Mike Brennan has joined the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) as chief executive officer and is ready to tackle the challenges facing the profession.
“I’m very excited to be working on behalf of architects,” he says. “I believe in what they do. I’m going to do a lot of listening, taking the collective pulse and prioritizing. We need that to be successful in addressing the serious issues that this profession is facing.”
Brennan is a transformational and inspirational senior executive with a proven track record of operational success in the not-for-profit sector as well as turnarounds in for-profit companies in North America. He holds a Masters of Business from Carleton University in Ottawa and possesses a strong business acumen encompassing strategic planning, collaborative change management, and business process improvement. Throughout his career, he has focused on reducing operating costs and diversifying revenue streams while increasing performance and productivity.
As CEO, Brennan is responsible for harnessing the energies of staff, members, volunteers and the board of directors to build long-term sustainability, stability, and organizational excellence. Strategies include, but are not limited to, membership value and revenue growth as well as productive collaboration with stakeholders and partners across the country and internationally.
In addition to a solid business foundation, Mike has an understanding of and commitment to the not-for-profit sector, with expertise in governance, fundraising, volunteers, advocacy, grant writing, stakeholder engagement and program implementation. He will be providing a wide range of strategies and tools to increase board effectiveness and help develop strong leaders who can lead with the clarity and confidence needed to inspire and drive innovation and change.
“He brings a great mix of business savvy, leadership, inspiration, and hands-on operational experience. His candor, his passion for architecture, and his respect and support for our commitment to building responsibly and sustainably will serve us well,” says RAIC president Michael Cox, FRAIC.
