How should governance evolve as an association grows globally?
CASE’s global growth began through professional demand rather than a fixed template. Brett Chambers, Vice President and Special Advisor at CASE, explains that volunteers in Europe, particularly in the UK, first came together around a conference and then asked for a CASE presence. A similar pattern shaped expansion in other regions, with Europe founded in 1994, Asia Pacific in 2007 and Latin America in 2011.
Chambers says CASE’s early global principles were deliberately flexible: “There is no one model. We do not have a template for international activity that we seek to impose on colleagues around the world. We cannot work in isolation in unfamiliar territory. We will favour opportunities where groups of practitioners are working together and actively reaching out to CASE.”
But a governance model that worked during early expansion may need to be redesigned as global activity becomes more integrated. By 2018, CASE was operating with multiple fiduciary bodies across regions and districts, and the structure had become cumbersome. After a two-year governance process, the association moved to “One CASE”, with one global board of trustees as the fiduciary body and regional groups as advisory councils. Those councils now provide strategy, consider services for their regions and identify membership opportunities. The districts became cabinets focused on direct member service.
Chambers says the shift has been valuable, while acknowledging that governance change takes time: “It has served us well. We’re still on that journey, we’re still ironing out some of the bumps, but we’re finding it to be a much more cohesive entity now under this One CASE structure. There’s a lot more collaboration and camaraderie.”
The lesson for associations is that regional ownership and global alignment both need to be designed. CASE’s experience shows that structures may need to change as the organisation matures, especially when regional operations, staff, finances and volunteer leadership become more complex.
What should associations keep global, and what should become local?
Global consistency matters. Associations need shared standards, financial discipline and a common sense of mission. But international growth also depends on local relevance. The challenge is knowing which parts of the model can be standardised, which can be adapted and which need to be created for a specific region.
Chambers offers a useful way to think about this. CASE looks at three categories: what can be systematised across the entire organisation, what can be broadly consistent but adapted to local needs and what needs to be specific to a local culture or region.
“We’ve been very clear with our councils and our cabinets,” says Chambers. “They are advisory. They’re not there to make decisions. Associations who are thinking about this need to tackle decision rights on the front end: Who is the ultimate decider, who is making decisions and how far down into the organisation are you willing to allow decisions to be made?”
He also points to the operational reality behind governance. CASE has systematised many financial functions globally, but local laws in markets such as Singapore, the UK and Mexico still shape areas such as retirement plans, medical benefits and legal requirements. Its matrix staffing model has also required ongoing work because regional staff now sit within a global organisation.
Why it matters: Clear decision rights reduce confusion and help global and regional teams understand where consistency ends and local responsibility begins.
How can regional models support mission, access and growth?
Melissa Nielsen, CAE, Director of Marketing, Communications and Sales at the Society of Critical Care Medicine, explains that the society has had global engagement since its inception in the 1970s. Much of its international growth has come through licensed training programmes sold to hospitals, institutions and partners around the world.
“We’ve always had an international membership base, and a lot of our growth has really come from our licensed training programmes that are sold to hospitals, institutions and other partners around the world,” says Nielsen. “The first pillars of establishing our international operations were really around the growth of those programmes. We created some global sales territories and introduced tier pricing for clients for those training programmes by country.”
SCCM has since established a regional office in China and, more recently, an office in the UAE serving India, the Middle East and Africa. The UAE office supports licensed course expansion and on-the-ground partner support, while membership recruitment and retention remain connected to headquarters. SCCM has also created a regional advisory group for EMEA.
For SCCM, local relevance often comes through pricing, value proposition and delivery. Its courses remain standardised, but the society adapts how it communicates value in different markets and has used regional opportunities to develop new content, such as a blood purification course in China, before testing it elsewhere.
Why it matters: Associations can grow globally through different routes, including training, events, offices and advisory structures, as long as governance supports mission and local access.
How can associations make regional representation meaningful?
Regional representation needs to go beyond a seat at the table. CASE adapts council size according to market maturity. Chambers notes that Latin America has a smaller council, while the US and Canada are larger, and that each regional council is designed to be broadly representative of members in that region.
SCCM’s regional model shows another route. In the Middle East, Kavitha Prabhu, Director Association Solutions at MCI UAE, says local trainers and regional ambassadors have helped make training more relevant. Local trainers can use regional examples and, where appropriate, local language. Regional ambassadors can also create pathways for volunteers to connect into international boards and leadership structures.
