After 20 years of service, Frederick J. Krebs, president of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), announced today his intention to retire in June 2011.
"Fred has been an invaluable leader for ACC. The entire in-house community is indebted to him for his commitment and his many contributions to the profession and the association," said Patricia Hatler, ACC board chair and executive vice president, chief legal and governance officer at the Nationwide Insurance and Financial Services organization. "We accepted his resignation reluctantly, but wish him well in the next chapter of his life.ACC will not be able to 'replace' Fred, but his stewardship leaves ACC well-positioned to be able to identify the next innovative, strong leader and for an orderly transition."
Krebs explained, "I have had a very rewarding career with ACC, both personally and professionally. But after nearly 20 years as president, I feel the time is right for me to take a break.ACC has a dedicated and extremely talented staff leadership, strong and committed volunteer leaders, a robust and growing membership, and a solid financial base. I firmly believe that the best years for the association lie ahead and look forward to seeing ACC's continued growth and prosperity."
Ms. Hatler further noted, "Under Fred's leadership, ACC has become the premier bar association for attorneys around the world who practice in-house.Under his tenure, the association has experienced considerable growth, played a pivotal role in advocacy initiatives and affected significant change within the profession."
Notable milestones for the association during Mr. Krebs's tenure include:
- growing from 7900 to over 25,000 members employed by over 10,000 organizations,
- becoming an international association with active chapters in Europe, Israel and Canada and members in over 75 countries,
- successfully advocating as "the voice of the in-house bar" to protect the attorney-client privilege and multi-jurisdictional practice(MJP) reform,
- expanding services to ACC members, including establishing ACC Online and developing resources such as InfoPAKs and QuickCounsel,
- creating powerful professional opportunities for members such as Mini MBA, Corporate Counsel University and CLO ThinkTanks,
- increasing from four to 10 issues annually the award-winning ACC Docket, the only professional journal written by in-house counsel for in-house counsel,
- growing the ACC Annual Meeting to be the premier educational event and largest single gathering of in-house counsel,
- promoting change in the legal profession by launching the ACC Value Challenge to drive value-based solutions and reconnect cost and value in the delivery of legal services and
- developing groundbreaking work with in-house pro bono programs through corporate pro bono, a collaboration with the Pro Bono Institute, and creating - and growing - the pipeline program with StreetLaw to increase the diversity of the legal profession.
A Search Committee chaired by Jonathan Oviatt, ACC board treasurer and chief legal officer and secretary, Mayo Clinic, will identify candidate requirements and responsibilities as well as association needs before beginning the search later next month.The committee, which will include representatives from ACC's board, chapters and committees, hopes to have a potential new president identified within the first quarter of 2011.
Mr. Krebs joined ACC as the executive director in 1991 and brought with him a wealth of experience from his roles as an association executive, an in-house attorney and a lawyer in private practice.He serves as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law School and is a member of the American Bar Association and American Society of Association Executives.
Mr. Krebs will take some time with his wife and family and then plans to explore new opportunities, such as consulting, speaking, teaching a law school class or participating in efforts such as the ACC Value Challenge to promote positive change in the legal profession.He explained, "I very much look forward to continuing my involvement in discussions about how to change the profession by lending my insight and perspectives from 20 years working closely with the in-house counsel community."
In addition, Mr. Krebs hopes to do some traveling with his wife and focus on his longstanding interest in photography.