Naylor’s Leadership Team
Executive Leadership
CEO & President
Christine Shaw is a highly skilled and award-winning executive with over 20 years of experience in B2B media information services, global events, mergers and acquisitions, and company growth and development. As a two-time female CEO and mother of two children, Christine understands the challenges that women face throughout their careers as they move into leadership positions throughout their career journey. Christine is a champion for excellence and an advocate for working women, with a profound knowledge of business strategy, people management, marketing, technology, and B2B media sectors. Recently named one of the Top 10 Best CEOs of 2021 by Industry ERA Magazine, Christine is an inspirational leader who brings out the best in people through trust, respect, and continuous improvement. Christine launched Her Success Matters as a platform to inspire other women as they develop their careers by sharing powerful and emotional stories from other successful women. Christine believes that by providing a space where women can share their stories, we can make a difference by helping more women to dream BIG and accomplish their own career goals and ambitions.
Chief Revenue Officer
Jack Fordi is charged with overall revenue achievement, deepening client relationships, association partnerships, revenue diversification and leading revenue operations across the company. He joined Naylor with over 20 years of experience in digital media, events, association services, SaaS and platform sales.
Fordi was previously Chief Revenue Officer with Observer Media whose assets include Commercial Observer and Observer.com, producing premium content in digital, print and 30+ events each year. He was also Senior Vice President for Questex, a $100MM B2B global business information company where he chaired the revenue committee and grew group revenues over 400%. He was Vice President of Sales and Operations for SmartBrief, a digital news and association services company where he grew teams, partnerships and revenue 6x. He was Vice President at Intralinks, a SaaS platform serving investment banks, private equity and the Fortune 1000, and held leadership roles with Gannett and The Chronicle.
He is a co-founder of Chute Partners, a private and secure social media platform for teens and young adults with special needs. Jack has a B.S. in Business and Economics from Elon University, where he is a member of the alumni board. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife and two children.
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Liz brings over two decades of experience in Finance and Accounting to Naylor, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to fiscal excellence and corporate growth. As CFO, she is pivotal in steering Naylor's accounting and financial strategies and ensuring the integrity of financial operations including budgeting, payroll and financial reporting.
Her tenure at Naylor, spanning over seven years, has been marked by significant advancements, including her leadership of the FP&A team and her pivotal role as VP of Finance where she adeptly led the restructuring of the accounting department to better align with the company’s strategic objectives.
In 2023, Liz was instrumental in transitioning Naylor's financial systems to a cloud-based platform, enhancing integration with the CRM and positioning the company for scalable innovation. Her insight has been vital in modernizing Naylor’s approach to finance, aligning Naylor with the digital transformation trends within the association industry.
Liz’s academic foundation from Tufts University laid the groundwork for a career that began at Hill Holliday Boston and spanned across various roles and sectors, ultimately leading her to a transformative role at Naylor. Her experience with startups and restarts across diverse industries underscores her ability to navigate complex financial landscapes.
Her previous role as Controller for Great Place to Work signifies her understanding of the importance of company culture, further ensuring that our financial strategies are not only robust but also contribute positively to our workplace environment.
When she’s not balancing the books for Naylor, Liz enjoys traveling with her teenaged daughter, Sullivan. Their favorite trip to date was to Saint-Remy-de-Provence, where they celebrated with their extended family while enjoying the phenomenal lavender blooms of summer.
Chief Information Officer
Gene has spent his whole career in the middle of people, technology, and media. starting at Dow Jones & Co. Inc.(The Wall Street Journal), American Lawyer Media, and IDG(Foundryco.com). Starting in the stock room and moving through different layers of technology management. Gene has also worked on small and large-scale projects and have been part of and led teams through challenges to success. Gene is currently an empty nester with his wife Eileen as now they have seen both of their kids (Leo at LaSalle; and Cat at Mount St. Mary’s)get into college and embark on new journeys. Gene loves to workout and over the years has completed numerous mud races including MudManX, Rugged Maniac, and Tough Mudder. Gene special talent is juggling, and he uses that training to help keep things moving and in motion in his personal and professional life!
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Operating Officer
Laura has been serving associations at Naylor for 15 years. Over this time, Laura has held various leadership roles in areas of advertising sales, product fulfillment, client services and revenue operations. Laura has led strategic initiatives related to product development, strategic partnerships, and product launches to expand Naylor’s suite of offerings, including the launch of programmatic advertising and AI newsletters.
As COO, Laura is charged with developing and executing business operations that align with the company’s strategic objectives, drive results and build value both for our company and our clients. Laura’s primary focus is to oversee and optimize daily operations, ensuring efficiency, scalability, and profitability across all departments.
