Sunday and was introduced to the industry before Monday’s keynote. In a cue for Holmgreen to take the stage, Spellman revealed that any doubt he could realistically land the position was far from reality. The entire Board had signed off. “We spent five months analyzing this decision,” said Spellman, now serving as Immediate Past Chair. “More than 100 candidates were screened in an extensive search process that truly left no stone unturned. “In the end, Drew stood out as the unanimous choice.” Holmgreen spent the rest of the week in Las Vegas on a breakneck guided tour of the trade floor. He met everyone from large supplier CEOs to distributor salespeople and anyone in between, finding greetings of joy as he began getting his arms around the community, literally. “At MPI, when I would go to our events, sure, everybody’s super sweet and super nice. At Expo, what I found is people were a lot more welcoming – and much more huggy,” he says. “And that’s a good thing. People are just genuinely interested and welcoming and kind. That’s been my greatest takeaway, just the positivity and passion and interest of the people involved in the Association.” Holmgreen, 48, knows he has much more to learn. There’s PPAI’s people, portfolio and processes. There’s the Board, with its annually evolving makeup that brings fresh perspectives each year. And there’s the industry itself – its key players, market idiosyncrasies and broad challenges. Partnerships must be readdressed, and strategies must be reconsidered. And yet, for someone who admits he is attempting to “tame the stampede with a lasso,” Holmgreen has hit the ground running. A native Texan who is in office at PPAI’s Dallas-area headquarters every day, his first actions have been process focused. Whereas the Association had most recently run on centralized instinct, Holmgreen now leans on the team for fresh documentation of standard operating procedures on crisis communication, conflict resolution and all manner of issues that can arise. He’s methodically meeting with the staff, past PPAI Board Chairs and CEOs, and executives from leading companies to gain a comprehensive understanding of the job. The Résumé Drew Holmgreen’s career has included agency work, association service and leadership. Roles Meeting Professionals International • Chief Experience Officer, 2024-2025 • Chief Brand Officer, 2022-2024 • Vice President of Brand Engagement, 2019-2022 • Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, 2017-2022 Calise Partners • Executive Director of Client Services, 2017 Belmont Icehouse • Vice President, Account Service Director, 2010-2017 TM Advertising • Management Supervisor, 2005-2010 Proof Advertising • Senior Account Executive, 2004-2005 McCann-Erickson • Account Executive, 2000-2004 Volunteerism • Our Friends Place Advisory Council, 2019-Present • Texas Central Bleeding Disorders Board of Directors, 2014-2018 Education B.A., Advertising The University of Texas at Austin, 1998 Holmgreen is methodically meeting with the staff, past PPAI Board Chairs and CEOs, and executives from leading companies to gain a comprehensive understanding of the job. Must Read | A Vision of Joy
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