Prabhu says governance should start with purpose: “Regional bodies need to have a defined mandate covering what that influence will be like, what they decide and where they can advise. Otherwise participation just becomes a performative role. If regional leaders only report up but never shape outcomes, engagement drops really quickly.”
She adds that cultural alignment, trust, consensus, hierarchy and feedback loops all need to be discussed explicitly, especially in emerging regions where relationships often carry significant weight.
Why it matters: Regional leaders stay engaged when they understand their mandate and can see how their insight shapes outcomes.
What practical details affect global governance participation?
Participation is shaped by details that can easily be missed. Meeting times, working weeks, language, food, holidays, translation and communication norms all affect whether regional volunteers and staff will participate fully.
Gregory Yap, CMP, Vice President, Americas at the Singapore Tourism Board, highlights practical cultural differences in event design. In Singapore, for example, conferences often start later than in the US, and lunch breaks are important networking and refuelling moments.
Prabhu adds that in parts of the Middle East, associations need to consider prayer times, Friday or Saturday weekends, visual representation and greetings around festivals beyond Christmas and New Year.
For global governance, these are signs of respect. Rotating meeting times, holding meetings in appropriate languages and recognising local calendars all help reduce friction and build trust.
As Yap notes, a regional partner like MCI can play an important role before an association enters a market. They can help to pressure-test whether a specific region is the right fit at a particular moment by supporting landscape mapping, identifying sister associations, understanding membership pools, pointing to relevant government agencies, reviewing other events in the market and advising on cultural norms and practices.
Why it matters: Inclusive governance depends on practical choices that make participation easier across regions.
Governance is a growth system, not just a structure
The strongest global governance models are designed around the work they need to enable. For CASE, that has meant moving towards a more cohesive global structure while keeping regional councils close to member needs. For SCCM, it has meant supporting international growth through licensed training, regional offices, tiered pricing and local delivery insight.
The common thread is intentionality. Associations need to be clear about what sits globally, what is shaped regionally and how regional voices influence outcomes. They also need to recognise the practical realities of participation, from time zones and language to local laws, cultural norms and market maturity.
Governance is an investment in global growth. It may sit behind the scenes, but it shapes trust, decision-making and long-term relevance. For associations with borderless ambitions, getting governance right is one of the clearest ways to make growth more sustainable, inclusive and locally meaningful.
FAQs
Questions associations often ask us when building global governance models
Q1. How do we know if our association needs a regional advisory council?
A. If your members, learners, partners or events are growing in a region where local needs differ from your home market, a regional advisory council may help. Start by defining its mission, influence and connection to global decision-making.
Q2. Should a regional council advise or decide?
A. It can do either, but the role must be clear from the beginning. If the group is advisory, explain how its input will be used and how feedback will be shared.
Q3. How do we balance global brand consistency with local relevance?
A. Separate what must stay global from what can be adapted and what needs to be locally designed. This helps protect quality while giving regional leaders room to respond to market needs.
Q4. What is the best first step into a new international market?
A. For many associations, an event, training programme or partnership can be a practical first step. These formats help test demand, identify local leaders and understand the market before deeper investment.
Q5. How can we make global volunteers feel more included?
A. Rotate meeting times, use appropriate languages, respect regional working weeks and build in cultural awareness around food, holidays, prayer times, communication styles and decision-making norms.
Glossary
Regional advisory council: A group of regional leaders who provide market insight, strategic advice and member perspective. Often used when associations need local input without creating a separate fiduciary body.
Decision rights: The defined authority to make, approve or recommend decisions. Often used when associations need to clarify what global boards, staff teams and regional bodies can each decide.
Global consistency: The shared standards, strategy, brand and governance principles that apply across the organisation. Often used when associations want to protect quality and alignment across markets.
Local relevance: The adaptation of programmes, pricing, communication, delivery or leadership to fit a specific region. Often used when associations need to make global offerings meaningful in local contexts.
Volunteer leadership pipeline: A planned pathway for volunteers or members to move into larger leadership roles. Often used when associations want regional voices to influence future global governance.
Matrix staffing: A staffing model where employees may sit in regional offices while reporting into, or working across, global teams. Often used when associations integrate regional operations into one global structure.
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Author bio
Erin Fuller is Global Head of Association Solutions at MCI and Chief Strategy Officer, MCI USA. She works with associations on global growth, governance, member engagement and strategy, drawing on MCI’s international network and first-hand experience supporting associations across markets.
Contact MCI to explore governance models that support your global association growth.
Erin Fuller, Global Head of Association Solutions