Chief Data Officer
Chief Data Officer
Chad Lloyd embarked on his journey at the Virginia Military Institute, where he earned degrees in Engineering and Economics. With a proven track record of steering data-driven marketing initiatives, he leveraged consumer data insights to establish robust connections with major retailers such as Home Depot and Lowe’s, ultimately fortifying market positions and unveiling untapped growth opportunities.
In 2010, Chad transitioned into the public sector, joining DLT Solutions. Here, he played a pivotal role in establishing market presence for leading cloud technologies like Amazon Web Services, Google, and Autodesk. His success in this endeavor was underpinned by his adept utilization of GSA procurement data, identifying federal agencies and departments with compelling correlations between cost savings and seasonal capacity increases.
Chad became an integral part of the Naylor team in 2014 as Corporate Marketing Manager. He introduced a data-centric strategy that encompassed the implementation of lead scoring, automated nurture and retargeting campaigns, and Account-Based Marketing. Simultaneously, he pursued and obtained graduate degrees in business administration and data science to further enhance his ability to incorporate data and insights into business strategy. Chad closely collaborates with our partner management team, identifying opportunities to enhance non-dues revenue generation for our clients and exploring potential monetization avenues.
In 2020, Chad's contributions propelled him to the role of VP of Business Services and Analytics, maintaining a resolute focus on integrating data analytics into every facet of our organization, fostering data-driven decision-making at all levels.
Chad's research interests revolve around Adaptive Causal Reasoning Modeling, with a mission to decipher the dynamics of advertising purchases and employment levels within the ever-evolving economic landscape. His unwavering commitment to data-driven strategies and analytical insights continues to propel our organization forward. Chad is based out of our Tysons, VA office, and given his upbringing in a small, rural community, he is an enthusiastic supporter of FarmAid, championing their cause and values.
CFO, WJ Weiser
Denita Norman is chief financial officer at Weiser, a leader in medical association management.In this role, Denita is responsible for all facets of client accounting and finance for the company as well as its client organizations. Denita manages a robust accounting department as well as other operating departments. Prior to joining Weiser, Denita worked in the health care industry for Baxter Healthcare, Allegiance Healthcare and Cardinal Health. Denita’s senior leadership roles, in descending order, included Division Controller and Group Controller for three Cardinal Health divisions, Finance Director, and Plant Controller. In addition to her experience in the core healthcare businesses, Denita was selected for leading roles in growth and new venture businesses including acquisitions, startup businesses, turnarounds, and reorganizations. Denita graduated from the University of Illinois and began her career as an auditor for Price Waterhouse.
Senior Leadership
Executive Vice President, Association Management
Heather Swanson, MA is the Senior Vice President and directs Weiser’s executive team responsible for managing the direct line team of executive directors, associate directors, and account managers, as well as the operating departments. Heather started with Weiser as an Associate Director and has been with the company for over seven years. Before joining the Weiser team, Heather worked in higher education holding several leadership rolls. As Senior Vice President of Tribeca Flashpoint, a private multimedia college in Chicago, she was tasked to define strategies to drive up enrollment, expand revenue, decrease refunds, and generate qualified leads. Heather managed a staff of 10 Admissions Representatives and Director of Enrollment while at Tribeca Flashpoint. Under her leadership the team created a new marketing campaign that increased applicant conversation and decreased application refund requests. Prior to joining Tribeca Flashpoint, Heather worked at National Louis University for 12 years, the oldest private college in Chicago. In her tenure as Director of Enrollment, Heather had responsibility for 20+ Enrollment Representative, Assistant Director and Administrative Assistant. Along with the Senior Level Cabinet Heather designed activities and campaigns closely aligned with the university’s mission to capitalize on market opportunities. During her time at NLU she managed a $30M budget, defined revenue sources, and set goals that resulted in improved enrollment in the post-secondary teacher certification programs.
Senior Vice President, Naylor Events
Georgiann is a savvy events professional who leads Naylor’s events team that manages 30+ owned events and 200+ managed meetings annually, selling more than two million square feet of exhibit space for clients over the past two years. With more than 40 years of experience in the events industry, Georgiann directs the events team in helping associations simplify event management, increase the size and attendance of events, attract new exhibitors and sponsors and boost profitability. She previously held senior positions at UBM (now Informa plc) and Advanstar, where she led the strategic planning and marketing for all the company’s major trade shows in fashion, travel, hospitality, technology, healthcare and retail. She also managed and grew Advanstar’s licensing portfolio to include events in New York, Las Vegas and London. In addition to her in-depth event experience, Georgiann managed one of the largest healthcare media portfolios in the United States which included titles like Medical Economics, Drug Topics, Formulary, Modern Medicine and Managed Healthcare Executive. She is well-versed in the pharmacy market and can assist ASHP with growth strategies for their events. Ms. DeCenzo has also held prior positions at Penton Media and the American Industrial Hygiene Association, among others.
