An engaged community is one that creates its future together.
by
Cindy D'Aoust |
August 09, 2012
|
(6)
WEC IN ST. LOUIS WAS A HUGE SUCCESS IN SO MANY WAYS.
I was overwhelmed at the welcome we received by our St. Louis host city, all of the volunteers and you, our community. In just a few short days, I experienced powerful connections that could not have happened virtually.
I reconnected with former Maritz colleagues from St. Louis and Philadelphia, with supplier partners from my previous life and new MPI partners and met countless members from all over the world that I now call friends.
I joined the MPI staff a few months ago, and following Bruce MacMillan’s departure, I have assumed the role of interim CEO. I have not had a chance to meet all of you, and I am sure you may be wondering, “Who is Cindy?” “What are her priorities?” “How is she going to help MPI?”
Well, to start with, I am a reflection of you, MPI’s community, and have worked in the meetings and travel industry for more than 20 years as a planner, supplier and leader responsible for providing professional education and tools to my teams.
I’ve experienced MPI as a member, a volunteer and as an international board member—and now I have the opportunity to serve you as a staff member.
My immediate priorities are simple: first to listen to you, to gain an understanding of how you define value, and second, I will listen to my internal team and leverage their expertise and remove any obstacles to their success.
I will help MPI by fulfilling on those two priorities. However, I need your help. MPI is defined by passionate chapters, international community, planner and supplier professionals, students and seasoned members. MPI is all 21,000 of us worldwide.
Because we are cut from the same cloth, I know there is no such thing as a “shy” meeting professional, so I need to hear from you—honestly and regularly. An engaged community is one that creates its future together.
I have created a new Twitter account (@CindyDAoust) to help spark engagement, but there’s only so much that can be shared in 140 characters. To ensure we can have more detailed conversations, I am setting up a monthly online Google Hangout (“Chat with Cindy”). Starting in September, these one-hour chats (11 a.m. CST, first Thursday of each month) will help us design our future together. Add my Google profile to your circles by visiting this link: http://goo.gl/P0vI0. Together we will make your MPI experience a positive one. One+
Cindy D'Aoust
Cindy D’Aoust joined MPI in April 2012 in the role of Chief Operating Officer. Currently, she is also the interim Chief Executive Officer and responsible for all operational, financial and member deliverables. Throughout her career in the hospitality industry, Cindy has held a wide spectrum of positions.
Most recently, she worked as the vice president of strategic meetings management for Maxvantage, a strategic alliance between Maritz Travel and American Express Business Travel, and one of the largest strategic meetings management companies in the world. In her role with Maxvantage, she worked to drive the maximum return on meetings investment and return on experience for clients. Prior to her role with Maxvantage, Cindy held leadership roles in sales, operations and account management. Cindy has been in the meetings and travel industry for over 20 years and is a recognized expert in Strategic Meetings Management.
She has served on various industry boards and task forces and has been published in leading industry publications, including One+, Future Pharmaceuticals, Business Travel News and Business Travel World on topics including procurement, measurement, meeting trends and meetings effectiveness.
TAGS:
communication,
community,
engagement,
leadership,
meeting industry,
One+ August 2012