TMA is not just a name or any association; it is a brand. And like all brands of distinction, the power behind the brand is fueled by, and fuels, the audience it serves.

The TMA brand is characterized by what I call “actionable optionality,” because, like the brand itself, TMA is an organization in motion. In motion we create experiences, and the experiences we create keep the brand vital and ever alive.

But what does “actionable optionality” actually mean? It means building goodwill through the meaningful programs and opportunities TMA offers to connect the world over like no other association in this space. And in the past year, we have empowered the brand by nearly tripling programming and networking opportunities in our virtual world.

TMA’s brand value has never been higher because of the visibility and viability of the brand brought about by our engaged leaders, our connected members, and the opportunities that abound from sea to shining sea and across the globe. This is what actionable optionality means in real time, and in that, the TMA brand engenders goodwill that is priceless.

If goodwill is the fuel, membership, the backbone of the organization, is its beneficiary, and today, membership in TMA thrives. The people are the power of TMA and the brand it drives.

Our sponsors, likewise, see the power behind the brand and the people who drive it. From our global leaders to our chapter boards, because our leaders and members evangelize about the TMA brand, those firms that sponsor and support TMA at the local and global level likewise bask in the light of a powerful brand and see value in affiliating with the brand, many times over.

We lead as a brand because we innovate and iterate and are unafraid to take risks that define the landscape of bringing together the most professionally diverse professional demographics in the restructuring space. We define and refine opportunity, and that could not be truer than in the past year.

In 2020, when we pivoted with purpose in response to the pandemic, we did so with urgency and increased the power of our brand by raising awareness of one of our most critically important member value propositions. The ability of all members to avail themselves of opportunities at any TMA chapter anywhere in the world has long been known, but little utilized. That all changed when the virtual environment gave us opportunities to connect with ease across borders and oceans like we had never done before, bringing us into the world of virtual optionality.

Now more than ever, our members are meeting more people, connecting across the globe, and really embracing the power that supports the TMA brand as chapters around the world connect with one another and share thought leadership, education, and networking alike.

Whether it be TMA Toronto and TMA UK bridging the gap of two countries, or TMA Chicago/Midwest and TMA NYC bringing together hundreds of members to learn and converse about diversity, equity, and inclusion, borders have disappeared, and we are one world under the brand and banner of TMA.

TMA Tomorrow will have an element of the in person and a nexus to the virtual, all cooked in a kitchen of charisma and creativity designed to support our members who together help define the brand.

We weathered the turbulence of 2020 and through the learnings of that challenging year are emerging with balance and thoughtfulness that continue to strengthen our brand. From facilitated networking at the TMA Distressed Investing Conference to showcasing a member of the TMA Rocky Mountain Chapter for his skills in restructuring and on the ski slopes of Colorado, as we do in this edition, we embrace and expand our brand in so many unique ways.

TMA, the brand of actionable optionality, is the story of TMA Tomorrow. You’ve seen it grow, morph, and be redefined. But most of all, it is a brand of distinction that each of our members can call their own.

Scott Y. Stuart, Esq.
TMA Global CEO
sstuart@turnaround.org
@TMA_CEO