Rozanne Andersen Out as Head of ACA International

ACA International, the largest trade association representing the debt collection and ARM industry, announced yesterday that it would not be renewing the contract of CEO Rozanne Andersen, and that she would be leaving the organization effective immediately.

The group said in a letter to members that the ACA Executive Committee had decided against renewing Andersen’s contract as CEO. To fill the leadership void, ACA announced that it was promoting Ted Smith to Chief Operating Officer where he will oversee the association’s day to day operations. A national search has been launched to find a new CEO.

“This was a decision by the Executive Committee as they were looking at the future of the industry and where they wanted ACA to go,” ACA spokesman Mark Schiffman told insideARM.com. “They felt that a fresh voice and fresh leadership was in the best interest of the organization.”

The news came as a surprise to most in the accounts receivable management industry, including to those close to the situation. Schiffman noted that he found out about the decision after the fact.

Likewise, Tomio Narita, a partner in ARM law firm Simmonds & Narita and member of the ACA Board of Directors, told insideARM.com that he was “surprised” by the announcement Tuesday. “I was not told this was in the works, and from my understanding, this was a decision that was made at the Executive Committee level,” he said.

ACA’s Executive Committee is comprised of five elected officers that serve one-year terms in their elected positions, and can serve on the committee for as long as five years. There is a sixth non-voting member of the committee: the ACA CEO.

Andersen told insideARM.com that she appreciated all that ACA had done for her over the years and that her involvement in the ARM industry had not ended.

“ACA has provided me with wonderful opportunities and I remain committed to the membership,” said Andersen. “I believe that I still have a tremendous amount of skills to bring to the industry and look forward to doing so.”

Andersen was named CEO of ACA International almost exactly one year ago (“Executive Change: ACA International Names Rozanne M. Andersen CEO,” Nov. 18, 2009). She has served in various capacities at ACA for the past 15 years, including Executive Vice President and General Counsel immediately prior to being named CEO.

Schiffman said that Smith’s COO role within the organization is permanent and he will be running all of the business operations of ACA. The search for a new CEO will focus on finding a person that will serve as the public face of the organization and the ARM industry.