Meeting Professionals International president and CEO Edwin Griffin Jr. will leave the association upon the completion of his three-year contract on April 30. The move, which Griffin announced late last month, comes after a meeting of MPI's board of directors concluded without the renewal of Griffin's contract, several sources confirmed.
However, Griffin, who was named MPI's CEO in November 1990, said he feels "comfortable with my decision that on May 1 I'll be doing something else." Neither Griffin nor the board would comment on the contents of nor decisions reached at that board meeting, which took place in San Francisco nine days before Griffin's announcement. The meeting sparked days of rumors and conjecture, some of which Griffin labeled "unsubstantiated and embellished."
Griffin has no plans to resign before April 30 and no plans for his future beyond that date, but hopes to remain connected to the meetings industry in some capacity.
In a statement e-mailed by MPI, board chairman George Aguel said: "Speaking on behalf of the board of directors and, I'm sure, on behalf of our entire membership, I would like to extend sincerest thanks to Ed for his tireless efforts in leading MPI during the past 12 years. When Ed officially steps down at the end of his contract period in April of 2003, he can take great pride in the healthy, vibrant organization that he's been instrumental in creating. While they will be embarking on new and different directions, Ed and MPI both have bright futures and many more great things to accomplish. We very much look forward to Ed's continued support of MPI."
Aguel also is senior vice president of Lake Buena Vista, Fla.-based Walt Disney World Parks & Resorts.
Meeting Professionals International announced no plans regarding Griffin's succession, including the creation of a CEO search committee. Should the association choose to fill the post with an internal candidate, some sources cited MPI Foundation executive vice president David DuBois, a popular man who previously served as the association's COO and as the chief executive of the Professional Convention Management Association.
Griffin on Oct. 25 sent an e-mail to all MPI members notifying them of his impending departure. "In one's professional career and in the evolution of every association, there comes a time when change is in the mutual best interest of all involved. We have come to that time," Griffin stated.
The message cited some of Griffin's achievements, including an increase in membership from 9,000 to 19,000, an annual budget that quadrupled to $16 million and a reserve fund that increased tenfold to $3 million.
In a conference call with reporters, Griffin named "stabilizing the financial foundation of the organization with fiscal integrity" and the association's further globalization, including direct relationships with foreign heads of state, as his greatest accomplishments. However, Griffin occasionally has crossed swords with some members of the association's volunteer leadership.
Griffin's impeding exit is the third high-profile loss of an industry association this year.
The executive vice president and CEO of the Society of Incentive & Travel Executives Jill Harrington resigned in March
(Meetings Today, Jan. 21), followed by the resignation of National Business Travel Association executive director Marianne McInerney in May.
Harrington was replaced by an association management firm. NBTA has not announced a permanent replacement for McInerney.