Matt Gertzog
Deputy Executive Director, American Socitey of Hematology

Matthew Gertzog is Deputy Executive Director of the American Society of Hematology (ASH,) which is a professional medical society based in Washington, DC that represents over 18,000 hematologists worldwide committed to preventing and curing blood diseases. In December 2019, Gertzog was also named Executive Director of the ASH Research Collaborative (ASH RC) which is a not-for-profit organization that was established by ASH in 2018 to foster collaborative partnerships which improve the lives of people affected by blood diseases. The foundation of the ASH RC is a technology platform that facilitates the exchange of information by aggregating in one place, and making available for inquiry, research-grade data on hematologic diseases.
Gertzog joined ASH as its first Chief Operating Officer in March 2003 and was named Deputy Executive Director in June 2011. In his role as Deputy Executive Director of ASH, he is responsible for ensuring the day-to-day operations of ASH – with a staff of 125 and an annual operating budget of $100 million, as well as working closely with the Executive Director and the Board of Directors on the strategic management and leadership of the organization. In his role as Executive Director of the ASH RC, he oversees the development and strategic direction of a $25-million initiative focused on using “big data” to facilitate the sharing of data on hematologic conditions in support of scientific inquiry and discovery, as well as a clinical trials network focused on improving outcomes for individuals with sickle cell disease.
Gertzog has more than 30 years of experience in association management. Prior to joining ASH, Gertzog spent 16 years working for the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA,) where he served in several executive roles and ultimately as its first chief operating officer. He was awarded the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation in 1993 by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and was the 2008-09 national chair of the ASAE Healthcare Community Committee. In 2011, Gertzog was awarded the Professional Performance Award which is an annual leadership award bestowed by ASAE that recognizes invaluable contributions made by association executives who are at the top level within their organizations but are not CEOs. He was named a Fellow of ASAE (FASAE) in 2013 and currently serves on its Board of Directors.
Mr. Gertzog currently on the board of the Association Mutual Health Insurance Company (AMHIC) which provides health insurance and other employee benefits to associations domiciled in Washington, DC.
Mr. Gertzog earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD and a master’s degree in business administration, with a specialty in marketing, from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.