[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 honed her skills...

[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 honed her skills...

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-35837326 Host: William C Murray, PhD: William is passionate about service, the hospitality...

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-35837326 Host: William C Murray, PhD: William is passionate about service, the hospitality...

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 Innovative Solutions for Recruitment and Retention of Millennials”.  You can connect with Altaf on...

[Episode 24] 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 Innovative Solutions for Recruitment and Retention of Millennials”.  You can connect...

[Episode 24] 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 Canada’s 100 most powerful women in 2019, and most recently was honoured with the...

[Episode 23] 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 Canada’s 100 most powerful women in 2019, and most recently was honoured with the...

[Episode 22] 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 home. She joined the executive team with the House of Dior in 2022. You can connect...

[Episode 21] 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 home. She joined the executive team with the House of Dior in 2022. You can connect...

[S2E06] 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 90th anniversary. In 2019, he received the Pinnacle Award as Canada’s Hotelier of the...

[S2E05] 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 90th anniversary. In 2019, he received the Pinnacle Award as Canada’s Hotelier of the Year....

[S2E04] 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 KFC. Entrepreneur, partner, leader, and supporter – Brian continues to put his partners...

[S2E03] 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 KFC. Entrepreneur, partner, leader, and supporter – Brian continues to put his partners...

[S2E02] 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 programs. In 2017, she joined the team of Accent Inns and Hotel Zed, where she continues to...

[S2E01] 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 programs. In 2017, she joined the team of Accent Inns and Hotel Zed, where she continues to...

[S1E14] 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 Award for Hotelier...

[S1E13] 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 established his own...

[S1E12] 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 hearts of people,...

[S1E11] 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 of professional...

[S1E10] 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 from all levels,...

[S1E09] 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 focus on highly...

[S1E08] 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 Delta Hotels...

[S1E07] 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 Canada. Most...