Message from the Chair

Luigi_De_Bernardini_headshot.jpgBy Luigi De Bernardini 

This is my first message to CSIA members as board chair. I’m very honored to serve in this position and proud to be the first non-U.S. chair. It means a lot to me and the international members who travel thousands of miles every year to attend the CSIA Executive Conference.

This is a very special year because it marks the 25th anniversary of CSIA. It’s hard to believe that it has been 25 years since Charlie Bergman had the insight that it was possible to put competitors around a table and convince them that sharing their knowledge and expertise could make all of them better.

We’ve come a long way since that first meeting in 1993, but none of it would have been possible without his vision and the hard work that the founding members and all the volunteers that came later put in growing the association and steering it through many challenges. To all of them goes our recognition and our thanks.

Strategic inclusiveness is key

We are living in exciting times characterized by a lot of changes in technology, society, communications and personal relationships. But at the same time, we are facing new difficulties in determining the best go-to-market approach and in attracting, empowering and retaining talents in our companies. It’s not surprising, then, that the difficulties we face in our companies, we also face at CSIA: promoting the organization in the market and attracting, empowering and retaining members. We have to adapt to the fast-changing conditions and remain relevant for new members while also staying relevant for long-term members.

To that end, one of the pillars that the CSIA board identified a few years ago was inclusiveness. We need to be inclusive in the following ways:

  • Demographics: The membership demographics have changed significantly in the last few years. It was apparent during the 2019 Executive Conference, which drew many new members, as well as a number of young people who not only attended but contributed. We have an exciting opportunity to bridge the unpayable expertise and knowledge of the founding and more mature members with the energy and creativity of the new ones. We need to speak both languages and fulfill the expectations of both because we cannot go anywhere without providing value to all members while retaining Charlie Bergman’s vision.
  • Company size: Since we can demonstrate that CSIA is helping companies grow fast and obtain certification to grow even faster, it’s understandable that the gap between long-time members and new members is statistically increasing in terms of company size. Different sizes mean different organizations and different needs. We have to provide value to small and large companies through different services or, in some cases, different delivery methodologies.
  • Geography: We are global, and we need to be more global. It’s not because we just want to become bigger; it’s because the market is global, and our clients are global. Growing internationally means validating and adjusting our Best Practices to reflect the different cultural and organizational approaches, being closer to our clients and being more competitive.


Poised for growth

We have a great setup, even stronger than in the past. The transition to the new association management company, the strong leadership of CEO Jose Rivera and the recent addition of Industry Director Lisa Richter have positioned CSIA to meet these new challenges. Coincidentally, the CSIA Board has the same number of new members (Karen Griffin, Controls and Automation Division Leader, Hargrove Controls + Automation; Frank Riordan, president, DMC; and Greg Young, director of business development, Automation NTH) and returning members (Adrian Fahey, CEO, Sage Automation; Steve Malyszko, president and CEO, Malisko Engineering; and Howard Huffman, CEO, Huffman Engineering) that is a perfect representation of the diversity and inclusiveness that we target and need to achieve. I’m really excited to work with all of them.

Best practices and certification

Last but not least I encourage new members to look at the Best Practices and put certification in their plans. I can guarantee that there’s enormous value in them and, from personal experience, are key to building a better company. I also want to encourage you to contribute, whether you are new or returning. Join a committee or task force, reach out with your ideas and proposals or just ask for advice in the Connected Community. We need to work together and share experience, knowledge and ideas to bring CSIA to a new level!

I hope you are able to enjoy the summer and relax a little with your families. Get ready for a very productive fall!

CSIA Chair Luigi De Bernardini is CEO of Autoware, S.R.L., in Vicenza, Italy.