John Kajander Joins GHCVB as Healthcare Meetings Consultant

December 27, 2013

The Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau recently hired former Texas Medical Center executive John Kajander as a senior consultant for Healthcare and Life Sciences.

Kajander will support the GHCVB’s domestic and international sales departments in booking Life Science meetings, conferences and tradeshows for Houston.

“John understands our business at the GHCVB and recognizes the impact that bringing more life science meetings to Houston will have on the local health care community, expanding professional expertise and helping bring new business opportunities,” said Greg Ortale, president and CEO of the GHCVB.

He added, “For years we have been passionate about crafting a solid working relationship with the TMC. With John’s help, that relationship will only strengthen.”



Kajander most recently served as a senior vice president at the Texas Medical Center, where he was responsible for external relations activities. Already in his new role, he has traveled to London and to Sao Paulo, Brazil, to meet with organizers of international medical meeting events on behalf of Houston.



The Texas Medical Center and GHCVB have worked together since 2007 to bring national and international medical meetings to Houston and develop new ones, such as Medical World Americas, which will debut in April 2014.

Other major bookings of late include the Human Genome Organisation’s annual meeting in 2016 and the World Federation of Acupuncture Societies in 2014.



“Houston is an international hub for the life sciences industry and I am so honored to be assisting the GHCVB in this area.” Kajander said.

He added, “I believe these groups will benefit tremendously from the incredible health care expertise that resides in this region.”



Prior to his previous work at Texas Medical Center, Kajander was president and CEO of TIRR Systems (now TIRR/Memorial Hermann), and was also the executive director of the Houston Business Group on Health and president of the Texas Business Group on Health.

Overall, he has worked in the Houston business community for more than 35 years.


 
An honors graduate of Michigan State University, Kajander has been involved in several charitable and community based organizations in Houston, including the Houston Achievement Place and the Consumer Credit Counseling Service of the Texas Gulf Coast.

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