After nearly 10 years leading the Incentive Research Foundation, Melissa Van Dyke is leaving to focus her research and event and incentive design skills with Creative Group, a CMI 25 meeting and incentive company. Van Dyke is an experienced consultant and data professional having previously worked for Maritz Motivational Solutions, Ernst & Young, and MCI USA, and will start her new position as vice president of design and insights at the end of August.
Mike May, president of Brightspot Incentives and Events and chairman of the IRF, told MeetingsNet that Van Dyke’s tenure had put the organization “in the strongest position ever to make a successful leadership transition.
“The IRF president juggles a long list of duties with administration, research, writing, speaking, and sponsorships. It’s a complex job,” said May, adding, “Our best candidates will be industry insiders who already understand incentive travel, non-cash rewards, and hospitality.”
Applicants for Van Dyke’s former position as president of the 501(3)(c) not-for-profit foundation should click here for a job description and directions for consideration.
At Creative Group, Van Dyke will use her research expertise in a newly created position as vice president of design and insights. Shireen Moore, senior vice president of marketing at Creative Group, explains the need for the data-driven position. “The addition of this role will help us more effectively tie back data insights to the design and measurement of our clients’ events. As a result, we’ll be in a position to more effectively engage our clients’ program attendees and deliver the positive ROI they seek.”
Moore suggests that meeting planners have access to an enormous amount of data but are not always able analyze and interpret it to drive business or design decisions. She says, “Unfortunately, this wealth of information essentially falls into a black hole. With the addition of Melissa Van Dyke to our team, we’ll be able to unlock the value this data can provide to drive the optimal design on the front end, and then measure the ROI on the back end.”
