INDA Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry Executive Director INDA ED – Position profile © Vetted Solutions 2026 Organizational Overview INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry , serves over 300 member companies across the nonwovens and engineered fabrics industry to support business growth. Since 1968, INDA has helped members convene and connect, innovate, and grow through industry -leading events, professional development courses, market intelligence, test methods, consulting services, and advocacy. INDA Media, the association’s business -to-business publishing arm, produces the International Fiber Journal and International Filtration News , reaching a global network of professionals who utilize fibers, filaments, and filtration systems to optimize performance across diverse applications. In September 2024, INDA signed a Letter of In tent with EDANA to explore a strategic alliance, with the aim of leveraging their combined expertise and resources to address global challenges and drive new opportunities in the nonwovens industry. Comprising over 270 members, EDANA is the global association advocating the benefits of nonwovens for society. Since 1971, EDANA has been providing a comprehensive range of services to enhance the industry’s goals and performance, including supporting sust ainability ambitions, responsible product stewardship, and addressing common technical, regulatory and market challenges. EDANA also organizes several application- specific and geographic -focused industry events This strategic alliance has given life to the Global Nonwovens Alliance (GNA). By coordinating resources, the organizations aim to enhance member value through more robust educational programs, integrated networking opportunities, and expanded industry insights. A more coordinated and unified voice will strengthen advocacy efforts, e nabling more effective representation of members' interests at local, regional, and global levels. Collaboration will create operational synergies, driving efficiencies, optimiz ing resources, and diversifying the talent pool to better support members and industry initiatives. Together they are committed to promoting innovation, industry leadership, and long -term growth while ensuring the sustainability of the nonwovens sector. Position Overview The Executive Director (ED) serves as the chief staff executive of INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, a founding member of the Global Nonwovens Alliance (GNA) . Reporting directly to the CEO of GNA, this role ensures alignment between INDA’s regional agenda and the global strategy of GNA, while maintaining responsiveness to INDA member priorities, industry trends, and the regulatory and business landscapes. INDA seeks a dynamic, credible, and mission -driven ED to lead the organization with vision, strategic leadership, operational discipline, and a strong commitment to member value . This position provides executive leadership to drive INDA member engagement, program development, public affairs, and industry advancement across the Americas, in close coordination with INDA leadership, GNA and other partners and regional leaders. INDA’s office s are located in Cary, N.C . INDA’s has a n annual budget o f $4.5 Million and a staff of 17. The new Executive Director is expected to work out of the North Carolina office s. INDA ED – Position profile © Vetted Solutions 2026 Key Responsibilities Strategic Leadership • Develop and execute strategies that address the needs of members while aligning with GNA’s vision and objectives. • Identify and respond to regional industry trends, challenges, and opportunities. • Foster collaboration with strategic partners, other industry groups and other regional leaders to meet operational objectives. • Create deep and effective relationships with INDA member companies, the INDA Board of Directors, and other key external stakeholders to drive growth and create partnerships . • Lead critical aspects of the external environment for INDA , including the membership landscape, emerging technology, market conditions, and competitive pressures. • Partner with GNA CEO to build/shape INDA ’s culture and long- range strategy of the future; translate these into actionable goals for performance and growth. • Partner in the development and implementation of organization -wide objectives, and operational plans aligned with Board -approved strategic goals. • Build a close, transparent working relationship with the GNA CEO, providing clear regional insight and feedback while executing agreed global strategies in North America. Governance & Board Engagement • Support and advise, in coordination with the GNA CEO and the regional leadership, ensuring member value, strong governance and legal compliance. • Prepare strategic, operational, performance and financial reports for the membership , INDA leadership and the GNA CEO aligned with global reporting structures. • Support governance best practices, policy implementation, leadership transitions, and committee effectiveness. • Foster a transparent, collaborative, and productive partnership between volunteer leadership and staff. Member Engagement & Growth • Manage and develop programs, events, and services that deliver value to members. • Serve as the primary liaison between INDA members and the global association, ensuring that members are informed and engaged. • Provide strategic insight and thought leadership to create innovative events and programming that deliver a high -quality experience and maximum value to attendees , including a robust process to survey and collect feedback from meeting attendees to further develop program enhancements. • Working