IEEE President’s Note: Embracing the Future

In my columns throughout the year, I have shared my priorities for my presidency. These include the need for IEEE to increase its retention of younger members and to engage with industry. I also committed to working to increase the organization's outreach to the broader public and to cultivating an environment that fosters the development of new products and services for our members and customers.

These priorities served as the basis for my activities, as well as for the creation of our task forces and ad hoc committees for the year. I collaborated with colleagues and encouraged organizational units that are focused on these topics to take the lead in developing action plans that will guide us toward our goals.

Through my engagements around the globe this year, I had the opportunity to interact with both members and non-members, learning about the differences in cultures, activities, and opportunities within our vast geographical and technical communities. I discovered our members retain their memberships for various reasons-both transactional and aspirational.

Some members remain for discounts and access to resources, products, and services that interest them. Others stay for the opportunities to develop communication, leadership, and collaboration skills. Our volunteers often cite their commitment to furthering IEEE's mission of advancing technology for the benefit of humanity and how volunteering allows them to do something in support of others.

I also heard directly from young professionals in diverse industries about their specific needs and how we can ensure their IEEE membership remains relevant and valuable throughout their career.

No matter an individual's reason for remaining a member, I have personally witnessed that the more we engage with IEEE and our community, the greater the value we derive from our membership.

Lifelong professional home

An essential element of retaining our students and young professionals, and thus keeping IEEE relevant and vital, is creating a sense of community among IEEE members, particularly at the local section level. This includes fostering a welcoming environment where the next generation can embrace IEEE as their professional home. As they become more deeply engaged with IEEE, our collective community can help meet their long-term technical and professional needs at every stage of their career journey.

IEEE can also play a crucial role in helping to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive engineering and technology workforce for the future. Technology can benefit all, and thus all should participate in the creation and use of technology to improve the human condition and the world around us. The complexity of the technical and social challenges we face demands insights and creative solutions from all humans. Additionally, technology can create new wealth. Engaging with technology and its applications can help individuals from all backgrounds build better lives for themselves and their families.

Let's get practical

During the past year, I have made a concerted effort to meet with industry leaders around the world and to share information about the value that IEEE provides to individuals who put technology into practice-both at the company and employee level and to connect these companies with our Industry Engagement Committee. Since many of our student and young professional members work in various industries, it follows that better engagement with industry and with those working on the practical implementation of technology will help us find ways to retain more of these younger members.

Amplifying IEEE's reach

It is essential that we tell the story of IEEE by sharing the impact our members, products, and services have around the globe-not only how the organization has helped us in our careers but also how it benefits all of humanity. I have shared this myself and encourage all members to be ambassadors for IEEE, letting the world know who we are and what we do.

By promoting outreach to the public on the importance and impact of engineering and technology and the professionals working in these fields, advocating for education in engineering and computing, and connecting with other organizations that are actively working in these spaces, we can reinforce IEEE's position as the world's trusted source for information and insights on emerging technology and marketplace trends.

Driving innovation for 140 years

I am honored to serve as IEEE President in 2024 as we celebrate its 140th anniversary. My interactions with members and volunteers from around the world throughout the year have truly enriched my life and reaffirmed for me the tremendous value of being part of the international IEEE community and what we can accomplish by working together.

During the past 140 years, members and their colleagues-supported by IEEE conferences, publications, standards, recognitions, educational activities, and professional communities-have produced innumerable discoveries and inventions that have improved our world. We have brought together the best minds in engineering, created the spaces for sharing their work; and cultivated innovators, entrepreneurs, teachers, and leaders to advance technology for the benefit of humanity.

-Tom Coughlin

IEEE president and CEO

Please share your thoughts with me: president@ieee.org.