The MemberWise Network is unique as being the only Network led by association and membership professionals. A core part of our team are the MemberWise Ambassadors; a group of practising membership professionals specialising in a specific area that we consider core and crucial to the world of membership such as engagement, recruitment and value.
In recent years, we have branched out into complementary areas such as governance, leadership, communications and PR, and people/volunteer management in order to show how the membership role requires broader business insight and experience.
We are now pleased to announce that we have appointed a second Ambassador to work alongside David D’Souza from CIPD in the area of member engagement/retention: Sam Fletcher, Head of Membership at Equity.
Let’s get to know Sam, who’ll be championing this crucial area of activity…
How long have you worked in Membership?
I have over 20 years’ experience working in membership for three different membership organisations. I started my career in membership at Listening Books which is an organisation offering a tangible product/service for its 4,000 members. Following this role, my next career move was to manage the National Autistic Society (NAS) membership scheme of 20,000, which is for anyone with a connection or interest in the autism spectrum (this included individuals, parents, professional and organisations). After this position, I moved to manage the retention (currently 6% better than industry standard) of Fellowship at the RSA, a not-for-profit organisation for social change with 30,000 Fellows.
What does your role involve at Equity?
As Head of membership for Equity, I have 5 direct reports and are responsible for managing the delivery of the union’s membership services, including registration of new members, servicing of current members, maintenance of membership records and processing of all membership queries, and procurement and management of membership systems including CRM.
How will you champion your ambassador subject area (engagement/retention)?
I truly love working in membership and I am really passionate about offering a good service and value to members. In my role as Ambassador, I will be open to sharing my knowledge and experience from working in the sector for over 20 years.
What advice would you give to others also working in membership?
To listen to all members and ask what the organisation does well and could do better.
Tell us something we don’t know about you!
My degree is in weaving, but my MA is in disability studies. My interests include motorsports, crafts and travelling.
The MemberWise Team welcomes Sam on board as MemberWise Ambassador (Member Engagement/Retention).
Leave A Comment