Ellie MacPherson is the senior vice president of customer experience and insights for Creative Group Canada. MacPherson has been involved with the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) since 2002, including a six-year stint as board director for SITE Canada. She'll soon complete six years of service on the SITE International Board of Directors, where she's worked as chair of the SITE Crystal Awards, and she currently serves on advisory boards Azamara Brand Council, Jamaica Tourist Board's meetings and conventions board, and Playa Hotels & Resorts' MICE board. She's based in Toronto.
How I got here:
My initial start in the industry was outside of the incentive and meetings world. My progression was corporate travel, to leisure travel, then to incentives and meetings, and I never looked back. I have been involved in incentive travel since the late '70s in the U.S., and relocated to Canada in 1981 where incentive travel was in its infancy. With a partner, I owned and operated two small boutique agencies from 1981-2001 (successfully selling both) and then joined several larger key incentive agencies.
Greatest career accomplishment:
Guiding teams through many mergers and acquisitions, and assisting teams to cope with constant and often cataclysmic change. Once I joined major organizations, this became the norm. My first company went from being Canadian-owned to being purchased by a U.K. entity. My next company cycled through three ownerships during my tenure and was then sold to an entirely new entity, which in turn has had two owners, absorbed another agency, and rebranded under new leadership.
A specific improvement I’ve made:
With a career now spanning 40 years, I feel I have had the opportunity to mentor so many people, especially those that were new to the industry. Not only those that have been part of a team I have been privileged to be a part of, but also partners within the industry, in many disciplines.
The biggest change I've observed in the industry:
There have been so many changes it is difficult to distill this. The concept of CSR [Corporate Social Responsibility] did not really exist when I first entered the industry. Now it is a norm in most of our programs. More recently, the focus on sustainability has come into play for so many clients.
What I do outside of work:
Travel of course! Wanderlust drives me to see new places, have unique experiences, and meet interesting people. And I read constantly—all sorts of genres depending on my mood. When engrossed in a book, the outside world no longer exists.
My No. 1 piece of career advice I'd give my younger self:
Never be afraid to hire someone smarter than you are—they will make you better and enhance your team!
Connect with MacPherson on LinkedIn.
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