After a comprehensive search, the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Board of Directors has filled one of the most influential positions in the meetings industry, appointing Bruce M. MacMillan, C.A., MPI president and chief executive officer of MPI, effective this December.

MacMillan joins MPI from Tourism Toronto, the Toronto Convention and Visitors Association, where he served as president and chief executive officer since January 2003.

Tourism Toronto is the destination marketing organization for the Greater Toronto Area. In just three years there, MacMillan led a team that rebuilt and restructured the organization, growing it from a 49-person, $8.5 million CAD organization to its current 75-person, $28 million CAD level.

“With a background in corporate and association management, Bruce is a proven change agent with the strategic business skills, international experience and industry knowledge necessary to drive the development of an organizational structure and business model that will take MPI, its members and chapters to new levels of success,” said Katie Callahan-Giobbi, MPI CEO search committee chair and senior vice president of sales for LA Inc, the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

While at Tourism Toronto, MacMillan helped develop and implement several major strategic initiatives to fuel the association’s growth, including the establishment of a new private sector funding mechanism, crafting strategic partnerships with municipalities and the creation of a new branding platform.

“The search committee has worked diligently to find a high-caliber executive with the strategic management expertise to help MPI evolve its strategic plan and fully capitalize on the momentum of MPI Member Solutions and the promise it holds for building the profession,” said Christine Duffy, MPI 2005-2006 chairwoman and president and CEO of Maritz Travel, Inc.

“Bruce is that person. He’s an exceptional leader capable of propelling both MPI and the profession forward with innovative strategies and quality execution.”

MacMillan also has extensive experience working within the MPI organization, having served as MPI’s vice president of marketing and digital services for more than two years prior to joining Tourism Toronto.

He is a current member of the MPI International Board of Directors, past-chair of the MPI Information Technology Committee, which oversaw the development of MPI’s innovative career development tool MPI Member Solutions, and a member of MPI’s Toronto chapter where he won the President’s Award in 2004.

Earlier in his career, he served as chief operating officer for Ad2Media.com, a Vancouver-based business-to-business internet venture, and as the executive director for the Vancouver Whistler 2010 Bid Society, where he was responsible for developing and executing all aspects of Vancouver-Whistler’s successful Canadian 2010 Winter Olympic bid.

Based at MPI’s international headquarters in Dallas, Texas, MacMillan will lead the association’s 75-person staff, which includes offices in Europe and Canada.

He will manage an $18 million budget, while overseeing all membership programs and services and working closely with MPI’s International Board of Directors to guide the association’s vision and industry growth.

He will also serve as liaison to the MPI Foundation, MPI’s research and development arm dedicated to advancing the meetings and event profession.

“MPI continues to thrive thanks to the hard work and single-minded focus of the MPI staff and our volunteer leaders on delivering value to our members,” said MPI Chairman Mark Andrew. “MPI has continued to achieve record milestones over the past few months, and we know Bruce will build on this positive momentum.”

In July, MPI experienced record attendance at its 2006 World Education Conference in Dallas. More than 3,600 meeting professionals from more than 28 countries participated, making it the largest event ever hosted by MPI. Then in August, membership set a new record topping 21,166 members.

“I’m honored to be returning to MPI in this new role at a time when the organization is so strong and poised for new opportunities,” said MacMillan.