The move follows a streamlining of the DMA's board last year, after a review of the association by PA Consulting.
The managing director role will be replaced by joint leadership, with a chief of operations running the DMA day-to-day and a chief of membership & brand managing its PR with industry and the Government.
James Kelly, the DMA's managing director for seven years, is "considering his options," the DMA said, and can apply for one of the two roles. Kelly was unavailable for comment as this story went to press.
Chris Combemale, managing director of The Email Academy, has been appointed to run the association temporarily on a part-time basis before the new roles are filled. Combemale will hold the new post of executive board member for three months, after which the role will be advertised.
The announcement of the restructure follows a strategic review conducted last year by PA Consulting Group on behalf of the DMA Board, which analysed the DMA's operations.
"The strategic review recommended that the DMA be proactive and focused on providing member value," said David Metcalfe, chairman of the DMA, "and the two new roles will make sure our internal operations are slick as they need to be and that the profile of the organisation externally is as it should be."
The review was prompted by the challenges faced by the DMA, including competition for corporate membership from other bodies such as the Institute for Practitioners in Advertising, as well as criticism for its handling of PR, in particular during a media onslaught on DM in the summer of 2006.
"The feed back from the strategic review and our own research with members and potential members is that we could improve in that [PR] regard and this restructure is aimed at addressing that," Metcalfe said.
The DMA was also considering its senior management roles after Mike Barnes, the Direct Marketing Association's director of marketing and development, announced in early March that he was leaving after 10 years to join equestrian body British Eventing.
A DMA statement said that once the two new chiefs are appointed, the rest of the DMA's organisation and job functions "will be aligned with the new divisions".
"The MD role is not part of the new structure, and therefore that position is redundant," Metcalfe told Marketing Direct. "James [Kelly] is at liberty to apply for the two roles and is considering his options."
Kelly, whose degree is in law, was the DMA's chief operating officer when he was promoted to MD in 2002 after Colin Lloyd resigned as president of the association after a nine-year stint.
In a DMA statement to members, Metcalfe said: "Despite the difficult economic environment, this is an exciting time for the DMA; making these organisational changes will help to ensure that we will continue to be the voice of the direct marketing industry."
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