NEW YORK – The National Coffee Association ( NCA ) is proud to announce today that William M. (Bill) Murray will join the NCA as President & Chief Executive Officer, effective June 1, 2014.
Murray comes to the NCA from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), where he served as Chief Executive Officer. “We set out to find a new leader with passion, vision and the credentials to take the NCA to a future even brighter than its past, and we achieved that goal by finding Bill Murray,” said NCA Chair John E. Boyle. “The NCA is proud to present such a highly qualified and accomplished business and association professional, as well as strategic and creative thinker, as the NCA’s new President & CEO.”
“I am excited by the opportunity to guide a dynamic trade association serving the iconic U.S. coffee industry at an important juncture in its honored history,” said Murray.
“I feel privileged and honored for the opportunity to lead the NCA to new heights of relevance, member value and industry service that project its preeminent organizational status and provide a robust, contemporary platform for enhanced success.”
Recognized Leader
Prior to signing on with the NCA, Murray served as Chief Executive Officer at PRSA, the world’s largest professional society for public relations practitioners. In that position, he successfully managed an organization of 32,000 individual members, driving member satisfaction levels to record highs, reinventing professional development programs and exceeding financial goals while significantly trimming overhead.
During his tenure, Murray was honored as the 2009 Outstanding Association Executive of the Year by the New York Society of Association Executives (NYSAE).
While at PRSA, Murray put his strategic and innovative style into play with many new programs designed to elevate member value and bolster the reputation of the public relations profession.
Among them was a redesigned advocacy program to position PRSA as a thought leader with public commentary and submissions to Congress and the Federal Trade Commission on timely, communications-related issues such as environmental marketing, the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, ethics, and the value of public relations to government operations. He also created targeted advocacy programs that included
“Moving Veterans Forward” to serve military veterans, “PRServing America” to engage PRSA members in charitable work, and “The Business Case for Public Relations” to deliver measurement tools that practitioners could use to explain the value of public relations.
Murray also spearheaded a complete redesign of PRSA’s online presence, including social media outreach and a new website that was recognized as “best in class” by the Interactive Media Council.
Prior to PRSA, Murray was the Co-Chief Operating Officer of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), working closely with the legendary Jack Valenti.
At MPAA, he designed the Association’s first strategic plan; managed regulatory and piracy issues spanning 75 countries; co-authored the Section 301 Trade Complaint which led to the opening of Korea’s film distribution market; supervised a global lobbying effort to improve copyright protection in markets such as Vietnam, Brazil, Canada and Spain; designed outreach to the Chinese government and personally led seminars for Chinese officials in support of market access and intellectual property protection; created the MPAA’s first Web presence; and created the world’s first canine DVD detection team in cooperation with Federal Express and United Kingdom Customs to root out DVD piracy. Murray holds an M.B.A. in International Business and the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential held by just 5% of association executives nationwide.
With significant prior experience in government affairs, strong interest in regulatory matters, extensive travel to coffee producing nations, and fluency in Spanish, he is extraordinarily qualified and eager to fully engage his extensive professional dossier as he shifts from leading a large professional society to a major trade association.
About the National Coffee Association
The National Coffee Association of U.S.A., Inc. (NCA), established in 1911, is the leading trade organization for the coffee industry in the United States. The NCA is the only trade association that serves all segments of the U.S. coffee industry, including traditional and specialty companies.
A majority of the NCA’s membership, which accounts for over 90% of U.S. coffee commerce, is comprised of small and mid-sized companies and includes growers, roasters, retailers, importer/exporters, wholesaler/suppliers and allied industry businesses.
