2025 Conference & Trade Show Speakers
Keynote Speaker
Andrew Gibbons | WestJet | Vice-President, External Affairs
Andrew (Andy) Gibbons is WestJet’s Ottawa-based Vice-President of External Affairs. A nationally recognized leader in advocacy and government relations, Andy leads the WestJet Group’s external relations with a broad range of government, industry and stakeholder partners. Since starting with WestJet in 2012, Andy has worked to build WestJet’s reputation as a transparent and trusted partner. At the heart of this has been working with Canada’s federal and provincial governments on legislative, regulatory and policy developments impacting WestJet and the Canadian aviation industry.
Ashlynn Burry | PAL Airlines |Vice President, Commercial Operations
Ashlynn Burry is an accomplished corporate leader with over 10 years of experience in the aviation industry. Ashlynn began her career in aviation with an assurance advisory role at Deloitte where she advised the PAL Group of Companies. This role led to a full time move to PAL during the PAL Group sale to Exchange Income Corporation, where she led several acquisitions to support PAL on its path to vertical integration including the purchase of MFC Training, a professional flight school located in New Brunswick.
In her current role at PAL Airlines as Vice President, Commercial Operations she is responsible for leading the commercial strategy of PAL Airlines in Atlantic Canada, leading the teams responsible for above and below the wing operations, network planning, customer service, sales, and business development. Ashlynn is also a member of the Air Borealis Board of Directors.
Deborah Bourden | Hospitality Newfoundland & Labrador | Chair
Owner/Operator of Alphabet Fleet Inn B&B and Anchor Inn Hotel & Suites in Twillingate
Deborah is a passionate promoter of Newfoundland and Labrador as a unique tourism destination and especially her hometown of “Twillingate”. The first summer after High School she worked at the Twillingate Museum under the careful direction of Twillingate Tourism pioneer Lorna Stuckless and was forever bitten by the tourism bug. It just took her a while to find her way back to the industry that she first loved.
She is the co-owner/operator of the award-winning Anchor Inn Hotel and Suites, Vacation Homes; Amber Retreat and Above the Tickle and the Bed and Breakfast, Alphabet Fleet Inn, all located in Twillingate.
Marsha Walden | Destination Canada | President and CEO
Marsha’s career spans leadership roles in strategy and organizational renewal, marketing and communications, corporate social responsibility, operations management, and business innovation. She has worked with enterprises in many of Canada’s flagship industries and found her true calling in tourism.
Marsha joined Destination Canada as President and CEO in August 2020 in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. She is proud to lead a team of passionate professionals who share a common purpose of inspiring those with glowing hearts to fall in love with Canada – enriching the lives of visitors and enhancing the quality of life of Canadians. Previously, Marsha led the team at Destination British Columbia, initiating ground-breaking strategies for tourism development and data-driven performance marketing.
Beth Potter | Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) | President & CEO
Beth Potter is an accomplished leader with over 35 years of diversified provincial, national association experience, and close to 20 years in the tourism sector. In March of 2021, Beth joined the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), with a vision to heighten the awareness of the industry across Canada, and to strengthen the organization’s advocacy objectives and results as the sector works through and post the COVID-19 pandemic. At the international level, Beth is an active member of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) COVID-19 Taskforce and Government Affairs working group. As a testament to her leadership in the industry, Beth was awarded the 2022 Canadian Live Music Industry’s “Unsung Hero” Award for her work as co-chair of the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses and was recently named one of the Top 50 Women in Travel by the Global Business Travel Association.
Susie Grynol | Hotel Association of Canada | President & CEO
Susie launched her career in the association sector at the National Association of Consulting Engineering Companies in 2005. There she quickly rose through the ranks from Coordinator to Vice-President, overseeing government relations, media relations, events, conferences, and membership. She was recruited in 2013 by the Retail Council of Canada, one of Canada’s largest trade associations, as Vice President of Federal Government Relations, head of the Ottawa office, and lead spokesperson for the retail industry on Federal issues in Ottawa.
For three years in a row, Susie has been named one of Canada’s top 100 lobbyists by the Hill Times. In the last two years alone, she has won 5 national awards for the Association’s COVID response, including a Pinnacle Award and a Hospitality Hero award from Kostech Media and two Awards of Excellence from the Canadian Society of Association Executives to name a few.
In her current role, Susie has driven a successful turn-around strategy, building the association’s profile, influence and membership to record levels. Under her leadership, HAC membership has grown by nearly 3000%, and has delivered landslide political wins for the sector.
Philip Mondor | Tourism HR Canada | President & CEO
Philip is an accomplished leader with nearly 35 years of experience working with labour market stakeholders across Canada and abroad. His work spans over 15 industrial sectors and in 11 countries, with most of his career focused on the tourism industry. Philip is an industry representative to the Deputy Minister’s Advisory Council, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Currently, he is an advisory member of the Labour Market Information Council and a Board member of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. Throughout his career, he has been called upon to offer input to various workforce policy directives with governments and associations. Philip has worked with a variety of boards and committees, and volunteers for causes that help advance workforce issues and improve opportunities for people to engage in community and meaningful employment.
Keith Henry | Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC)| President & CEO
Keith is a Métis person that was born in Thompson, Manitoba and raised in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
He began his career in 1995 with teaching positions and has become well known for his strategic administrative and negotiations skills. Since 1998 Mr. Henry has led numerous provincial, federal and industry negotiations on a variety of issues. He has been personally responsible for financial administration of several Indigenous non-profits and has a proven track record of success.
Mr. Henry has become an international Indigenous cultural tourism leader receiving Indigenous recognition as the former CEO for Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia (AtBC). In April 2014, the inaugural World Indigenous Tourism Alliance award recognized the work of AtBC and Mr. Henry’s leadership. Mr. Henry has been spearheading the growth of authentic Indigenous tourism in Canada as he worked to redevelop the national Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada as elected chair when this organization incorporated in April 2015. In October 2015 Mr. Henry took the full-time role as the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada’s President and CEO.
Craig Foley | Hospitality Newfoundland & Labrador | Chief Executive Officer
Craig Foley, Chief Executive Officer of Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador, has been working within Newfoundland and Labrador’s tourism industry for more than 21 years. Having held numerous positions on industry boards and committees, Craig believes collaborative partnerships are the best approach to advance the tourism industry and the operations of those working within it. Recognizing the potential of tourism to positively impact the economy and way of life for residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, and with extensive experience in strategic planning, development and implementation, Craig works tirelessly to ensure sustainable industry development and growth.
Carol-Ann Gilliard | Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation | Assistant Deputy Minister
Carol-Ann Gilliard has served as the Assistant Deputy Minister of Tourism and Recreation since October 2021. Prior to that, she served as the Director of Sector Diversification with the Department of Industry, Energy and Technology. When she joined the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2015, she served as the Director of Tourism Product Development, where she led the Provincial Tourism Product Development Plan. Before that, Carol-Ann served as the CEO of Hospitality NL for seven years during which time she helped lead the development and implementation of the 10-year provincial tourism vision, Uncommon Potential. Leading up to that, she served in various policy, communications and management roles with Hospitality NL and the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation.