is welcomed into a vibrant, innovative and socially conscious global community. What I’ve discovered [in my career] is that learning is a two-way street. Despite our differences in culture and background, people are fundamentally similar. Now, more than ever, the world needs us to bridge divides and reach out globally. Together, we can make a difference on a scale we’ve never imagined.”