The Archery Trade Association has chosen Matt Kormann of Marietta, Georgia, as its next president/CEO after a nationwide executive search. Kormann will succeed Jay McAninch, who announced in March that 2017 would be his last year as president/CEO. Kormann is expected to begin his ATA tenure on October 16.
Kormann is currently senior vice president of corporate account sales for the Freeman Co., a $2.4 billion world leader in event marketing. His 17-year career at Freeman helped Kormann learn the best practices of hundreds of businesses, industries and associations while becoming a business leader and passionate team coach.
As a candidate for the ATA post, Kormann stood out for his business acumen and diverse experience, and for his passion for archery. Kormann’s most distinguished professional experience includes expertise in sales, customer service, business development, strategic planning and event management.
“Opportunities like this are exceedingly rare,” Kormann said. “The ATA has an incredible foundation. Expert leadership and a culture of collaboration between members and staff have allowed it to thrive. I’m confident we can bring this great sport to even more bowhunting and tournament participants, while strengthening the industry as a whole. While all of that is exciting for me, this role is really unique. It blends the things I’ve been most passionate about in my professional life with what I’m most passionate about away from work. Our family fell in love with archery almost five years ago. Since then it’s taken us throughout America and as far away as Argentina. When I learned of Jay’s retirement, I knew I had to take a shot.”
ATA Board members are enthusiastic about Kormann. “Matt was the clear finalist to take to the full Board for approval,” said Board Chair Ben Summers, vice president of T.R.U. Ball/AXCEL. “Rather than depending on the information given to candidates during the hiring process, Matt drilled down and talked to several dealers. He knew intricate details about our industry and had great ideas to fix important problems. It was easy to see that Matt understands business and cares about the people he serves. Most importantly, however, Matt clearly knew archery and bowhunting like a seasoned professional. I believe he will care about our retail and manufacturing businesses like they are his own.”
Board members also expressed confidence in Kormann. “I am very pleased to have Matt joining the ATA,” said Greg Easton, president of Jas. D. Easton Inc. and a member of the ATA Board’s executive committee. “We had a large pool of candidates, and the finalists were all well-qualified, but the search committee was unanimous in our selection and support of Matt. Matt brings some exciting skills, experience, and interest in archery to the ATA’s CEO position, and I look forward to working with him.”
About the Archery Trade Association
The Archery Trade Association is the organization for manufacturers, retailers, distributors, sales representatives and others working in the archery and bowhunting industry. The ATA has served its members since 1953. It is dedicated to making the industry profitable by decreasing business overhead, reducing taxes and government regulation, and increasing participation in archery and bowhunting. The organization also owns and operates the ATA Trade Show, the archery and bowhunting industry’s largest and longest-running trade show worldwide. For more information, like the ATA Trade Show on Facebook, follow @ATATradeShow on Twitter, or learn more about archery and bowhunting at Archery360.com and Bowhunting360.com.
Featured photo: the Archery Trade Association
