Travel Professionals International (TPI), a Virtuoso member and network of independent travel advisors, has named Steve Ruddy Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Senior Vice President of Finance (SVP Finance), effective immediately. “Steve has been a valuable behind-the-scenes advisor to TPI and we’re pleased to have him join us in a daily operational capacity as we plan and execute our next phase of growth,” said Morris Chia, TPI President & CEO. Originally from Calgary but now based out of Winnipeg at the TPI head office, Ruddy has been an Executive Advisor to TPI for nearly five years, working largely behind the scenes on financial and corporate planning. His career outside of TPI includes senior-level corporate positions in banking and insurance, CFO/COO roles with several Canadian corporations and, most recently, Enterprise Risk Management for the City of Calgary. Ruddy holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Business Administration from Queen’s University. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Banks, is licensed through the Insurance Council of Alberta, and is a member of Financial Executives International. As TPI’s COO and SVP Finance, Ruddy will oversee the day-to-day operations of TPI with a particular focus on the execution of operational and financial efficiencies and best practices. He can be reached at sruddy@tpi.ca.