Today, The Conference Board and the Committee for Economic Development (CED) announced that they are merging. This joins two of the longest standing and most respected non-profit, non-partisan voices in U.S. and global business and policy. The combination has been approved by both boards, received the necessary regulatory approvals and became effective on January 1.

Founded in 1916 and based in New York, The Conference Board counts over 1,000 public and private companies in some 60 countries as members. It produces research in a wide array of areas, including global economics, human capital, corporate governance, sustainability and philanthropy, as well as a widely tracked series of economic indicators, including the Consumer Confidence Index® and The Conference Board Leading Economic Index® for the U.S.

Since 1942, CED has delivered well-researched analysis and reasoned solutions to the nation’s most critical issues, and is guided by many of the country’s leading business executives and policy experts serving as members. CED’s research focuses on reforming and strengthening public policies in the issue areas of fiscal health, education, global competitiveness, and democratic institutions. CED will operate from the Washington, DC area as a quasi-independent organization.

“The merger of CED and The Conference Board brings together two organizations with uniquely complementary programs and a shared tradition of objective, incisive inquiry,” said Jon Spector, CEO of The Conference Board. “In a world where the most partisan, inflammatory, and unaccountable voices increasingly drown out the rest, our partnership creates a safe haven for senior executives to come together and hold rational, fact-based discussions of the critical issues facing society. It solidifies the long-term viability of our existing programs and opens unmatched opportunities for more productive discourse that brings the expertise of business to bear on the issues that matter most today.”

Steve Odland, the CEO of CED, added, “In a changing world, these two organizations are highly complementary. The Committee for Economic Development’s respected and reasoned policy voice in the nation’s capital will amplify The Conference Board’s research, and their economic data will further enhance CED’s policy solutions. For-profit firms routinely look for opportunities to improve effectiveness, expand scope, and operate more efficiently in any way possible, including through combinations of companies. Now, we’re pursuing the same benefits with a combination of non-profit organizations, a trend that we believe should continue.”

As part of the partnership, the CEO of CED, Steve Odland, has joined the Board of Trustees of The Conference Board, along with five additional CED Trustees: Beth Brooke-Marciniak, Global Vice Chair of Public Policy for EY; Carl Camden, President and CEO of Kelly Services; Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., President and CEO of TIAA-CREF; Ronald P. O'Hanley, former President of Asset Management and Corporate Services for Fidelity Investments; and Maggie Wilderotter, Chairman and CEO of Frontier Communications.