American Society of Anesthesiologists Selects Brian Reilly, MBA, CAE, as Next Chief Executive Officer

CHICAGO – Today, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), announced that Brian Reilly has been chosen as the organization’s next Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Reilly who serves as ASA’s Chief Operating Officer, will succeed ASA’s current CEO, Paul Pomerantz, FACHE, who will retire at the end of 2023, after 11 years of distinguished leadership at the Society.

As ASA’s COO since 2018, Reilly has overseen the day-to-day operations of many of the Society’s departments, including Governance, Membership, Education, Meetings, Marketing & Communications, Publications, Information Technology, Residency Engagement, Component & Intersociety Relations, and Member & Product Experience. He has reshaped ASA’s organizational structure to be more responsive to its strategic plan, member needs and market opportunities, and has streamlined and focused ASA’s strategic planning process. Previously, Reilly held the position of ASA Chief Digital Strategy Officer and has been with ASA since 2016. Reilly and Pomerantz will begin working on a transition plan immediately and Reilly will begin his tenure as CEO on January 1, 2024. Reilly holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame, an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, and a CAE from the American Society of Association Executives.

"After thorough succession planning and a comprehensive national search process, I’m pleased that ASA’s Ad Hoc Committees on CEO Search and Selection have found the best individual to assume leadership and succeed Paul Pomerantz,” said ASA President Michael W. Champeau, M.D., FAAP, FASA. “I knew this would be a crucial aspect of my legacy as president, so I wanted the most inclusive and, at the same time, selective process possible to prepare the society for the best vision of its future. I am confident Brian Reilly will be ASA’s next extraordinary professional staff leader.”

“It's been my great privilege to serve the members of ASA these last seven years and to be mentored by Paul Pomerantz over that time,” Reilly said. “It is an honor to be chosen by the Board of Directors as ASA's next CEO. I am very grateful for the trust they have placed in me and look forward to working with them to build on ASA's position as a world-class medical specialty society, enabling our members to flourish both professionally and personally.”

"I’m pleased that the process we completed was extensive, competitive, and rigorous and we have found and chosen the most qualified candidate,” said Mary Dale Peterson, M.D., MSHCA, FACHE, FASA, past ASA president and chair of the ASA Ad Hoc Committee on CEO Search and the Ad Hoc Committee on CEO Selection. “Brian is the best choice from a deep pool of interested and highly qualified candidates."

The Ad Hoc Committee on CEO Search along with the Ad Hoc Committee on CEO Selection were authorized to select an executive search firm, ensure completion of due diligence on all finalist candidates and work closely together so a smooth hand-off from search to selection was achieved. Accordingly, the selection of Reilly completes an extensive search process facilitated by Spencer Stuart, a leading global executive search firm. A large initial national prospect pool of 150 candidates was narrowed in stages to a group who interviewed three separate times until there were two candidates in the final interview setting.

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS
Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is an educational, research, and scientific professional society with more than 56,000 members organized to advance the medical practice of anesthesiology and secure its future. ASA is committed to ensuring anesthesiologists evaluate and supervise the medical care of all patients before, during, and after surgery. ASA members also lead the care of critically ill patients in intensive care units, as well as treat pain in both acute and chronic settings.

For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists online at asahq.org. To learn more about how physician anesthesiologists help ensure patient safety, visit asahq.org/MadeforThisMoment. Like ASA on Facebook, follow ASALifeline on Twitter.

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