Private Directors Association
Private Directors Association is a U.S. non-profit professional association founded in 2014 that serves private company directors and governance professionals through membership, educational courses, the annual PRISM conference, a board opportunities marketplace, and a national chapter network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersFrankfort, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Private Directors Association does
Private Directors Association (PDA) is a U.S.-based non-profit professional association founded in 2014, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with a mission of enhancing private company value through the active use of boards of directors and advisory boards. Its core constituency is individual directors serving on boards of private companies, with a secondary audience of corporate governance professionals (chief legal officers, compliance officers, governance specialists). The organization delivers value through a multi-product portfolio: a searchable Membership Directory that connects board candidates with organizations, Educational Courses on governance topics delivered in-person and virtually, the annual PRISM flagship conference (PRISM 2026 scheduled for Atlanta), a Board Opportunities Platform for posting and matching board seats, a PDA Store e-commerce storefront, local Chapters for regional engagement, and a Governance Insights Blog covering topics such as board refreshment and AI in governance.
PDA operates on a membership-based, non-dues-augmented revenue model with three documented streams: annual membership subscriptions across individual, corporate, and organizational tiers; event registration fees from PRISM and chapter/masterclass programming; and corporate sponsorship across Platinum, Diamond, Sterling National, and Chapter Gold tiers. Distribution runs through direct website-based membership sales, the Glueup event platform for self-serve event registration and community features, and the PDA Store e-commerce channel. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with member acquisition concentrated around chapter networking, the annual PRISM conference, multi-chapter virtual events, and thought-leadership content. Notable national sponsors include OnBoard Meetings (Platinum), KPMG (Diamond), and WTW (Sterling), with chapter-level support from Bank of Texas, Huntington Bank, Grant Thornton, Protiviti, and others.
There is no proprietary technology stack disclosed; the organization runs on third-party platforms (Glueup for events/community, a teecommerce storefront for the PDA Store, Cvent for PRISM registration). Headcount is reported as 1001-5000, which for a chapter-based association likely encompasses volunteer participants across chapters rather than FTE staff. Leadership includes CEO Alan Aldworth and founders Al Ghous, Chris Sterbenc, David Rosen, B. Pagels-Minor, and George Kondrach, with Collin Chung as Cybersecurity Committee Co-Chair and Sally Washlow as President of the Chicago Chapter.
Private Directors Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Private Directors Association
- Legal name
- Private Directors Association
- Website
- https://privatedirectorsassociation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Private Directors Association is a U.S. non-profit professional association founded in 2014 that serves private company directors and governance professionals through membership, educational courses, the annual PRISM conference, a board opportunities marketplace, and a national chapter network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Private Directors Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Association / Corporate Governance Services
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (813920)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)
Keywords
Where Private Directors Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Frankfort
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Private Directors Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership dues for individual, corporate, and organizational members providing access to the membership directory, educational courses, chapter events, and professional networking.
- Event Registration: Revenue from ticketed events including the PRISM annual conference and virtual chapter events. Masterclasses and specialized governance training sessions generate additional registration fees.
- Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship tiers including Platinum, Diamond, Sterling, and Chapter Gold sponsorships provide funding through branded visibility at events and across digital platforms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Corporate Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Organizational Membership |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Private Directors Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Private Directors Association is a membership-based professional association that supports private company boards of directors and advisory boards through membership tiers, governance educational courses, a member directory, a board opportunities matching platform, regional chapters, and the annual PRISM conference. Its fundamental offering is a community, education, and resource platform for private company directors and governance professionals, funded through membership dues, event registration fees, and corporate sponsorship.
Product overview
Private Directors Association offers a unified membership platform connecting private company boards with qualified directors. The portfolio includes a Membership Directory for professional discovery, Educational Courses for governance development, the annual PRISM Conference for networking and learning, a Board Opportunities Platform for matching organizations with directors, local Chapters for regional engagement, and a Governance Insights Blog for industry thought leadership. The organization is powered by Glueup for event management and community features.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Membership Directory A searchable directory that connects private company directors and governance professionals, allowing individual members to be discovered by organizations seeking board candidates and to find board opportunities. Targeted at private company directors and organizations recruiting for board positions.
- Educational Courses Professional development courses on board governance covering topics such as board refreshment, AI in the boardroom, and private company governance, available in in-person and virtual formats. Targeted at private company directors, governance professionals, and corporate members seeking board education.
- PRISM Conference Annual flagship conference focused on governance excellence with masterclasses on practical governance skills, networking, educational sessions, and sponsor exhibitions. PRISM 2026 is held in Atlanta. Targeted at private company directors, governance professionals, and corporate sponsors.
- Board Opportunities Platform Platform that connects organizations seeking board members with qualified candidates, supporting board opportunity postings and notifications about board appointments and new board formation. Targeted at private companies recruiting directors and at directors seeking board appointments.
- PDA Store Online store offering governance-related resources, merchandise, and materials from Private Directors Association. Targeted at members and the broader governance community.
- Chapters Local chapter network that provides regional networking, education, and professional development opportunities for members across different geographic areas. Targeted at private company directors and governance professionals seeking local peer engagement.
- Governance Insights Blog News and blog section covering governance topics such as board refreshment, AI in boardrooms, and private company governance trends, with articles authored by governance experts and industry leaders. Targeted at private company directors, governance professionals, and the broader public interested in board governance.
Companies that use Private Directors Association
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Private Directors Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Private Directors Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- OnBoard MeetingsflagshipPlatinum National Sponsor providing board meeting solutions and services to PDA members.
- KPMGcoreDiamond National Sponsor providing professional services and governance expertise to the association.
