Hotel Association of Vancouver Board of Directors

Sascha Voth

CHAIR

Sascha is currently the General Manager for the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel. He has been on the board of the Hotel Association of Vancouver since 2014. Sascha began his career in the hotel business as a summer job after college before going to law school. That summer he discovered a profound love for Vancouver, a desire to share this spectacular city with as many visitors as possible, and a fundamental sense of pride and self-worth that came from helping guests. Subsequently, Sascha never went to law school and instead worked his way to Banquet Manager, then Director of Catering, then Assistant Hotel Manager, and finally Hotel Manager, all with the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre. Sascha is also a member of the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association Management Committee.

Michael Pye

Past Chair

Michael is the General Manager of the luxury 556-room Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. A Commerce graduate from the University of Calgary with majors in Marketing and in Tourism Hospitality Management, Michael started is hospitality career over twenty years ago in the Stewarding Department at then Canadian Pacific Jasper Park Lodge. Progressing through the Food & Beverage and Rooms Division ranks, Michael held a variety of positions in six different Fairmont properties from Vancouver to Bermuda and back. Michael has been an active member in the Tourism community wherever he has lived. Sitting on a number of varied boards in Vancouver, Michael is currently the Chair of the Hotel Association of Vancouver, Co-Chair of the Partners in Tourism Society and Chair of the Tourism Industry Partners Golf Tournament. He is on the Board Director of the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association and Officier Maître Hotelier of La Chaine des Rotisseurs.

Peter Catarino

DIRECTOR

Peter Catarino, General Manager of Delta Vancouver Downtown Suites is approaching the completion of his sixth year at the helm of this downtown Vancouver hotel.  Within weeks of assuming his post, Catarino joined the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association’s (VHDA) and was appointed to the DMF Management committee. From this vantage point, Catarino is intimately involved in helping to steer strategies to increase visitation and business volumes to Vancouver. In October 2011, Peter was appointed to the Board of the Hotel Association of Vancouver (HAV). In June 2014, Peter was appointed as Chair HAV and has worked with industry partners such as the BC Hotel Association, Tourism Vancouver, and TIABC to further the agenda of its membership. <br/><br/>Catarino is a seasoned hotelier with over 24 years of experience, most of which he spent in progressive leadership positions within the Delta brand.  This includes his previous position as General Manager of Delta Whistler Village Suites, where he oversaw the hotel’s operations during the 2010 Winter Olympics.  <br/><br/>Catarino holds a Bachelors of Hospitality Management from Vancouver Community College and finished the Strata Management Program at the Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia.  Catarino lives in Squamish with his wife and two daughters. <br/>

GARY COLLINGE

DIRECTOR

Born in Manchester, England, Gary grew up in Toronto before heading west to attend the University of Victoria. Prior to his appointed as General Manager of the Hilton Vancouver Airport, Gary Collinge’s career has taken him across Western Canada. Throughout his professional career, Gary has been active in the tourism industry contributing to the efforts supporting the bid for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre expansion taskforce. He has served three terms as a Board member and on various committees and taskforces with Tourism Vancouver, been the chair of the Vancouver Hotel Association, served as a Director of the Business Improvement Association in Victoria and with the BC Hotel Association.

Ken Flores

DIrector

Currently the Fairmont Waterfront General Manager, Ken has 30 years of experience in the tourism industry; the past 20 with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. Successive positions with Fairmont include stints in British Columbia (x3), Manitoba, Texas and California. A graduate of the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia, he balances his career in luxury hotels with a passion for the outdoors. Ken is an avid birder and active volunteer with WildResearch, a non-profit organization that monitors migratory birds populations as they travel through the Fraser estuary. He is volunteers time as a board member of the Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society—which operates the Parks Canada National Historic Site located in Steveston, B.C.

MARION HARPER TRESKIN

DIRECTOR

Marion is currently the Dual General Manager for the new JW Marriott parq Vancouver and The Douglas. She has been a member of the Hotel Association of Vancouver since its inception and was the Chair for the Board of Directors for the association for two terms. She has held management positions within the hospitality industry since 1985 with Canadian Pacific Hotels & Resorts, Delta Hotels & Resorts and for 17 years with O’Neill Hotels and Resorts, the management company of The Westin Grand, Vancouver and The Westin Resort & Spa in Whistler. Prior to assuming her current role, Marion was the General Manager of the The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver for 5 years, as well as the General Manager of The Westin Grand, Regional Director of Sales & Marketing for The Westin Grand & The Westin Resort & Spa Whistler, and in 2005 was named ‘Sales Leader of the Year’ by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. Marion’s experience includes a number of hotel openings, of which one was The Westin Resort & Spa in Whistler in 2000. Recently Marion is actively engaged in the hotel community and several boards including Tourism Vancouver and the Hotel Association of Vancouver.

