The SSA Value Proposition

And Why Every Public Company Needs To Have An SSA Membership

Since 1946, the Shareholder Services Association (SSA), a national, nonprofit; professional association, has delivered on its core mission to support and educate corporate issuers in effectively meeting their responsibilities for shareholder recordkeeping and service.

Through a combination of tradition and innovation, the SSA has effectively assisted its membership in successfully meeting new challenges, risks and opportunities as the shareholder services industry has evolved and changed. The SSA is governed by a board comprised of issuers and industry service providers, who volunteer their time, who are committed to finding effective ways to deliver the value of membership to their current and potential members.

Under the current leadership of Karen Danielson, Shareholder Services Manager at The Coca Cola Company, the board has focused its energies on ensuring the SSA can effectively deliver on its motto to “Stay in touch. Stay informed. Always connected”. Karen stated, “we achieved this objective through the board’s ongoing commitment to invest in technology by upgrading our website, holding webinars, and offering on-line educational courses on pertinent industry specifi topics”. Karen also noted that “while the use of technology has helped reach and educate members who may not have the opportunity to travel to a meeting, the traditional face-to-face networking will always be the best way to keep our membership connected.”

The SSA prides itself on its long and rich history of creating opportunities where members look forward to coming together in an inviting and friendly environment to share insights, ideas and learn together through effective networking. Such opportunities have been comprised of membership luncheons and the SSA annual conference. These in person meetings are held around the country in locations such as New York City, Chicago, Washington D.C., Florida, California and Georgia.

SSA networking happens both within formal and informal settings where members are afforded the opportunity to hear from and meet with the “doers” in the shareholder services industry as well as corporate governance professionals – collectively experts on the front line addressing industry issues and getting practical tasks accomplished. The SSA also provides itsmembersthe opportunity tomeet with representatives from critical regulatory bodies such as, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York Stock Exchange, Internal Revenue Service, and other industry organizations such as the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation. Such encounters offer members effective, first hand insight into existing, as well as pending regulatory issues and trends.

This December, the SSA will be welcoming a new president, Patrick M. Burke, Director of Operations and Assistant Corporate Secretary at AIG, Inc. Efforts to prepare for this transition started in August at the SSA board’s annual planning meeting. Patrick stated, “Karen and the rest of the board have done a great job in positioning the SSA to grow its membership base”. The SSA is financially strong and is investing in the right technology, but most importantly, the SSA board believes it has a win-win value proposition for its members and their respective sponsoring companies.