Chris Welber

Background

About Chris Welber

Not many children probably dream of becoming an Executive Director of a healthcare association, and it’s fair to say I was no exception. When I was growing up, my father owned a medical device company. That said, several of his closest advisors, as well as his business partner, were doctors, and all became central fixtures and key role models in my life. When I eventually went to college, I had every intention of following in their footsteps—not because I aspired to a certain salary or lifestyle but because I’ve always liked figuring out solutions to difficult problems, learning new things, and helping people. While working toward my second master’s degree, an MBA, I was fortunate enough to be in a pilot program for a then-new business track at DePaul University, studying healthcare administration, and it soon became clear this was my path forward and my way to get into healthcare, my original passion. I didn’t know at the time exactly how that education would manifest, but today I use it to help improve the financial and operation of healthcare associations, and I get to do some other pretty cool doctor-adjacent stuff too, including working with and serving a variety of physician specialists, constantly reading medical literature to stay up-to-date, and going to a cadaver lab twice a year to do hands-on training. Currently, I’m an Executive Director for the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) and Executive Director for the Institute of Neuromodulation (NANS’ nonprofit), although my official employer is the Association Management Center (AMC)). AMC is a full-service management and consulting company that provides services to national and global associations. Prior to joining AMC, I worked for the Rotary Foundation for eight years where I managed a $42.6 million budget with full P&L oversight, as well as a large team spread across five departments. When I’m not working, I enjoy traveling, reading, and learning new things. In 2021, I’m proud of earning my accreditation as a Certified Association Executive. If you’re in healthcare, healthcare association management, or an related field, let’s connect.