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PERSONALITY PROFILE
Lea Smith, on standing down
as IOPSA President
By Eamonn Ryan
Four years ago, the IOPSA
board made a landmark
decision to ‘go big or go
home’, and from that seminal
decision came its subsequent
growth and emergence as one
of the most influential trade
membership bodies in South
Africa.
Lea Smith was part of that board and was
immediately after appointed President. He has since
overseen that era, and in March, stepped down.
In 2016 “IOPSA needed a direction”, says outgoing President
Lea Smith. “That required commitment to making a change
in the structures of IOPSA.” The key aspect of this was to
appoint a strong, full-time executive director to run it. This is
because Presidents and board members are voluntary part-
time positions, and the knowledge is lost as these people
come and go.”
The President is essentially a figurehead, though he/she may
choose to go further than that role. He/she has no power
other than exercising opinion. Board members are also
volunteer positions and may rotate. The executive director
now embodies the institutional memory.
“Having a permanent strong executive director (ED) was one
of the prerequisites I requested before accepting the position
of IOPSA President. Previously there was no such real
position, and the person – with the right skills set – is central
to the concept of creating a properly structured organisation.
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April 2020 Volume 26 I Number 02