BARBARA HICKS

DIRECTOR

Barbara is the General Manager of the Executive Hotel Le Soleil and has been involved in the hospitality industry for over 25 years. <br/><br/>Her previous positions have been in the sales & marketing arena primarily with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (Canada & USA) and returned to Vancouver in 2007 with the Viceroy Hotel Group to open the Loden Hotel, as Director of Sales & Marketing. Prior to joining the Executive Hotel Group she was Regional Director of Sales for Listel Hotels (Vancouver & Whistler). <br/><br/>She is member of the VHDA/DMF Convention Marketing Committee .

JONAS MELIN

Director

Jonas Melin is the General Manager of the Pinnacle Hotel Vancouver Harbourside Jonas brings over 23 years of extensive knowledge and experience related to the hospitality industry in British Columbia and North America.<br/><br/>As Franchise Service Director and National Sales Manager for Choice Hotels, he contributed to the strategic planning of the national lodging franchise for ten years plus lead quality assurance reviews and developed property improvement plans for hotels across western Canada. More recently, Jonas led development and marketing for the Kelowna based Braemar Hospitality Group as Vice President of Operations and Strategic Growth. <br/><br/>Jonas continues to be committed to the tourism and hospitality industry of Vancouver and British Columbia. He is on the board of the Hotel Association of Vancouver

Nicholas Gandossi

Director

Nicholas Gandossi, General Manager, OPUS Vancouver Nicholas Gandossi began his career in the hotel industry at age 19 with a job as a valet, parking cars at the Four Seasons Vancouver. Over the course of the next six years with Four Seasons, Nicholas worked a variety of positions including concierge, doorman, and bell services manager. An opportunity to teach English abroad was too enticing to pass up, and led Nicholas to Japan where he spent two years immersed in Japanese culture. Upon his return to Vancouver, Nicholas was ready to continue his journey in the hotel industry and he landed a full time positon at the front desk of the Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver. Nicholas worked as the guest services manager, duty manager, and front office manager. In 2002 Nicholas joined the opening team of OPUS Hotel, an independent, locally owned property in Yaletown. Moving through the ranks from director of operations to hotel manager and then to his current role as general manager since 2007, Nicholas’ contributions have been instrumental in establishing the culture of service excellence that have seen OPUS gain international recognition. Amongst its many accolades OPUS Hotel is currently the only boutique hotel in Vancouver to hold the coveted Forbes Four-Star rating (for the past three years consecutively) and has been named "Top 5 Trendiest Hotels in the World

Navid Sariolghalam

Director

Navid has been with The Sutton Place Hotel Vancouver for almost 30 years, originally joining when it was a Le Meridien Hotel.&nbsp;&nbsp;He has progressed through numerous areas within the hotel, winning many Quality Service Awards over the years, both as a Team Member and a Leader.&nbsp;&nbsp;In his current position of General Manager, he leads the management team in ensuring successful day-to-day operations, as well as execution of strategic and business goals for a 561-room luxury hotel. Navid has an unparalleled attention to detail, and has proven to be dedicated to providing an outstanding experience for both our Guests and our Employees.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br/><br/>Navid has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Studies from California State University, and has built upon his hospitality experience and knowledge over the years by attending many workshops and seminars. An active member of the&nbsp;&nbsp;Hotel Association of Vancouver, Vancouver Hotel Destination Association (will be Vice Chair 2017), Tourism Vancouver and Vancouver Board of Trade. He has also volunteered his time guest-lecturing at several local hospitality organizations and management schools, such as Go2, Vancouver Premier College, and various high school hospitality programs.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br/><br/>In his spare time, Navid enjoys spending time with his family, playing tennis & soccer, and expanding his food and wine knowledge.<br/>

Amrit Sandhu

DIrector

Amrit is currently the General Manager of the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown. He was born in India to an Army family and spent his formative years there studying in Military school. After completing his Hotel Management studies he started his hospitality career as a banquet server with Delta Hotels in 1996 in Richmond B.C. He held progressive positions in various Delta Hotels in British Columbia and Alberta before starting his current role in 2016.<br/><br/>Amrit is an avid reader and takes active interest in world affairs and economics. He holds a Bachelor of Hospitality Management from Vancouver Community College and is also a member of the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association Management Committee.

Brian Rohl

DIrector

Brian is the General Manager of the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel by APA and is also a member of the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association Management Committee. He brings over 25-years of hospitality experience to the board with senior leadership roles in Catering, Revenue Management, Sales and Rooms and has experience with hotel openings, business optimization, employee engagement and guest satisfaction. Brian is also a Climate Leader with Vice-President Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project and generously donates his time to this and many climate-change awareness causes. He is a life-long learner and stays connected to academia through term faculty positions teaching finance, accounting and sustainability/corporate social responsibility. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Guelph.