David McMillan

President, AXIS Hospitality International

David has contributed to the success of a wide range of major international hotels and resorts affiliated with Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Hyatt International, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels Corporation and Hilton International in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. He has also worked with several independent hotels and has been instrumental in Canadian tourism development.

Most recently, he served as a consultant in the role of director, Hotels and Tourism Development with Genivar, LP. Prior to that, he operated two hotel management and consulting companies, developing and operating hotels in China, Cuba, Montreal and Toronto. He served as vice president of Complexe Cirque, Hotels, Spas and Food & Beverage for Cirque Du Soleil Inc. in Montreal, where he recruited for the development of a group of five USD 200 million luxury hotel and theater complexes that were incorporating a Cirque du Soleil show. During his extensive career, he has also served as president of Cuban Canadian Resorts International, developing the first four multi-use timeshare/vacation ownership resorts in Cuba.

Among his many industry affiliations, he was the chief executive officer for the International Hotel & Restaurant Association in Paris, France, and was responsible for repositioning the global industry trade association. He was also the former Chairman of the Board for the Hotel Association of Canada, and a former director for the Canadian Restaurant & Foodservice Association.