Online Dating Magazine > Dating Industry > Trish McDermott

Trish McDermott, VP of Love at Engage.com

Trish McDermott currently holds the position of Vice President of Love at online dating social networking site Engage.com . Her title at Engage.com has changed over the past three years as she has also been known as "VP of Global Communications," "VP of Romance," and "Chief Matchmaker".

McDermott has been active in the online dating industry for more than 16 years. Prior to joining Engage.com in 2005, she worked for Match.com from its startup days in 1995 to 2004. At Match.com she was known as "VP of Communication" and "VP of Romance".

Prior to Match.com, McDermott was the Executive Director of The International Society of Introduction Services, the first trade association for the online dating industry.

Because of her work in communications, McDermott has been quoted hundreds of times by newspapers, magazines, and TV news shows, including 60 minutes and the Today Show.

Quotes from Trish McDermott

About Engage.com's State of the Date Report in 2008
"Overall, singles are optimistic that they will find the relationship that they are seeking."

About Engage.com's 2008 Val;entine's Event in San Francisco
"I suppose we could have been in the office working on Valentine’s morning, but where is the love in that? Instead, we took a team of Engage staff and friends, grabbed a musician armed with a few hundred love songs and headed down to the Montgomery BART station to romance some unsuspecting commuters."

About Engage.com's Political 'Every Singe Vote' Survey (2008)
"Voting makes you sexier in the eye of a potential romantic partner by demonstrating you are confident, empowered and believe in your ability to influence change and make things happen."

About Older Singles Entering the Online Dating Marketplace (The Desert Sun, 2005)
"I encourage older singles to give themselves permission to date numerous people, especially if they are re-entering the dating market. You can be respectful and sincere without having to be overly serious. Dating should be fun. It's fine to go out on casual dates with numerous people, and it's a great way to practice dating skills that may be a bit rusty."

About Taking a Date to a Family Holiday Gathering (Rocky Mountain News, 2005)
"When you bring someone to a family holiday gathering, it's telling them that 'I'm sharing something important.' I'm a big believer in a warm-up meeting, a pre-holiday gathering or waiting until the new year."

About Men Putting Pictures of Cars in their Profile (New York Times, 2005)
"I've had a lot of women complain about seeing cars on men's profiles. It feels out of place."

About Dating and Politics (2004)
"Dating and politics can mix, and singles with opposing political opinions can often complement each other, while also providing for some lively and challenging dating discussions. Although our parents may have warned against discussing politics on a date, our opinions and beliefs are a big part of who we are, and certainly something we should feel comfortable sharing with someone on a date."

About Holiday Gift Giving for a Date (2003)
"Whether they are feeling naughty or nice, holiday gift giving can be challenging for singles who are only casually, or very recently, dating someone, as a gift can be perceived as an indication of the depth of romantic attraction one feels. It is not as important to spend a great deal of money on a gift as it is to understand the message that an inappropriate gift – whether overly expensive, insultingly cheap or in any way distasteful – could potentially send to the recipient."

About Staying in a Bad Relationship over the Holidays (2003)
"It's generally unrealistic to expect a good outcome from staying in a bad relationship, even during the holidays. It's understandable, and commendable that most singles care enough about the person they are dating to go through the holiday season with them, hoping to make a little merry and delay an ultimate breakup, but they may send the wrong message, one of abiding love and commitment, to their family, friends and the person they're dating if they bring their doomed date home for the holidays this year."

About Match.com's Revenue Growth (from American Morning with Paula Zahn - 2002)
"I think the category itself in terms of online dating has become very accepted, and Match.com is the most well-loved and well-known brand in this industry. We register about 800,000 new members each month. Those are essentially potential dates for the 2.75 million people who now have profiles on the site."

About the Emergence of Online Dating (from 2001 interview with The Guardian)
"Online dating has definitely come of age. In 1995 the concept was not necessarily understood and probably even deemed questionable. We've come to see that it's a sound business model - probably one of the better ones out there."

About What Online Dating Services are "Selling" Users (from New York Times, 1993)
"You're selling people happy-ever-after, their greatest hopes and dreams. You're not selling cars."

Send Us An Update:
Email an update for Trish McDermott bio