Scott Cameron’s Big 5 Plans for His IAMC Chairmanship
By John Salustri
What better way to kick off another year of Big 5 reports than with IAMC Chair Scott Cameron’s plans for his term. The Sonoco global real estate manager clearly sees his role as forwarding the goals of the Council’s strategic plan, and the resultant agenda is intended to move the ball closer to the finish line.
He admits that his first goal is “somewhat tongue in cheek.” But it reflects a serious intent: “My first goal is not to mess up, to respect what we have.”
And what does IAMC have? “We have a successful organization, and I want to maintain that track record. The culture is very strong. We’re a family, in a sense, a tight-knit organization of professionals who are very open and willing to share ideas with each other. It’s a place where long-term relationships are forged. I need to preserve that culture.”
His second goal is to help successfully navigate in-person meetings, “while, of course, maintaining the safety of our members and guests.” The events team is still working on how that goal will shape up for the April Spring Forum in Ft. Lauderdale, he explains, and the protocols that need to be in place.
“Last year we required that attendees have either full vaccinations or a negative COVID test.” With state mandates shifting regularly and the ongoing discovery of new strains, “it’s imperative that whatever we put in place is in the best interest of our members and the organization.”
Cameron’s number-three goal is “a new focus on professional development.” Working closely with Professional Development Director Heather Blanchard and her committee, “our goal is to support our strategic plan to become the go-to place for industrial real estate.”
Recognizing that this is a goal that will outlast his term, IAMC will nevertheless “change the way we develop our programs to include more continuing education and certification programs.” Success here will be measured by one key dynamic: “Imagine a company hiring a young corporate real estate executive,” Cameron says. “We’ll hit this goal when that company recommends IAMC membership for the value it brings.”
Goal number four is linked to this. It is “corporate retention, corporate involvement and corporate growth,” he says. “Returns on investment aren’t always in dollars and cents. We want our members to go back to their companies and say, ‘the training and education is the ROI that comes from IAMC participation.’ We want members to be more involved, which will lead to retention and then to more word of mouth.” Creating a more compelling professional development program will also provide staff and committees with enhanced member-recruitment tools.
Finally, this year will see our first “assessment of our Board of Directors. “It’s part of our strategic plan to grade our performance and ensure, for example, that, as a board, we’re operating strategically,” says the IAMC president. “Sometimes we can get too much in the weeds, making it more difficult to focus on long-term goals.”
By providing better oversight to IAMC initiatives, and letting the staff and committees do the work they do best, “We begin to act more like a board, and when board positions open, they’ll be more enticing to our members.”
More important, just like the other four goals for 2022, this will move IAMC closer to becoming “the go-to place for industrial real estate.”