The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Board of Directors (BOD) elected Murray S. Kessler as its next President at the Mid-Year BOD Meeting in Gladstone, N.J. on Tuesday. The President ultimately presides over the volunteer leadership structure of the USEF. Since 1917, only 13 individuals have served in the presidential role. Kessler will officially take office at the USEF Annual Meeting in January 2017. In the interim, he will work with current President, Chrystine Tauber, and the USEF staff on the implementation of a new strategic plan, also approved by the BOD Tuesday, and ensuring a smooth leadership transition.
Kessler comes to this position with extensive experience in horse sports, governance, and business. He and his wife, Teri, have been involved in horse sports for over 45 years at every level, from local grassroots competitions, to national hunter/jumper competitions, to the 2012 Olympic Games where their daughter, Reed, represented the United States. He has served on the Boards of the North American Riders Group, the USET Foundation, and the USEF. At the USEF, he chairs the Governance Committee, leads the strategic planning process, and serves on the Mileage Rule Revision Task Force.
On the business side, Kessler is currently a Director on the Board of Reynolds-American, Incorporated. Prior to that, he spent 15 years as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of two Fortune 500 companies. His professional career has given him a broad skill set consisting of financial, audit, governance, management, marketing, sponsorship, strategic planning, and operational expertise.