Did attendees at the recent annual meeting of industry association AdvaMed (Washington, DC) know that president Pamela G. Bailey would be leaving the association just days after delivering a major address to the group? Apparently not. Nor, it would seem, did the leadership of the 1300-member medical technology association.

Yet, on March 14, the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA; Washington, DC) announced that Bailey would be its new president and CEO, taking over from E. Edward Kavanaugh, who held those titles for the previous 22 years. In making the announcement, Marc Pritchard, chairman of the CTFA board of directors and president for global cosmetics and retail hair color at Procter & Gamble Co. (Cincinnati) said, “Pamela Bailey has the experience and proven track record in leading a large trade association. She understands the importance of doing business on a global basis and how it impacts industry and consumers, giving us the confidence that CTFA will successfully take on the challenges of the future under her leadership.”

Bailey's selection was the culmination of a CTFA search effort that began last fall.

AdvaMed initially indicated that it would not offer any public comment on Bailey's departure. Current AdvaMed chairman Arthur D. Collins, chairman and CEO of Medtronic Inc. (Minneapolis), reportedly sent a letter to the membership acknowledging Bailey's leadership and accomplishments, and advising them that a search committee had already been established.

A week after the CTFA announcement, however, AdvaMed relented slightly. While still not offering a press release, the organization posted the news of Bailey's departure on its Web site. The Web site posting included a statement from Bailey in which she described her tenure at AdvaMed as “the most rewarding years of my career.” She said she was leaving the association “in a strong financial position,” was particularly proud of its growth, and saw AdvaMed as “well-positioned to continue to make meaningful progress in the years to come.”