Drop me a text! [Episode 30] Support The Service Center!: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1844427/support Lesley Wong is the owner and Principal Designer at Lesley Wong Interiors and is a hospitality interior design specialists based in Ontario, Canada. Her guest-first design strategy is focused on crafting customized and beautiful hotel spaces for guests, that are both ascetically pleasing and operationally function for operators. Lesley graduated from the New York School of Interior Design and hone...
Jul 13, 2023•32 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 29] Support The Service Center!: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1844427/support Lesley Wong is the owner and Principal Designer at Lesley Wong Interiors and is a hospitality interior design specialists based in Ontario, Canada. Her guest-first design strategy is focused on crafting customized and beautiful hotel spaces for guests, that are both ascetically pleasing and operationally function for operators. Lesley graduated from the New York School of Interior Design and hone...
Jun 30, 2023•29 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 28] Support The Service Center!: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1844427/support Anne Marie Johns is the General Manager of the Fairmont Tremblant. She has been a leader in the lodging industry for over 30 years across 11 hotel properties, with extensive experience in sales and marketing, along with operational management. In 2021, she received the Pinnacle Award from KML as Hotelier of the Year. You can connect with Anne Marie on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/anne-marie-johns-35...
May 23, 2023•45 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 27] Support The Service Center!: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1844427/support Anne Marie Johns is the General Manager of the Fairmont Tremblant. She has been a leader in the lodging industry for over 30 years across 11 hotel properties, with extensive experience in sales and marketing, along with operational management. In 2021, she received the Pinnacle Award from KML as Hotelier of the Year. You can connect with Anne Marie on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/anne-marie-johns-35...
Mar 28, 2023•39 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 26] Support The Service Center!: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1844427/support Dr. Altaf Sovani is the founder and CEO of Alzen Consulting, focusing on hospitality, tourism, and education sectors. Altaf has over 27 years experience as a hospitality educator, with 13 years as the Academic Chair with the School of Hospitality and Tourism at Algonquin College in Ottawa, ON. In 2022, Altaf published his book, “Labor Crisis in Hospitality, Tourism & Event Industry – Finding ...
Mar 16, 2023•37 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 25] Support The Service Center!: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1844427/support Dr. Altaf Sovani is the founder and CEO of Alzen Consulting, focusing on hospitality, tourism, and education sectors. Altaf has over 27 years experience as a hospitality educator, with 13 years as the Academic Chair with the School of Hospitality and Tourism at Algonquin College in Ottawa, ON. In 2022, Altaf published his book, “Labor Crisis in Hospitality, Tourism & Event Industry – Finding ...
Feb 22, 2023•39 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 24] Support The Service Center!: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1844427/support Reetu Gupta is the Chairwoman and Ambassadress of The Gupta Group, a multi-faceted Toronto development company with a vast real estate portfolio including residential condos, office towers and hotels. The Gupta Group is a multi-generational family-run and operated business. Reetu has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 40 under 40 leaders, has receive the BMO Entrepreneurial Award as part of C...
Jan 27, 2023•34 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 23] Support The Service Center!: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1844427/support Reetu Gupta is the Chairwoman and Ambassadress of The Gupta Group, a multi-faceted Toronto development company with a vast real estate portfolio including residential condos, office towers and hotels. The Gupta Group is a multi-generational family-run and operated business. Reetu has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 40 under 40 leaders, has receive the BMO Entrepreneurial Award as part of C...
Jan 16, 2023•32 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 22] Support The Service Center!: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1844427/support Laura Hingel is the Global Head of Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding with Parfums Christian Dior. Prior to joining Dior, she built her career in talent and human resource management in the hospitality and service field with elite companies that include Accor, FHRI, and the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Laura hails from Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada but current calls Paris, France her ho...
Dec 23, 2022•29 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 21] Support The Service Center!: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1844427/support Laura Hingel is the Global Head of Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding with Parfums Christian Dior. Prior to joining Dior, she built her career in talent and human resource management in the hospitality and service field with elite companies that include Accor, FHRI, and the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Laura hails from Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada but current calls Paris, France her ho...
