MPI announced Kevin Kirby as the new executive director of the MPI Foundation. He replaced Christine Roberts who resigned from the executive director position on October 4, 2018, in the wake of gross misconduct allegations of steering over a quarter million dollars in contracts to her boyfriend’s event company.
Roberts was employed by the Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB when the alleged gross misconduct occurred.
Kirby is tasked with advancing the strategic business plans and fundraising goals of the MPI Foundation, along with managing day-to-day operational activities for the organization, which funds scholarships, chapter grants and industry research.
Kirby will assume his new role within the MPI Foundation on October 29, 2018, and will report to Darren Temple, COO of MPI and executive vice president of the MPI Foundation.
[Related Content: Christine Roberts Resigns From MPI Foundation]
“Kevin holds a unique and comprehensive perspective for the role that will benefit our fundraising capacity and further strengthen our brand on the world stage,” Temple said. “He has been an industry thought leader, marketer and a part of our exhaustive MPI talent-targeting efforts for this position since last year.
“The timing now is ideal for both Kevin and the MPI Foundation,” he added.
According to a press release from MPI, Kirby has considerable understanding of the Foundation’s mission and focus. He was chairman of the MPI International Board of Directors in 2014/15 during the refocus of the MPI Foundation mission and a member of the MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees since 2016.
He currently serves on the MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees as the chapter liaison.
Kirby brings significant hospitality and entertainment industry experience and has a keen knowledge of developing strategic plans for revenue growth. His prior work included serving as head of global marketing and sales at Hard Rock International, where he contributed to strong year-over-year annual growth. At Walt Disney Parks & Resorts he was a national sales director and used innovative strategies to boost sales and growth.
He also managed marketing and sales efforts for Universal Orlando.
“I am elated to lead the MPI Foundation to remarkable growth and educational opportunities for our members,” said Kevin Kirby, MPI Foundation executive director. “I’ve seen the value of the Foundation first-hand, and look forward to applying my business development, marketing and sales experience.”
Kirby was hired after an extensive screening process was conducted by Vetted Solutions.
