Private Directors Association

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.

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

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

• Private company governance
• Board of directors
• Corporate governance education
• Director networking
• Professional association membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfort

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership dues for individual, corporate, and organizational members providing access to the membership directory, educational courses, chapter events, and professional networking.
2. 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.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• OnBoard MeetingsflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum National Sponsor providing board meeting solutions and services to PDA members.
• KPMGcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond National Sponsor providing professional services and governance expertise to the association.
• WTWcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSterling National Sponsor providing advisory services to the association and its members.
• GlueupcoreTechnology or IntegrationEvent management platform powering chapter events, community features, and event registration for the association.
• Bank of TexasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChapter Gold Sponsor supporting the Dallas chapter of the association.
• ChartwellminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChapter Gold Sponsor providing financial advisory services support.
• Grant ThorntonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChapter Gold Sponsor providing audit and advisory services to the association.
• ProtivitiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChapter Gold Sponsor providing consulting and internal audit services.
• Huntington BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChapter Gold Sponsor supporting regional chapters.
• VersiqueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChapter Gold Sponsor providing executive search services.
• Pearson PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChapter Gold Sponsor providing executive search services.
• McCarthy DuffyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChapter Gold Sponsor providing legal services.
• WinstonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChapter Gold Sponsor providing legal services.
• North Texas AngelsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChapter Gold Sponsor supporting the startup and investment community.
• First WesternminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChapter Gold Sponsor providing wealth management services.
• Return on LifeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChapter Gold Sponsor providing wealth management services.
• Dallas Business JournalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChapter Gold Sponsor providing media coverage for the Dallas chapter.
• Tampa Bay Business JournalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChapter Gold Sponsor providing media coverage for the Tampa Bay chapter.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/privatedirectorsassociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/private-directors-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Private Directors Association