closely with the membership staff , responsible for overall INDA member experience and the membership value proposition with the goal of continually enhancing member satisfaction and retention and expanding membership. • Analyze membership data to develop a deep understanding of membership company needs; unlock the value hidden in INDA’ s membership, customer, and prospect data. • Leverage staff capacity to deliver new products and services to members. • Build relationships with key stakeholders, identify challenges and areas of improvement, establishing operating processes to support growth, and strengthening communications and suppor t. INDA ED – Position profile © Vetted Solutions 2026 Advocacy & External Relatio ns • Represent the association in regional policy discussions, regulatory matters, and industry forums. • Build relationships with government agencies, media, and other stakeholders to promote the industry’s interests. Operational Management • Establish operating policies and practices that focus on efficiency and growth and create a high -performance culture aligned with the organization’s mission. • Oversee the preparation of INDA ’s annual budget and ensure accurate financial planning, reporting, and projections throughout the year. • Proactively identify operational gaps and inefficiencies; recommend and implement related solutions. • Oversee day -to-day operations including staff management, financial, service and program delivery. • Ensure compliance with legal, financial, and ethical standards. • Manage regional events, conferences, and other member and industry programs. • Collaborate with other regional leaders to share best practices and harmonize processes, seeking efficiencies. • Be a role model and key architect of the INDA culture which promotes deep employee engagement and drives organizational outputs, modeling collaboration across INDA and GNA . • Provide leadership and coaching to the team. Communications & Branding • Promote the association’s mission and initiatives through strategic communications. • Maintain consistent branding and messaging in alignment with global standards. • Build a marketing vision that is embraced throughout the organization, bringing best practice approach to marketing. • Lead the development of a marketing roadmap to create an effective and efficient marketing strategy that drives growth. • Oversee development and implementation of brand message strategy that ensures the visibility and credibility of INDA. • Directs and leads brand storytelling and marketing activities including overall narrative and core messages. Background/Skills/Abilities • Proven senior leadership experience in a trade association or membership ‑based organization, ideally as chief staff executive or second -in-command, with a track record of building teams and delivering focused, efficient execution. • Strong understanding of the North American regional business landscape and regulatory environment. • Experience working in a matrixed or global organization is highly desirable. • Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree in business, public policy, or related field preferred. INDA ED – Position profile © Vetted Solutions 2026 • In-depth knowledge, expertise and experience in building and running day -to-day business operations, such as strategic planning and execution, building membership, and financial analysis. • Exceptional communication, negotiation and relationship -building skills, with the ability to inspire confidence and work successfully with varied audiences including m embers, industry partners, Board members , peers, and employees. • Experience building a membership organization or working with similar stakeholders is a plus. • Strategic thinker with a collaborative leadership style. • Experience in or close adjacency to the nonwovens, technical textiles, or related manufacturing supply chain (e.g. hygiene, medical, filtration, advanced materials) is preferred . • Politically savvy and adept at navigating complex stakeholder environments. • Committed to industry advancement, global collaboration, and member success. • Demonstrated ability to lead across the organization with influence, collaboration, transparency, and without ego. • High level of emotional intelligence and inspirational leadership skills. Success in the first 18 -24 months will look like: • INDA staff is stable, engaged, and aligned with a clear strategy and culture. • INDA members perceive improved value from events, services, and advocacy, reflected in retention and engagement metrics. • A constructive, trusted partnership is established with the GNA CEO and EDANA, with coordinated positioning on key regulatory and market issues. • INDA’s financial position is sound, with sustainable non‑ dues revenue from events and programs . Digital Presence Web: https://www.inda.org/ https://www.inda.org/globalnonwovensalliance/ X: https://x.com/INDANonwovens YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AllianceRegenMed Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/INDAnonwovens/?ref=sgm&v=wall# LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/inda -association -of-the-nonwoven -fabrics - industry/ . Vetted Solutions is a Washington, D.C. based executive search firm specializing in association and nonprofit recruiting and consulting. We focus on CEO and senior staff positions. For confidential consideration, please email your resume and cover letter to: INDAED Search@vettedsolutions.com or call +1 202 544 4749. Partners in Panorama – Asia, Australia, EMEA, Latin America, North America Members of the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants – AESC vettedsolutions.com
