• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, December 8, 2009

The Mobile Marketing Association announced Tuesday that CEO and President Mike Wehrs will step down at the end of December after only a year in the job. Wehrs, who previously led mobile business strategy for speech and imaging technology firm Nuance Communications, plans to return to the private sector, according to the MMA.

He will also assume the role of special advisor to the MMA Global Executive Committee through June 30, 2010, with MMA Chairman Federico Pisani Massamormile serving as interim CEO until a full-time replacement is found.

Massamormile said in an interview Tuesday that Wehrs' departure was reached by mutual agreement between him and the MMA. "He accomplished a lot in a short time, but he feels it's time to move on and we agree that he's done a terrific job," said the MMA chairman, who is also CEO of Brazil-based mobile marketing firm Hanzo Inc.

The trade group credited Wehrs with increasing membership in the face of an economic downturn, introducing new initiatives -- including creation of a premium membership tier last month -- and negotiating a key agreement with the major wireless carriers standardizing consumer best practices. He also oversaw the move of the MMA's headquarters from Denver to New York City.

Wehrs in January succeeded Laura Marriott as head of the MMA, a position she had held since 2005. Before joining Nuance, best-known for its Dragon voice-recognition technology, he had done stints at mobile company Tegic Communications and at Microsoft, focusing on business development around Windows products.

MMA board member Paul Palmieri, CEO of mobile ad network Millennial Media, congratulated Wehrs on a "solid year" leading the organization. "His presence and direction will be missed. However, we have a highly diverse and active board who will ensure the organization continues to support industry education and best practices in mobile advertising and mobile marketing until his replacement is named."

The MMA said it will immediately begin an executive-level search for a new CEO, led by a recruiting committee made up of board members. Massamormile, who is based in Rio de Janeiro, said the search effort will include representatives from each of its global regions and he doesn't rule out the group's next chief executive coming from outside the U.S. (although he excluded himself as a candidate.) "The MMA every day become a more global organization," he said.