CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Forging Industry Association (FIA) has named James R. Warren as President & CEO, effective December 4, 2017. In this role, Warren will be responsible for carrying out FIA’s mission of improving its members’ global competitiveness. He will oversee all FIA initiatives, including strategic planning, membership development, education, committees and events, and is accountable for the overall financial and operational success of the association.
Warren has 30 years of trade association experience working with manufacturers. Since 2006, he has served on the executive leadership team and was most recently the executive director of member services, education and foundation for the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA). While at FMA, Warren led the growth of Manufacturing Day, the largest collection of plant tours in North America. He also served as executive director for three FMA-affiliated organizations: the Association of Steel Distributors, the Sustainable Manufacturer Network, and the Tube & Pipe Association.
“Jim has an optimal mix of metalworking background and association expertise,” said Jeffrey T. Jones, Chairman of the FIA Board of Directors. “That is why we are confident he is the right person to lead FIA into the future. Jim’s experience with membership is a real strength, and we are very excited to have all of our members meet him.”
Before taking on his role at FMA, Warren held management positions at the University of Michigan, TechTrax, LLC, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Wayne State University, and an MBA from Lawrence Technological University. Warren is credentialed as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).
“I’m excited and humbled to have been chosen to be the staff leader of one of the country’s preeminent trade associations focused on the forging industry–a manufacturing process so integral to our country’s history and growth,” said Warren. “The FIA has a proud 100-plus year tradition of supporting its members through education, technology transfer and advocacy. I look forward to serving and growing the FIA membership, advocating for its members’ future security and global growth, and cultivating and sustaining a world-class association staff, which our membership deserves.”
Jim and his wife, Sandy, are the proud parents of two daughters. Jim and Sandy will be relocating from the Rockford, Illinois, area to the Cleveland area in the first quarter of 2018.
To learn more about FIA, visit forging.org or call 216-781-6260.
About FIA
The Forging Industry Association (FIA) comprises 200 North American metal forging producers, suppliers and service providers. Its members account for more than 75 percent of custom forging volume produced annually in North America. Forged metals are pressed, pounded or rolled in countless configurations, and used for critical applications in the aerospace, automotive, construction, materials handling, ordnance, hand tool and agricultural industries. FIA, along with its predecessor organizations, has served the forging industry since 1913. The Association's administrative headquarters is located in Cleveland.