Cassandra McAuley is Senior Vice President of Destination Planning with MMGY NextFactor. With over a decade of experience in the tourism industry, Cassandra is an enthusiastic advocate for the visitor and experience economies and the people who contribute to them.

Prior to joining MMGY NextFactor, Cassandra served as Vice President, Communications & Stakeholder Engagement with Tourism Calgary, where she championed the development and implementation of Calgary’s Destination Strategy, guided and managed stakeholder and partner relation strategies, led advocacy programs on behalf of Calgary’s tourism industry and managed the organization’s corporate communications and crisis strategies.

Cassandra has a Master’s degree in Organizational Change and Leadership from Royal Roads University, and an undergraduate degree in communications. Cassandra holds the Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) designation through Destinations International. She serves on the CDME Board and is an instructor in the program which prepares senior executives to advance their careers by blending theory with experience and application of knowledge, helping industry leaders thrive in a constantly changing environment.

Cassandra also Co-Chairs Destinations International’s Advocacy Committee.