Millbrook Medical Conferences, a leading provider of event management services to the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, today announces that Fiona McDonald will step down as Managing Director, a role she has passionately held for over thirty years. In a carefully planned transition, Dominic Legate will assume the position of Managing Director effective Tuesday 1st October.
Fiona McDonald has been the cornerstone of Millbrook Medical Conferences since its inception, guiding the company through significant growth, evolving healthcare landscapes, technological advancements, and service expansion. This transition has been thoughtfully curated and gradually executed behind the scenes over the past year. Moving forward, Fiona will continue her work with Millbrook, focusing on leading the administration of the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS), ensuring dedicated service and continuity to the charity.
Millbrook began on Fiona’s dining room table while she was on maternity leave with her son, Dominic. Recognising a clear need for the creation and management of medical conferences within the NHS, she combined her organisational strengths and people skills to establish Millbrook Medical Conferences. Since then, the company has grown steadily, now comprising a team of fifteen managing over 50 conferences annually and supporting numerous charities and initiatives. Under Fiona’s leadership, Millbrook has become a trusted partner to healthcare organisations, renowned for delivering high-quality, bespoke medical conferences both in the UK and internationally.
Reflecting on her time with the company, Fiona said, “I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved as a team at Millbrook. It has been a privilege to serve as Managing Director for so many years and to have worked with such talented individuals. I am confident that under Dominic’s leadership, Millbrook will continue to flourish, maintaining the values of excellence and service that have always defined us.”
Dominic, who has been with Millbrook for 10 years in various strategic roles, brings a fresh perspective and a deep understanding of the company’s core mission. Throughout his time at Millbrook, Dominic has worked closely with Fiona, learning the business from the ground up and building strong relationships with clients— the company’s most important asset. His vision is to build on Millbrook’s existing strengths, while also exploring new opportunities for innovation in medical conferencing and event management.
Commenting on his new role, Dominic said, “It is an honour to take on the role of Managing Director at Millbrook. I’ve had the privilege of learning from one of the best, and I’m excited to carry forward the remarkable legacy that has been built. My focus will be on ensuring that Millbrook continues to be a leader in our field, while also adapting to the evolving needs of the healthcare sector.”
This leadership transition marks the beginning of the next chapter in Millbrook Medical Conferences’ growth story, with the company poised to continue delivering world-class service to clients across the medical and pharmaceutical industries.
We’re halfway through the year, and what a whirlwind six months it’s been for us! We’ve been firing on all cylinders, organising a remarkable 25 conferences for healthcare professionals nationwide. We’ve welcomed several new clients and expanded our team with three fantastic new hires.
But it’s not all been hard work – we’ve found time to give back as well, fundraising for the brilliant causes of Red Nose Day and Wear a Hat Day. With the year now at its midpoint, we’re feeling energised, inspired, and ready to take on the second half with the same enthusiasm and creativity that’s defined our journey so far.
Let’s take a moment to celebrate our milestones and look ahead to the future with optimism and determination.
The British Cardiovascular Intervention Society’s Advanced Cardiovascular Intervention (ACI) kicked off the year by bringing together healthcare professionals from across the globe. Working with the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society (BCIS) is always a challenge we relish – we aim to continually raise the bar for each event, and ACI was no exception. We achieved record-breaking attendance, educating over 1,500 professionals, with more than 1,000 attending in person. ACI was broadcast to over 50 countries online, supported by 37 sponsors, and featured a faculty of 137.
We partnered with the British Heart Rhythm Society to successfully launch its Scientific Sessions in Manchester from Tuesday 27 – Thursday 29 February. The event included additional training days such as the Arrhythmia Nurses Day and Hands-on Simulator Training Day both on Monday 26 February, as well as an EP Traces Day on Thursday 29 February, which all received excellent feedback from attendees who appreciated the organised structure and relevant content.
Feedback from delegates included:
March was a month of fundraising for Comic Relief and Brain Tumour Research. On Red Nose Day, Friday 15 March, we did something funny for money by dressing up in red and the team didn’t disappoint turning up in pyjamas, as a chilli pepper and Mario!
On Thursday 28 March, we sported our favourite hats and donated to Brain Tumour Research for Wear a Hat Day. Wear a Hat Day is Brain Tumour Research’s annual event raising money to bring hope to brain tumour patients and their families.
In addition to fundraising activities, some of the team headed down to Newport, Wales, for the SCTS Annual Meeting which attracted over 1,100 delegates. A new client for us, we were brought in to assist the SCTS with attendee registration through the creation of a fully branded website, abstract management, and the creation of a multi-track programme and app. We were also pleased to provide support on the day with badge kiosks and directing delegates.
When asked to provide feedback on the registration process, delegates said:
The team travelled across the nation this month, hosting one online meeting and four in-person meetings in Cardiff, Derby, Oxford and London. Oxford Live, held on Monday 8 – Tuesday 9 April at St Anne’s College, marked its 20th anniversary and bid farewell to Matt Daly as he embarked on new ventures. Following Oxford Live, we organised an evening symposium for the Barts Interventional Group, a BCIS education forum on Bifurcation PCI and Coronary Complications During PCI: A Case-based Learning Opportunity.
In May, we welcomed three new team members: Maisie Splevings, Sophie Broomfield and Natalie Cornwell-Stevens. Their fresh energy and perspectives are already making an impact.
During Star Wars month, Dominic Legate and Lizzie Head were invited to the Vascular Perspectives’ Impactful Presentations and Impactful Speaking Courses in Birmingham. The Impactful Presentations Course had been carefully designed for healthcare professionals but consisted of invaluable information for people giving presentations in any industry. It focused on moving away from ‘Death by PowerPoint’ by making presentations more succinct whilst delivering the intended message in an engaging way.
Our Managing Director, Fiona McDonald was invited to give a short presentation at the 20th-anniversary meeting of Chronic Total Occlusions: An Introduction to CTO PCI where she reflected on its legacy, which involved the late Professor Tony Gershlick.
June was packed with back-to-back conferences, starting with the BHRS EP Traces Day and culminating with the London Arrhythmia Summit. Over five days, we organised five conferences, welcomed 305 delegates and 54 faculty speakers, heard 68 talks and covered 1,884 miles.
Additionally, Tilly, Sarah, Natalie and Sophie represented us at The Meetings Show in ExCeL London from Wednesday 19 – Thursday 20 June, participating in presentations on marketing trends and AI and networking opportunities.
Thank you for being part of our journey. Here’s to more milestones, learning and incredible experiences together!