Dec 12, 2022•40 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 20] Support The Service Center!: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1844427/support Edwin Frizzell is the Regional Vice President for Accor in Central Canada and the General Manager of the Fairmont Royal York hotel in Toronto, Ontario. He has 30 years of experience in the lodging sector with brands including Delta Hotels, The Sutton Place, Sheraton, W Hotels, Hilton Worldwide, Westin, and now AccorHotels. He led the epic 5-year renovation project in honour of the Royal York’s 90...
Nov 25, 2022•34 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 19] Support The Service Center!: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1844427/support Edwin Frizzell is the Regional Vice President for Accor in Central Canada and the General Manager of the Fairmont Royal York hotel in Toronto, Ontario. He has 30 years of experience in the lodging sector with brands including Delta Hotels, The Sutton Place, Sheraton, W Hotels, Hilton Worldwide, Westin, and now AccorHotels. He led the epic 5-year renovation project in honour of the Royal York’s 90...
Nov 18, 2022•33 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 18] Support The Service Center!: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1844427/support Brian Leon is the CEO of Choice Hotels Canada, where he has led their franchise family for over 16 years. Before joining Choice Hotels, he was instrumental in developing the successes of both The Great Canadian Bagel and Booster Juice. Brian was born into a hospitality family – his father worked directly with Colonel Saunders himself to grow Scott’s Chicken Villa into what we know today simply as...
Nov 04, 2022•41 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 17] Support The Service Center!: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1844427/support Brian Leon is the CEO of Choice Hotels Canada, where he has led their franchise family for over 16 years. Before joining Choice Hotels, he was instrumental in developing the successes of both The Great Canadian Bagel and Booster Juice. Brian was born into a hospitality family – his father worked directly with Colonel Saunders himself to grow Scott’s Chicken Villa into what we know today simply as...
Oct 28, 2022•45 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 16] Support The Service Center!: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1844427/support Trina Notman is a leader of rebels as Vice President of Marketing and Communications with both Accent Inns and Hotel Zed. Her career began in journalism and storytelling, pivoting into the world of marketing and creative campaign design. However, she jumped into the world of hospitality and tourism with Tourism Victoria, spending nearly 6 years leading public relations strategies and marketing pr...
Oct 20, 2022•33 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 15] Support The Service Center!: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1844427/support Trina Notman is a leader of rebels as Vice President of Marketing and Communications with both Accent Inns and Hotel Zed. Her career began in journalism and storytelling, pivoting into the world of marketing and creative campaign design. However, she jumped into the world of hospitality and tourism with Tourism Victoria, spending nearly 6 years leading public relations strategies and marketing pr...
Oct 14, 2022•28 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 14] Mandy Farmer is a hotelier who puts people, service, & experience at the forefront of everything she does! She is President & CEO of both Accent Inns & Hotel Zed, two brands that pack a lot of personality. She embraces doing things differently, hires rebels, and pushes against being boring – all with a of leading with love. If you are ready to radically enrich the lives of others, you are definitely part of her tribe. Mandy received the 2016 KML Pinnacle ...
Aug 12, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 13] Darcy MacDonell is a restauranteur and entrepreneur who current owns and operates multiple hospitality businesses in Orillia, Ontario with his partner Simon MacRae, including The Common Stove, PICNIC Tapas & Wine Bar, and ROOMService. Before pivoting to Orillia, he built and operated one of Toronto’s first farm-to-table focused restaurants, The FARMHOUSE Tavern. After working under mentors like Peter Oliver, Michael Bonacini, and Charles Khabouth, Darcy has estab...
May 26, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 12] Arjun Channa is the General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He is a true professional in the hospitality field and a life-long hotelier with a decade and a half of experience in the general manager role throughout the globe. He has led iconic properties in Vanuatu, Aruba, Puerto Rico, India, Canada, and now at the luxury property in St. Thomas. His focus is on excellence in everything you do and that true hospitality lives in the he...
May 13, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 11] Erin Haid is the Director of Global Talent Acquisitions for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. She has over 15 years of experience within the hospitality field, from her time in foodservice as a Manager for Earl’s Restaurants, to developing talent and culture with Starwood Hotels and Resorts, then with Accor. Prior to taking on her national leadership position with Four Seasons, she was the Head of People with Ten Thousand Coffees, an organization focused on the power ...
