Director

Patrick Whalen is Director of the Niagara Global Tourism Institute (NGTI). He has been a serial entrepreneur who has started over 20 businesses in a variety of industries.

Before joining the NGTI, Pat served as the COO of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Inc. (BNMC) for 8 years. In addition to managing the BNMC day-to-day operations Pat was the BNMC’s unofficial “entrepreneur–in-residence.” As such, Pat worked to foster collaboration and job creation on campus and throughout the bi-national region. 



Among the businesses Pat has started is Fulfillment Systems International (FSI), a technology driven logistics services provider. FSI grew from a 1-man startup in 1985 to a firm with over 200 employees in 5 locations in Canada, Europe, and the USA before being sold to UPS in 2000. It is now part of UPS Supply Chain Solutions.

He currently sits on the board of directors of: the Association of University Research Parks; World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara; Canadian American Border Trade Alliance; WNY Public Broadcasting WNED | WBFO; Health Science Charter School, and Continental. 



He was the secretary of the Direct Marketing Industry Working Group in Washington, DC; and has served on the boards of the Buffalo & Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority; Rotary Club of Buffalo (twice); the American Red Cross Buffalo Chapter; Bi-National Tourism Alliance; the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership Alumni Association (twice) and Buffalo Niagara WorldConnect. He was the co-chair of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership’s Logistics Council and conceptualized and co-founded Come-to-America which seeks to utilize the Buffalo Niagara region’s logistics assets to attract international companies. A Rotarian since ’86, he was an organizer of the new Rotary club on the BNMC where he served on its board of directors during the club’s inaugural year.

He is a graduate of the University at Buffalo’s School of Management Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and attended Canisius College.