The National Restaurant Association’s (NRA) Marvin Irby was named the recipient of the Nonprofit CFO of the Year Award. The award will be presented at a luncheon on January 31, and honors vital contributions to nonprofit leadership that impact the performance of an organization. As CFO of the nearly $70 million organization serving America’s restaurant industry, Irby has shepherded the National Restaurant Association through three successive years of growth, while ensuring long-term stability during a period of national economic unease.
“We are so gratified to see Marvin recognized as Nonprofit CFO of the Year for his leadership and extraordinary commitment to the success of our organization,” says Dawn Sweeney, National Restaurant Association president and CEO. “In my 30-plus years of association leadership, I cannot think of a more deserving individual. The National Restaurant Association is a better, stronger, and more forward-facing organization today, thanks to Marvin’s tireless efforts.”
As a senior member of the NRA’s Executive Team, Irby has guided the organization (comprised of a traditional trade association, a philanthropic foundation, and a business service subsidiary) through a major property sale in Washington, D.C., in the past year
In his three years with the Association, Irby has also revitalized the organizations' People Strategy, while also improving the annual planning process to better align with the NRA’s and National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) strategic plan. Under his direction, the NRA has implemented both short- and long-term incentive plans for key executives and contemporized the performance management system, compensation structure, and titling standards. Additionally, he has implemented an enterprise-wide forecasting process that ties directly to organizational strategy, involving staff organization-wide. Most recently, Irby's responsibilities have been expanded to include oversight for Information Technology and Strategic Planning.
With more than 25 years of experience and a proven track-record of success, Irby came to the NRA from Shawmut Design & Construction, a national construction management firm based in Boston, where he served as EVP and CFO of the $700 million construction company. There, he managed Shawmut’s financial operations and oversaw the Finance, Accounting, Strategic Planning, and Information Technology departments. Previously, Irby served as the vice president of finance, global support for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Walt Disney World (WDW). In this position, he oversaw the financial functions worldwide for Human Resources, Information Technology, and Labor Strategy & Analysis. During his tenure at Walt Disney World, Irby also oversaw financial support for both the Sports & Recreation business and the $1 billion Facilities and Services division. He also served as the company’s project lead in WDW’s implementation of SAP.
