Gravitate is a travel management company that creates memorable experiences for clients who love to see the world. Clients come to us for our insider advice and personalized travel experiences. They stay with us because they know that our team provides them with consistent and wonderfully memorable experiences every time. Our team of specialized travel advisors has over 78 years of combined travel experiences, and the expertise to connect clients with dream destinations across the world. We love creating unique experiences while finding the best value for our clients, whether it’s scoring concert tickets, top dinner reservations, or the all-inclusive resort that fits your family and budget.

Business Networking International (BNI) is the world's leading business referral network with over 270,000 members in over 74 countries. As a member of this organization, I’ve met many generous local business owners and found fantastic client referrals. Contact me if you’d like to find out more about being a guest visitor to my local chapter.

Business Networking International (BNI) is the world's leading business referral network with over 270,000 members in over 74 countries. As a member of this organization, I’ve met many generous local business owners and found fantastic client referrals. Contact me if you’d like to find out more about being a guest visitor to my local chapter.

Act as the registration & CVENT implementation point of contact for 200+ students and Rotary Clubs across Canada for the 70th Annual Adventurer in Citizenship program.

PEAK 15 provides integrated marketing, sales, trip planning, operations and accounting automation as an affordable and easy-to-implement cloud service for tour operators, adventure travel companies, leisure travel agencies and destination management companies. As an account manager, I provided technical and support application assistance to its travel clients.Reporting to the VP of Operations, I managed 4-6 large tour operators daily and developed continuous relationships with these organizations via weekly meetings to provide updates on technical issues and upgrades. This role also involved reproducing reported problems and determining alternative solutions, and working with R&D to continuously improve our products.

Scotia Inspire is a third-party provider of luxury travel services exclusively for Clients of Scotiabank’s Private Client Group. I held a variety of roles at this organization. In my final role as Senior Travel Manager for Eastern Canada from October 2014 to April 2015, I was the main contact for all travel, marketing and event suppliers for both brands. I prepared promotional plans, sales literature, media kits and sales contracts and sold advertising space to our vendors for placement in our quarterly client travel magazine (Vacations and ZEST).I also attended international supplier exhibitions, presentations, and developed and maintained close relationships with a diverse group of vendors in niches including luxury hotels and resorts brands, marketing companies, celebrity chefs, conference organizers, private jet brokers and Michelin star restaurants.Office & Senior Travel Manager (SEP 2012 - OCT 2014)As Office and Senior Travel Manager, I recruited new hires, organized all onboarding and training programs, and maintained employee personnel files. I organized appointments and meetings with various suppliers, and assisted the CEO with calendaring, travel arrangements and staff management. I managed all travel arrangements for the CEO and ensured adherence to policies and procedures by staff membersSenior Travel Manager (MAY 2012 - SEP 2012)As Senior Travel Manager, I planned and sold luxury leisure trips to high net-worth clientele, meeting individual and company-wide monthly sales targets. I created detailed, customized itineraries including pre-trip arrangements, flights, transfers, in-country transportation, accommodations, exclusive insider experiences and guided touring, and worked with Virtuoso & Ensemble destination management companies on custom itinerary design and costing.

Operations ManagerGeorgia Hardy Tours is a Toronto-based educational travel and custom agency that provides tours for schools, organizations, families, and lifelong learners of all ages. As Operations Manager, I sourced, contracted and implemented the organization’s online CRM/Reservation System and integrated it with the consumer website. I created new information procedures and developed the accounting and management interfaces, all under an aggressive four-month timeline. I subsequently led all training and systems setup. This position also included responsibilities in the following areas: Management: streamlined company operations through a competitor analysis of all current suppliers to ensure organizational profitability as well as maximum benefit to clients; managed all company office suppliers and IT infrastructure partners to reduce operational overhead; sourced all air travel, from negotiation and contracting, implementation of deviations and ticketing.Business development: investigated new itinerary ideas, destinations, and market trends in conjunction with the sales department; worked with team to provide ongoing creative and revenue-generating ideas, trends and suggestions on company’s web site.Administration: Organized soft-copy filing system and made files and systems accessible via the cloud-based tool; formulated post-trip survey follow-up and analysis with sales and marketing department; co-ordinated all staff travel from bookings to visas; facilitated accounting including use of QuickBooks to cut cheques; completed expense reports and ensured on a weekly basis that all invoicing and funds were accounted for on a per-program basis.Marketing: created, approved and implemented all client-facing tour materials, from pre-departure meetings to airport meeting and greet services to signage.

