Comparison · 15 material differences
AM&AA vs Society for Information Management
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact — it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Professional association
Verified September 2026 AM&AA
Middle-market M&A advisers — investment bankers, CPAs, attorneys, valuation specialists, corporate financial investors and business advisers
Professional association
Society for Information Management
Senior IT and technology executives - CIOs and their direct reports - plus academics in information systems, consulting partners and non-IT leaders whose roles affect technology…
What the records say
- Maximum age at joining — AM&AA: Young Professional membership is limited to those aged 35 and under in the early stages of an M&A career; Society for Information Management: No published maximum age at joining.
- Role or title — AM&AA: No published role or title; Society for Information Management: Practitioner: a senior-level IT professional in a public or private sector organisation - a corporate or divisional IS head, or a member of an IS management staff supporting them in a key management role.
- Industry restriction — AM&AA: Individual membership is for M&A and supporting trade professionals who practise independently; Society for Information Management: No published industry restriction.
- Annual dues — AM&AA: $545 a year; Society for Information Management: Not publicly disclosed at national level. SIM does not publish a single national dues figure; members join through a chapter and the chapter sets the rate..
Side by side
| AM&AA | Society for Information Management | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Professional association | Professional association |
| Founded | 1998 (Established in 1998 to bring together CPAs, attorneys and corporate financial advisers working in middle-market M&A) | 1968 (SIM's inaugural meeting was held on 22 November 1968 at the US Atomic Energy Commission in Washington DC, after a conversation between Robert Head and Herb Schwartz at an ACM conference; the first conference followed in September 1969 at the University of Minnesota. Sources give 1968 or 1969 depending on which event is treated as the founding.) |
| Headquarters | Dallas, United States | Mount Laurel, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Chapters are all in the United States plus a virtual chapter; the membership network spans 25 countries | United States and Canada: 38 chapters listed on SIM's own chapter index, including one in Toronto, plus a Member At-Large option for those without a nearby chapter |
| Members | 1,100as of September 2026 | 5,000as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | 24 | 38 |
| Primary audience | Middle-market M&A advisers — investment bankers, CPAs, attorneys, valuation specialists, corporate financial investors and business advisers | Senior IT and technology executives - CIOs and their direct reports - plus academics in information systems, consulting partners and non-IT leaders whose roles affect technology strategy |
| Typical member | Members are M&A and supporting trade professionals: accountants, lawyers, investment bankers, valuation and due diligence specialists, and corporate financial investors working in the middle market. Individual membership is aimed at those who practise independently; corporate membership covers teams of five or more from one firm. | Members are corporate or divisional heads of information systems and the management staff supporting them, plus full-time academics in the IS field, partner-level consultants and non-IT executives with a major role in strategic technology direction. SIM says its members' employers account for over $200 billion in technology spend. |
| Qualification | ||
| Maximum age at joining | Young Professional membership is limited to those aged 35 and under in the early stages of an M&A careerIdentification and proof of age are required during the application processverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published maximum age at joining |
| Role or title | No published role or title | Practitioner: a senior-level IT professional in a public or private sector organisation - a corporate or divisional IS head, or a member of an IS management staff supporting them in a key management roleverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Industry restriction | Individual membership is for M&A and supporting trade professionals who practise independentlyverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published industry restriction |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Applicants complete an application through AM&AA's membership portal at amaa.wildapricot.org, or contact the association directly. Young Professional applicants must supply identification and proof of age. Corporate memberships are arranged by email with custom pricing. There is no published interview, sponsorship or committee review, but all members must accept the ethics and standards rules and the no-solicitation condition. | Applicants apply to a local chapter, selecting one of the four membership categories, or apply as a Member At-Large if no chapter covers their area. The membership year runs 1 January to 31 December. Chapters review applications against the published category definitions; there is no sponsor or committee vote published. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed — AM&AA publishes membership categories and conditions but no acceptance data | Not publicly disclosed. Admission turns on meeting one of the four published category definitions; no acceptance rate is published. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $545 a yearIndividual membershipverified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed at national level. SIM does not publish a single national dues figure; members join through a chapter and the chapter sets the rate.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 |
| Local chapter dues | Not publicly disclosed | $205–285 a yearSouthern California chapter published schedule: $285 for corporate IT executives/practitioners and consultants, $205 for academic, retired or non-profit IT professionals. Dues are set by each chapter and vary; other chapters publish higher two-tier plans.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Programme fee | $5,200 one-timeCertified Merger & Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA) programme fee, which includes first-year membership and materialsverified September 2026 · source ↗ | Dues vary by chapter and are not published centrally. The figures recorded come from one chapter's published schedule and should not be read as a national rate. |
| Membership term | Annual | Calendar year, 1 January to 31 December |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Monthly chapter events plus two annual conferences (Summer and Winter), and CM&AA certification courses run in person and virtually | Chapters typically hold four to six events a year, plus peer groups, special interest groups and national programmes |
| Peer forums | No confidential peer forums; members organise through chapters, including a virtual chapter, and deal-sourcing tools | Chapter-level peer groups bringing together members in similar roles, plus SIM Interest Groups on topics such as cybersecurity; the Advanced Practices Council is a separate senior research peer network |
| Confidentiality | Members agree not to solicit fellow members without written board permission; no broader confidentiality policy was found | No published forum confidentiality rule; SIM is a professional association rather than a closed advisory body |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Chapter-based, Event-focused, Virtual | Chapter-based, Event-focused, Cohort-based |
| Confidential peer forums | No | Partial |
| Local chapters | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Yes | Partial |
| Online community | Partial | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Partial | Yes |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | Yes | Yes |
| Investment discussions | Yes | No |
| Investment opportunities | Yes | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | Yes |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: AM&AA · Society for Information Management