Mar 29, 2022•51 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 10] Susie Grynol is the President of the Hotel Association of Canada, the nation’s leading advocacy voice for the lodging sector. During the pandemic, she has led the charge to gain governmental assistance through the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program, accessing more the $11 billion in financial relief and assistance for the industry. Simultaneously, she co-founded the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses, a partnership of over 125 sector associations and events fr...
Feb 23, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 9] Dr. Rachel Dodds is a Full Professor at the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Ryerson University. She served for 4 years as the Director for Ryerson’s Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Research and is the Director/Owner of Sustaining Tourism, a boutique tourism consulting firm specializing in sustainable tourism, tourism development and policy, and ecotourism. Rachel is an expert in the field of sustainable tourism and eco-tourism, with a ...
Jan 20, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 8] Sean Billing is the Operating Partner at the Frontenac Club, a unique boutique lodging establishment found in the building designed to be the first Bank of Montreal in Upper Canada (circa 1845). Located in the heart of Kingston, Ontario, the Frontenac Club brings a new style and elegance to the Limestone City. When not running his historic landmark property, Sean is also the Executive Director of Brace Hospitality Consulting. He has operated properties in Canada for D...
Jan 07, 2022•53 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 7] Rosanna Caira is the Editor & Publisher at Kostuch Media Ltd, which produces both ‘Foodservice and Hospitality’ and ‘Hotelier Magazine’. She has observed, reported on, and celebrated the Canadian hospitality industry for 40 years, from showcasing emerging talent with the ‘Top 30-Under-30’ awards to spotlighting excellence with the Pinnacle Awards. Rosanna is a highly respected industry voice, surfacing stories that highlight the diverse quality of hospitality in C...
Dec 10, 2021•1 hr•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 6] Neil Hornsby is the Director of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships with Best Western International, the largest lodging membership association in the world with over 4,700 connected units. Neil studied hospitality management at the University of Guelph, falling in love with the hotel side of the industry, since returning as a core member of the HFTM Policy Advisor Committee. Neil grew his career with Delta Hotels at numerous properties as he rose through the ranks, ...
Nov 28, 2021•57 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 5] Joseph Klein is the General Manager of the Sheraton Montreal Airport Hotel, a seasoned hotelier who has managing iconic properties throughout Canada including the Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain, Deerhurst Resort, and the former Fairmont Algonquin Hotel. He started at the beginning, like so many, as a busboy, moving up and through most every job in hotel operations. His time with WardAir allowed him to pivot into what became a decade long mastery of learning and t...
Nov 12, 2021•56 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 4] Madison Homewood is the founder of Drinks on Friday, a luxury cocktail subscription service based out of Toronto, Ontario. As an internationally award winning mixologist, Madi has created a one-of-a-kind beverage service to bring joy of indulging in bespoke cocktail recipes with extremely unique ingredients to your door. Madison has honed her craft at elite locations such as Restaurant le Phenix, The Trash Collective, the Supernova Ballroom, and Langdon Hall. She has ...
Oct 20, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 3] Scott Stratten is the President of UnMarketing, is a 6X best selling author, and a internationally sought-after speaker who passionately believes that a better business world can be build around integrity, community, and authenticity. He walks a beautiful tightrope of being funny and engaging while exposing some raw truths about business we know to be real, but might find tough to look at. In 2018, he was inducted into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame. H...
Sep 29, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 2] Jerrett Young is the Partner and CEO of Equal Parts Hospitality – a rich blend of lodging, foodservice, golf, and event spaces deeply rooted in the communities of Southern Ontario. Their diverse portfolio of properties of restaurants, accommodations, and event establishments include The Diplomat, Aberdeen Tavern, The French, The Apartment, and Knollwood Golf Club. After catching the hospitality ‘bug’ in his twenties, Jerrett rose through the ranks of Oliver & Boni...
Sep 20, 2021•48 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Drop me a text! [Episode 1] Sara Glenn is the Chief Operating Officer for Accor in Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. Sara sits down in the Service Center to talk about her story in the hospitality industry, the value of taking risks, and the importance of taking care of people, both hotel guests and employees. Sara and William discuss how she sees herself as the "Chief Facilitator of Resolutions" to help her team solve problems, and that the lodging industry will not ...
Sep 14, 2021•44 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast 