Quark is an expedition travel company with over three decades of delivering authentic polar expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica. As Manager, I developed, sourced and priced all of Quark’s pre- and post-travel product offerings and generated all subsequent sales reporting for senior management, then conducted internal and external training on all products with the sales team. This position also included responsibilities in the following areas: Business development: completed a competitive analysis on all suppliers to ensure maximum profitability; exceeded sales targets for package and ancillary services by more than 25% within the first year; established an Aviation Desk at Quark in conjunction with our sister company’s team to maximize revenue opportunities with airlines and reduce internal costs (Amadeus and Afterhours calls); ensured quality control of supplier bookings, reconciliation of supplier invoicing, reconciling past travel client discrepancies.Administration: worked closely with the Operations/Expedition team in creating a travel policy for all seasonal contract staff; monitored those policies and procedures during the booking process to meet budget; managed all internal corporate staff travel; found amicable solutions to all client/supplier service issues that arose in the travel services department; worked closely with Finance and IT in monitoring budgets and creating a sales process to streamline the department; ensured positive financial rewarding relationships between Quark and its travel providers.Staff management: managed the Travel Service Coordinator, including annual reviews, training, coaching and development.Marketing: created sales/client service product guides, including groups, for internal and external agent use; created destination subject matter expert for all pre/post packages.

Group Air & Web ServicesMy role as Project Manager for Web Services involved working with clients and internal teams to facilitate web registration processes, requirements, budgets, and deadlines. I generated project deadlines and managed a changing scope of work to meet deadlines and budget. I also generated client quotations, including streamlining client processes and generating additional revenue. I communicated technical requirements for site development, internal testing, and external (client) testing. I also collaborated with our sales department during the client prospecting process to discuss client processes, requirements, potential solutions, and application selection.Air Operations Project ManagerMy role as Air Operations Project Manager involved organizing client requirements for air, hotel, transportation, and other logistics, with internal teams, U.S. and Global offices, and global destination management companies, to ensure seamless transitions for travellers. The role involved generating client quotes using SABRE and costing reports for logistics, together with land arrangements. I also generated various reports and updates to client budgets, adhering to CWT business procedures, and negotiated and managed group air blocks contracts.In this role, I also worked with the Canadian Olympic Committee onsite in Brazil, for a 3-week period, to fulfill all air travel needs for the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2007.

Air Operations Project Manager •Organization of client requirements for air, hotel, transportation, and other logistics, with internal teams, US & Global offices, and global destination DMC's, to ensure seamless transitions for travellers. •Worked with the Canadian Olympic Committee onsite in Brazil, for a 3 week period, to fulfill all air travel needs for the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2007•Generation of client quotations using SABRE and costing reports for logistics, together with land arrangements.•Generation of various reports and updates to client budget’s by program.•Ensuring adherence to CWT business procedures (such as LOA’s).•Negotiation and management of group air blocks contracts.•Ensuring client risk management policies were respected, while internal loads remained within guidelines and limits.

Corporate Travel ConsultantAs a Corporate Travel Consultant for business travel management company Carlson Wagonlit (now CWT), I worked as part of a team that organized air, hotel, transportation, and other logistics for corporate clients at one of the five largest Canadian financial institutions. I maintained quality control and ensured accurate and timely reporting both internally and externally to the client.

As Corporate Account and Service Manager for Plan-it Travel, a boutique travel agency servicing the music and entertainment industries, I managed a series of upscale concert corporate accounts such as Clear Channel Entertainment, Warner Music and some top nightclubs/bars travel programs. For Warner and Clear Channel, my top two accounts, I managed travel for top Canadian and international artists across Canada and the U.S., fulfilling contractual needs regarding artist riders and contracts. I ensured VIP top level travel arrangements on Private Jets for concert traveling musicians. I also organized corporate travel arrangements for the company’s internal team.

At AirMiles Vacations, I worked with a team of 25 that sold travel to cardholders. I participated in frequent supplier updates and was the point of contact for clients during their travel.

At Walt Disney World Resort, I served as a Cultural Representative for Canada working in the Canada Pavilion at E.P.C.O.T. I welcomed guests, handled merchandising and cash transactions, and worked for a period with affluent clients in the VIP guest services area. I was selected as one of 50 candidates out of a pool of 300 and lived in a condo complex with members of 22 other countries as part of Disney’s cultural representation program.

I worked on Timber Wolf Falls and the Days of Thunder rides, where I was quickly promoted within 3 months to a supervisory position managing schedules, operations and technical issues for 22 team members.