Thu, 03/01/2012 - 08:52

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Feb. 10, 2012) - The Board of Directors confirmed the appointment of ISEE’s new Executive Director, J. Winston Forde. He officially joined an experienced and dedicated ISEE staff in Cleveland on February 20th.

With his extensive knowledge of global mining and natural resource markets, with particular emphasis on commercial explosives, Mr. Forde brings over 20 years experience in marketing, strategy and business development – collaborating with the senior leadership teams of companies like Ensign-Bickford, Dyno Nobel, and Orica to develop strategic frameworks for global growth initiatives. In the explosives industry, he has held positions as Marketing Manager; Sr. Manager/Global Strategic Marketing and Communications; and Vice President/Marketing and Product Management. Prior to that, he spent several years in marketing positions in the non-profit healthcare industry. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Marketing from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada and has attended executive and graduate courses at MIT Sloan School of Management.

His areas of expertise include business development, strategic marketing, marketing communications, social marketing, brand management, tradeshows and events, website management, contract management, market research, continuous improvement and the development of customer contact, acquisition and retention strategies.

During Mr. Forde’s address to the attendees of the ISEE Annual Banquet in Nashville, TN USA, he stated: “The challenges that lie ahead for the Society come as no surprise. We, like many associations are challenged with membership growth. Why? Our industry demographics is graying; Corporate mergers and acquisition have caused membership attrition; And lastly, economic pressures have shifted individual priorities.

“As we celebrate the ISEE’s 38th Anniversary, our path forward should and will address membership growth. We need to: Communicate and expand the ISEE’s Value Proposition – the benefits of membership; Expand and strengthen the ISEE’s domestic membership base; Increase international interaction and grow membership abroad and; Strengthen our marketing capabilities to raise ISEE awareness and engagement with blasters of all ages. In closing, I would like to thank you for your membership and I look forward to working with each and every one of you going forward.”