- WTWcoreSterling National Sponsor providing advisory services to the association and its members.
- GlueupcoreEvent management platform powering chapter events, community features, and event registration for the association.
- Bank of TexasminorChapter Gold Sponsor supporting the Dallas chapter of the association.
- ChartwellminorChapter Gold Sponsor providing financial advisory services support.
- Grant ThorntonminorChapter Gold Sponsor providing audit and advisory services to the association.
- ProtivitiminorChapter Gold Sponsor providing consulting and internal audit services.
- Huntington BankminorChapter Gold Sponsor supporting regional chapters.
- VersiqueminorChapter Gold Sponsor providing executive search services.
- Pearson PartnersminorChapter Gold Sponsor providing executive search services.
- McCarthy DuffyminorChapter Gold Sponsor providing legal services.
- WinstonminorChapter Gold Sponsor providing legal services.
- North Texas AngelsminorChapter Gold Sponsor supporting the startup and investment community.
- First WesternminorChapter Gold Sponsor providing wealth management services.
- Return on LifeminorChapter Gold Sponsor providing wealth management services.
- Dallas Business JournalminorChapter Gold Sponsor providing media coverage for the Dallas chapter.
- Tampa Bay Business JournalminorChapter Gold Sponsor providing media coverage for the Tampa Bay chapter.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Private Directors Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD): NACD is the largest US membership association for corporate directors, offering director education, certification, and peer networking. While NACD historically focused on public-company boards and PDA on private-company boards, both compete for governance education, board-recruitment content, and the same pool of director talent—making them the closest direct comparables in the membership-governance category.
- Society for Corporate Governance: The Society for Corporate Governance is a membership organization for corporate governance professionals (typically corporate secretaries and governance officers). It overlaps PDA's corporate governance professional segment with educational programming, networking, and chapter-based engagement, though it is more oriented to governance staff than board directors themselves.
- Corporate Directors Forum: Corporate Directors Forum is a nonprofit membership organization serving directors of public, private, and nonprofit companies through educational programs and networking events. It is directly comparable to PDA as a peer director-education body with similar chapter/event programming, primarily in Southern California.
Broad incumbents
- The Conference Board (Governance & Sustainability Center): The Conference Board is a large, established nonprofit that operates a Governance & Sustainability Center serving corporate directors and executives. It overlaps with PDA in providing governance research, events, and council membership for senior corporate leaders, but serves a broader executive audience across public and private companies.
Emerging players
- Diligent Institute: Diligent, a governance software provider, runs the Diligent Institute which offers director education and certification. It competes with PDA's educational courses and director-development offerings but is bundled with board-management SaaS, giving Diligent a technology-led distribution model rather than a pure membership/association model.
Others
- Spencer Stuart (Board & CEO Practice): Spencer Stuart is a global executive search firm with a dedicated Board & CEO Practice that advises on board composition, director recruitment, and governance. It is thematically adjacent to PDA's Board Opportunities Platform and directory, but operates as a commercial advisory firm rather than a membership association.
- Heidrick & Struggles (Board of Directors Practice): Heidrick & Struggles runs a Board of Directors Practice advising companies on director recruitment, board assessment, and governance. It complements rather than competes with PDA, but targets the same buyer (corporate secretaries, CEOs, board chairs) seeking director talent and governance best practices.
- Korn Ferry (Board & CEO Services): Korn Ferry's Board & CEO Services practice offers board advisory, director search, and governance consulting. It is an adjacent commercial-services provider to the same audience PDA serves—private-company directors and board chairs—making it relevant for benchmarking service scope though not a membership-association competitor.
- Russell Reynolds Associates (Board & CEO Advisory): Russell Reynolds operates a Board & CEO Advisory practice focused on director recruitment, board evaluation, and governance advisory. It is comparable to PDA only thematically, as a commercial firm rather than a membership organization, but addresses the same private-company board-composition needs.
- Egon Zehnder (Board Practice): Egon Zehnder is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a dedicated Board Practice advising on director appointments and governance effectiveness. Like the other search firms, it is thematically adjacent rather than directly competitive with PDA's association model, but shares the same private-company board-recruitment value proposition.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Private Directors Association social profiles
Digital presencePrivate Directors Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Private Directors Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Private Directors Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Private Directors Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Private Directors Association
What does Private Directors Association do?
Private Directors Association is a membership-based professional association that supports private company boards of directors and advisory boards through membership tiers, governance educational courses, a member directory, a board opportunities matching platform, regional chapters, and the annual PRISM conference. Its fundamental offering is a community, education, and resource platform for private company directors and governance professionals, funded through membership dues, event registration fees, and corporate sponsorship.
Is Private Directors Association a public or private company?
Private Directors Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Private Directors Association founded?
Private Directors Association was founded in 2014. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Private Directors Association based?
Private Directors Association is headquartered in Frankfort, United States, in the North America region.
How does Private Directors Association make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are event Registration and sponsorship.
Who are Private Directors Association's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), Society for Corporate Governance and Corporate Directors Forum. The Conference Board (Governance & Sustainability Center) is listed as a broad incumbent. Diligent Institute is listed as an emerging player. Others are Spencer Stuart (Board & CEO Practice), Heidrick & Struggles (Board of Directors Practice), Korn Ferry (Board & CEO Services), Russell Reynolds Associates (Board & CEO Advisory) and Egon Zehnder (Board Practice).
Does Private Directors Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Private Directors Association.
What industry is Private Directors Association in?
Private Directors Association's product category is Professional Association / Corporate Governance Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHACAA, Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies). Its NAICS code is 813920 and its SIC code is 8600.