Perspectives and Resources for New Tourism Professionals

Andrea Hinck

Director, Industry Training, 2Go2HR

Andrea joined the go2HR team in 2015 and has more than 25 years’ experience in the tourism and hospitality industry. She manages and implements go2HR’s industry training programs and projects including SuperHost, and in the past, the Winning Pitch and Student Industry Rendezvous. She also liaises with go2HR committees, industry associations, employers, training providers, and other stakeholders. Andrea is a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) and holds a certificate in leadership coaching and a diploma as a provincial instructor in adult education.

Anita Bhamra

Professor at Centennial College & Director of Learning and Development at Commercial Solutions for You

Anita Bhamra has dedicated her professional journey to hotels in sales and operations with over 16 years of enriching experiences.  Her passion for generating strategic growth in sales and marketing for hotels leading them to successful operations, made her quickly realize the profound and positive impact this would have for ownership management companies to invest and develop new assets and creating new job opportunities for various local communities.

As a current Professor at Centennial College at the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts, Anita empowers students through transformational learning and experiences along with helping them build their leadership skills and identities.  She serves as a member of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) committee and works closely with faculty to help transform their teaching practices to ensure all students have a fair opportunity to learn and succeed.

Joe Baker

Strategy Advisor, Ontario Tourism Education Corporation (OTEC)

Joe has recently joined OTEC as a Systems Leadership and Integrated Strategy Advisor.  He will be focusing on supporting tourism industry recovery efforts in collaboration with the many organizations involved in several active projects and initiatives.  He is an experienced speaker, facilitator and writer. Joe was previously Dean at Centennial College’s School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts in Toronto where he led the most significant transformation in the School’s 50+ year history.

Prior to joining Centennial, Joe held progressive senior management roles at George Brown College’s Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts in Toronto, including his most recent role there as Director of Operations, Services and Partnerships.

Joe serves on the Board of Directors for Tourism HR Canada, Tourism Industry Association of Ontario and was previously on the board at the Ontario Tourism Education Corporation (OTEC) but stepped down to accept his new role.

David Tikkanen

Program Head of the Tourism Management program – BCIT

David Tikkanen is the Program Head of the Tourism Management program, and Academic Coordinator for the Tourism, Event Management, and Fundraising programs in the School of Business + Media at BCIT. A graduate of the University of Western Ontario, David has held senior roles within most sectors of the tourism economy, including hotels (Westin and Fairmont), DMOs (Tourism Whistler), and Conferences and Events (Entrée Canada). In addition, he currently serves as the President of the BC Chapter of MPI (Meeting Professionals International). Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, and getting out on his motorcycle on sunny days.

Maria Bushmin

BCIT Graduate

Maria is a recent BCIT graduate from the Marketing Management program with a focus in Tourism. During her time at BCIT, she was fortunate to be hold the positions of VP of Fundraising at Young Women in Business BCIT chapter, and VP of Club Development at MPI BCIT chapter. She also had the wonderful opportunity to be part of the BCITSA Intrapreneurship Edge program. Currently, Maria is working as a Junior Research Assistant for BCIT Applied Research’s SMART department working with electric vehicle infrastructure, renewable energy, and helping organize webinars and other educational initiatives.

Maddie Lemieux

BCIT Graduate

Maddie Lemieux is a recent BCIT graduate from the marketing management program where she specialized in tourism. She decided to get into tourism because of her love of people and desire to create positive, memorable life experiences for visitors. Maddie is the outgoing President of MPI BCIT and was a set representative for her class. Maddie has a love for the culinary arts and spends her free time mastering new recipes in the kitchen and exploring local restaurants. Maddie is currently looking for tourism-related employment opportunities as she navigates entering an industry that has been heavily impacted by COVID-19.

Daniel Chang

BCIT Graduate

Daniel is a recent BCIT graduate of the Tourism Management program. He completed his practicum with Anvil Centre and is currently doing marketing and sales for Coastal Offroad, a local company that specializes in protective armour for off-road vehicles. Bilingual in english and madarin, Daniel enjoys getting outdoors and playing golf or basketball in his leisure time.