In this episode, recorded live at TSAE’s New Ideas Annual Conference in San Antonio, hosts Steven Stout, FASAE, CAE, and Katy Markert sit down with Christian Malesic, MBA, CAE, CMP, IOM, an eight-time CEO with more than 28 years of leadership experience. Christian shares his remarkable path from Air Force officer to association executive, highlighting the strategies and mindset that have guided his success in organizational turnarounds. He discusses the critical role of strong governance, financial discipline, and relationship-building in driving meaningful change, while also reflecting on his passion for nonprofit work and lifelong learning. Packed with practical insights and real-world experience, this conversation offers valuable guidance for both emerging and seasoned association leaders.

Better by Association is produced by Association Briefings.

Show Notes

Christian D. Malesic, MBA, CAE, CMP, IOM is an eight-time CEO with over 28 years of experience. He motivates audiences as a speaker, trainer, & lecturer and moves needles as a Turnaround CEO, consultant, and recognized expert in Association Management.

His peers continue to recognize his servant’s heart with numerous national and state awards from various organizations for many and varied industry accomplishments. Most notably, he was heralded in 2012 as the nation’s Best New Executive Officer and is the 2024 Dallas / Fort Worth Association (DFWAE) Executive of the Year and the 2025 CAE of the Year.

With over two dozen nationally published “business-best-practices” articles to his name, Christian is also a resourceful & accomplished executive. He has served on 22 different local, regional, and national Boards himself.

He received his MBA with distinguished honors from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania plus three bachelor’s degrees in: Electrical Engineering & Government from Lehigh University and Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing from Elizabethtown College.

Christian is a Certified Association Executive (CAE), a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), and is a graduate of the prestigious Institute for Organizational Management (IOM), the most highly respected program nationwide for Association Management. He is a current member in good standing of the Texas Society of Association Executives (TSAE) and the Dallas / Fort Worth Society of Association Executives (DFWAE).