May 23, 2023 – Ottawa – Nina Kressler, President and CEO, recently announced the appointment of Seán Kelly as the Shaw Centre’s new Assistant General Manager as of March 2023.
Born and raised in Ottawa, Seán is a graduate of Algonquin College and is fluent in English and French. Seán has over 30 years of direct industry experience, building trusted relationships between individuals and organizations. His colleagues describe him as a creative, innovative, and action-oriented leader with presence, who possesses excellent interpersonal, communication, and management skills. Seán’s service philosophy has always been to enhance the organization’s connection with its clients and stakeholders by building a relationship based on trust and confidence in the services they offer, through a seamless and engaging experience that is personal, memorable, and exceeds their expectations.
“We are delighted to welcome Seán to our dynamic team here at the Shaw Centre. Seán brings a wealth of knowledge in facility and event management and food services, making him the perfect fit to help lead our team. We are excited to have him on board and can’t wait to see the great things he will accomplish with us.”
– Nina Kressler, President and CEO, Shaw Centre
Between 2005 and 2018, Seán worked for some of Canada’s most prominent national associations. He was the Senior Manager of Membership, Events and Corporate Partnerships at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), the National Director of Member Services [and Corporate Partnerships] at the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), and the Director of Membership, Events & Association Development at the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA). Early in 2018, Seán accepted an offer to be the General Manager of one of Canada’s premier retirement communities, Chartwell Rockcliffe. As GM, Seán had overall responsibility for all aspects of the operation, including Admin., Finance, HR, Facility Management, Food Services, Resident Care, Programs & Activities, and Sales/Marketing.
On a personal level, Seán takes immense pride in the fact that he’s always made it a priority to give back to his community. Over the past several years Seán has sat on the following Board of Directors within the Ottawa region.
- The Event Management Program Advisory Board at Algonquin College
- Board Chair for The Community Information Centre of Ottawa
- Board Chair for The Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) Ottawa-Gatineau chapter
- Board Chair for The Good Companions Seniors Centre
Seán is also invested in local sport and was a youth football coach for almost 20 years. With the experience of being a previous player, coach Kelly mentored approximately 1,000 youth football players within the National Capital Amateur Football Association (NCAFA) and the Ontario Varsity Football League (OVFL). Coach Kelly was successful having won several division and league championships. In addition, he also organized several trips and exchanges on a national and international scale.
“Sean’s previous experiences make him a tremendous asset to our team. He has fantastic transferrable skills from his past positions and is also invested in fostering the community around him. He is a dedicated professional with a history of inspiring collaboration to deliver results. We know he will do great things at the Shaw Centre!”
– Loretta Briard, General Manager
About Shaw Centre
Shaw Centre, previously known as the Ottawa Congress Centre, was founded in 1983. The Centre was redeveloped into a new, larger facility with project funding from the Province of Ontario, the City of Ottawa and the Government of Canada which opened its doors in April 2011 as the Ottawa Convention Centre (OCC). In October 2014, the OCC entered a 10-year partnership with Shaw Communications, rebranding the facility as the Shaw Centre. The state-of-the-art convention centre is a spectacular venue that induces economic impact by hosting conventions, conferences, meetings, and events. It was named the 2020 “World’s Best Convention Centre” by the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC). The Centre is governed by a board of directors, managed by an expert team of professionals, and operationally driven by inspired colleagues and selected suppliers whose main goal is to create extraordinary events. shaw-centre.com
