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ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES • NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2014 68
ASM
news
HIGHLIGHTS...Leaders’ Messages
From the President’s Desk
It is time to rejoice in our ac-
complishments of this past
year. I had the unique honor of
starting my presidency during
ASM’s centenary celebration in
Montreal and then developed
succinct goals for advancing our
Society into our second century.
Ideas were based on ASM’s uniqueness, member-
ship and chapter development, partnering with
other societies, students as vanguards of our future,
quality and quick access to content, lifelong learn-
ing, and government initiatives.
This past year, we launched a new logo represent-
ing our values to bring us closer to our affiliate soci-
eties, represent revitalization, and promote our
products and services. We are in the midst of our first
membership drive since 2001, engaging members,
students, employees, and Board members. We also
have new ASM-IIM North
America Lectureships, and
monthly meetings of ASM
Canada Council. Based on
success in Montreal, we are
considering another mega
MS&T, possibly in Toronto in
2017. In the past year, we in-
troduced several new hand-
books (4B, 4C, and 4D)
enhancing the ASM Heat
Treating Series, and two technical books. We also re-
leased an improved version of our first App, the Heat
Treater’s Guide Companion, plus a new Aluminum
App. We started new courses on superalloys, compo-
nent failure analysis, and thermal spray safety, to
name a few.
With commitment of the Foundation and volun-
teers, we met our goal of hosting 50 materials camps
in 15 years. We are also developing a Camp Alumni
Portal, linking chapters, members, and alumni to en-
able more internships and job opportunities. ASM is
a key driver in government initiatives including the
Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Institute,
America Makes (additive manufacturing), and the
CMD Network. ASM is also leading the Thermal
Manufacturing Industries Advanced Technology
Consortium and is receiving a significant NIST grant.
As the brand ambassador of ASM, I visited vi-
brant chapters in Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles,
India-Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Mon-
treal, Ontario, North Texas, Notre Dame, Savannah,
Hartford, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, and more.
Lifelong professional and personal relationships
make ASM a powerful community. I thank the
members, volunteers, Board, and all employees for
this opportunity to provide a new vision to our great
Society. Au Revoir!
C. (Ravi) Ravindran,
From the Managing Director
The Business Side of ASM
During the course of casual conversations, I am
often asked what I do for a living. When I say that I
run a professional society for materials scientists and
engineers, people often wonder what that means. I ex-
plain that ASM serves 30,000 members in nearly 100
countries by collecting the most up-to-date technical
information, distilling it through a value-added peer
review process, and then disseminating it globally in
a variety of print, online, and in-person formats. These include re-
sources for professional development, conferences for sharing techni-
cal knowledge, products and services of value to the materials
community, and networking opportunities for building both personal
and professional relationships.
I often close my “elevator speech” by explaining that ASM is a not
for profit organization. A common response is, “So you’re not a real
business.” Wrong. We are a real business. However, for the privilege of
not paying taxes, we do certain things that traditional for-profit busi-
nesses don’t do. While explaining this, I began to wonder if ASM has
ever shared this with our membership. In my 26+ years here, I do not
recall seeing anything and I think it is time to discuss this.
ASM generates roughly $15 to $17 million dollars in revenue each year.
We typically operate just above a break-even point, so margins are nar-
row. Our budgets are presented to ASM’s Finance Committee, made up
of highly qualified individuals, many of whom are business owners or
past and present CEOs of major organizations. After careful review, com-
mittee members recommend the various operating budgets to our Board
of Trustees for approval. ASM staff is then charged with managing op-
erations within these budgets and providing regular updates to both the
Finance Committee and Board.
In contrast to traditional for-profit businesses, ASM essentially invests
its resources in three areas or “buckets.” The first bucket includes activ-
ities we do for the good of the materials community, knowing there is no
direct return on the financial investment. Examples include supporting
ASM’s awards programs, committee and council activities, an extensive
chapter network, student programs, website development, and funding
our ASM Foundation that encourages young people to pursue careers in
science and engineering. We do all of these activities at a financial loss.
The second bucket includes products and services that need to break
even or come close to covering expenses. Examples include providing
magazines and newsletters, launching new technical conferences,
maintaining and updating our technical content, and ensuring that we
are being good stewards of our extensive knowledge base and intellec-
tual capital.
This leaves us with our last bucket—activities we rely on to generate
revenue. These items include our information products and services, ed-
ucation programs, and proceeds from our Access Market where compa-
nies promote products and services to our members via magazine and
newsletter advertising, webinars, trade show exhibitions, website pro-
motions, and various sponsorship opportunities. This revenue genera-
tion is essential to support the activities in the first bucket and ensure
that we are able to sustain ASM’s future.
ASM is on financially solid ground and we have a substantial invest-
ment portfolio built over the decades that allows us to weather economic
downturns as well as invest in new initiatives. This has been accom-
plished through a partnership between talented ASM staff and volun-
teer leaders who have provided sound oversight and direction in the past
and continue to deliver such counsel today.
Review and Retrospection
Much have I seen
and known...
I am a part of all
that I have met...
To strive, to seek,
to find, and
not to yield
— From the poem “Ulysses”
by Alfred, Lord Tennyson