October 20, 2016 — The American Rental Association (ARA) board of directors has named Tony Conant to the position of executive vice president/CEO, effective mid-November. He succeeds Christine Wehrman, who is retiring after 16 years with the association.
Conant will become the fourth executive vice president/CEO of the ARA since its founding in 1955. He most recently served as chief operating officer (COO) at the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) headquartered in Phoenix. In his COO position, Conant has been responsible for enabling operational excellence across the company and building capabilities for ISM’s future growth.
As the leader of the certification, publications, membership, research, finance, IT and human resources functions, Conant helped to enable ISM’s vision by managing project prioritization, decision ownership, effective resource alignment, measurement and accountability across the company.
Conant has spent more than 20 years developing advanced practices in operations and supply chain at world-class companies, including Intel, BASF, Whirlpool and Bank of America. Previously, he was the vice president of operations and share services at One Touch Direct, an innovative direct marketing company, where he oversaw 200 percent revenue and headcount growth in his five-year tenure.
Conant earned a B.S. degree in operations management from Madonna University, Livonia, Mich., and an MBA, finance and international economics, from the University of Florida, Gainesville. He also completed his Six Sigma Black Belt certification from the University of California at San Diego.
For more information about the ARA, visit www.ARArental.org.