As we close out the year of certain uncertainty, I want to offer a retrospective on where we were to where we have come this past year, along with the story of our reinvention at TMA.

The first phase of our reinvention was what we called our “pivot with purpose.” The pivot meant we would have to be scrappy, innovative, and laser-focused on the best ways to bring member value to the forefront as we hunkered down for the long road ahead during the pandemic lockdown.

The goal was to build a model of virtual seamlessness that supported our members in connected and meaningful ways. It started with the IMPACT 2020 conference in the fall of 2020 and morphed into what became our 2021 Distressed Investing Conference, From Impact to Innovation. And innovate we did.

We created a concept called TMA Connect Live and became experiential in the virtual environment, connecting our members from around the world through thematic sessions on both industry and human-interest topics, creating an in-person feeling as participants met members from throughout TMA Nation without leaving home.

We elevated education and formed the TMA Town Hall series. Originally a weekly webcast, TMA Town Halls were designed to bring members together with industry leading experts to expand knowledge and create another connection vehicle. It will now remain a stable part of TMA programming into 2022.

We created the TMA Boot Camp and invited our Certified Turnaround Professionals to lead interactive sessions designed to introduce new and less experienced practitioners to the basics of restructuring finance, management, and law.

Internationally, we saw historic growth with new chapters taking root in Chile, France, Nigeria, Mexico, Switzerland, and Turkey. And we saw our chapters across the world finding new and innovative ways to connect, elevating the member value proposition of being able to participate in any chapter program anywhere in the world.

In Europe, we adopted new TMA Europe bylaws, re-created board and committee roles, and saw a surge in those who self-nominated for TMA Europe roles. EACTP relaunched a new CTA program, which now is starting to receive national recognition in several EU nations.

This last year was the story of how TMA pivoted with purpose, created sustainable member value, and achieved record member retention. On top of that, the understanding of and importance of the TMA brand has grown and is more prominent and recognizable than it has ever been before.

TMA is revered and respected, vibrant and vital, and admired in new ways because of you, our leaders and members, who rose to the occasion and elevated with great fanfare the people and the power of TMA.

As we leave 2021 behind, I hope, like me, you look back upon the year, despite its challenges, with a fondness for all we became, showing how we are better together and forever TMA proud.

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