Vice President, Recruitment & Staffing Solutions
Scott is the vice president of recruitment and staffing solutions, and he is responsible for leading the strategic direction of Naylor’s career products and services. He joined Boxwood Career Solutions prior to the Naylor acquisition in May 2013 as a marketing analyst. Since then, he has worked in several leadership roles, including senior manager and market group leader for Naylor’s health care career center clients and director of revenue services and solutions for the SaaS division. Scott oversaw support and sales for more than 370 client relationships, while directing a multichannel sales team comprised of careers and member communications sales representatives.
He is a graduate of the University of Delaware, where he earned a BS in leadership and consumer economics. During his time at UD, Scott was a member of the university’s football team, winning a National Championship in 2003. Outside of work, Scott enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids, competing in 5Ks and playing golf. Scott lives in Washington, D.C., and works from Naylor’s Tysons Corner office.
Vice President, Finance & Accounting
Sarah brings more than 15 years of industry experience to Naylor, ranging across public and private entities. She has supported a wide array of business operations, including bookkeeping, budget preparation and execution, preparation, review, and audit of financial statements, program and project management, strategic planning, and system implementations. As the Vice President of Finance and Accounting, Sarah is responsible for overseeing all areas of accounting operations and processes, including financial reporting and the annual audit process. She is committed to driving efficiencies and corporate results, while emphasizing collaboration and development across the department.
Sarah graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant. She resides in Charleston, SC with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.
Vice President, Technology & Production
Craig started with Naylor in 2000 as an information technology consultant. He specializes in IT management systems, workflow and systems design. Craig is one of the senior architects of Naylor’s internal management information system which integrates sales, production and finance. In January 2005, he joined the team as director of technology services and was promoted to vice president of technology services in 2011. In 2012, Naylor added the operational management of production to his responsibilities. Prior to working with Naylor, Craig was a consultant for JCL Associates, specializing in process control and automation systems. He has a Master of Science degree in robotics and computer integrated manufacturing and holds credentials as a Professional Engineer. Outside of work, Craig enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons, playing golf and working on house renovations.
Vice President, Content Services
Sarah is responsible for the overall strategy, leadership and development of Naylor’s content and design teams. In her 12 years with Naylor, Sarah has provided editorial consultation and content strategy for U.S. and Canadian associations across an array of industries. Today, she develops and drives Naylor’s content services, which give associations the tools to elevate their communications, increase their member engagement and grow much-needed non-dues revenue. Sarah also serves as a writer and managing editor of Association Adviser, Naylor’s flagship media brand that provides valuable research and thought leadership to the association marketplace.
Vice President, Product Operations
Jensen started with Naylor in 2013 as a part of the online support team for member communications. Throughout the years, Jensen expanded his experience and oversight to both our communications and SaaS divisions. Today as the Vice President of Product Operations, Jensen is responsible for overseeing all client onboarding, ongoing product fulfillment and the customer support experience for our print scheduling and distribution operations, ad trafficking and fulfillment, and digital product implementation and support processes.
Jensen graduated from the University of Georgia with a BA in marketing and a certificate for completing the UGA music business program. Currently residing in Atlanta, GA, Jensen loves traveling, hiking, and keeping his dog Cheyenne entertained.
Vice President, Human Resources
Vice President, Human Resources
Bio coming soon
Advisor to the CEO and Board Member
Advisor to the CEO and Board Member
Alex DeBarr served as president and CEO of Naylor Association Solutions from 2006-2023. Since arriving at Naylor, Alex has led the evolution of Naylor’s product and service offerings, including the launch of a full digital product suite and the addition of a variety of event, SaaS, consulting and marketing services designed to serve the communication, engagement and non-dues revenue needs of business and professional associations. This expansion has included acquiring event management specialists Convention Management Group (CMG) in 2007, Global Exchange Events in 2012, Boxwood Technology, the leading career and job services provider for associations, in 2014, Timberlake Membership Software in January 2015 and W.J. Weiser and Associates, a leading association management company, in July 2015. Naylor now works with more than 1,600 associations throughout both countries. Naylor was acquired in December 2013 by RLJ Equity Partners, the Bethesda, MD-based private equity firm founded by Robert L. Johnson.
Prior to joining Naylor, Alex spent 21 years at Advanstar Communications, a leading global media company providing integrated marketing solutions for healthcare, pharmaceutical, life sciences, and other industries, where he oversaw a number of Advanstar’s integrated market groups and managed company-wide editorial programs and review processes. He began his career at Advanstar predecessor Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publications in 1984 and held a number of editorial, sales and publishing management roles before being appointed an executive vice president in 1997. Alex is a 1984 graduate of Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, currently sits on the board of directors of ABM (The Association of Business Information and Media Companies), and has four grown children.