Hotel Association of Vancouver Board of Directors

Adam Laker

Chair

Currently Adam is the General Manager for the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver known as the Castle in the City for the past three years.

Prior to this position, he was the Area General Manager for the Philippines with Accor as well as being the GM at the Sofitel Manila for just over five years after spending 3 years in Fiji as GM of the Sofitel Resort and 2 years as GM of the JW Marriott in Khao Lak in Thailand.

Prior to this, Adam was the GM at the Sofitel Reef Casino in Cairns Australia and the Director of Operations at the Sofitel Gold Coast.

Darren Simpson

Past Chair

Darren is the current General Manager at The Burrard Hotel. With over 15 years of experience, Darren proven his passion and dedication to the hospitality industry by working his way through the ranks at the Whistler, Vancouver, and Fairmont Waterfront properties. He began his career as the Assistant Front Office Manager at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler and stayed in the Fairmont family for 11 years. In June 2014, Darren left Vancouver bound for Christina Lake in Alberta to take on the role of Field Accommodations Manager for Cenovus Energy. One year later, he returned to the big city to lead the team at The Burrard and hasn’t looked back.

Graduating from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Commerce in 2003, Darren has proven himself as a lifelong learner garnering even further education and accolades. In 2010, while he was Reservations and Revenue Manager at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Darren received his Revenue Management Certificate and Strategic Management Certificate

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.

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.

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

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 Pan Pacific Hotel, 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. Gary is currently the Chair of the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association

Kris Syzlowski

DIRECTOR

Kris is the General Manager of the Holiday Inn & Suites Vancouver Downtown

Barry Johnson

Director

Barry is the General Manager of the Delta Hotels by Marriott Vancouver DowntownSuites

Paul Cannings

Director

Paul is the General Manager of the Westin Bayshore

Susan Strome

Director

Susan is the General Manager of the Sutton Place Hotel

Gaetan Bottier

Treasurer

Gaetan is the General Manager of the Sylvia Hotel

Dave Stevens

Director

Dave is the General Managers of the Days Inn Vancouver Downtown

Allison Donne

Director

Allison is the General Manager of the Listel Hotel Vancouver

Jean-Francois Vary

Director

Jean-Francois Vary is the General Manager for the Fairmont Waterfront

Patrick Gosselin

DIRECTOR

Patrick is the General Manager of the Hyatt Regency Vancouver

David Stevenson-Moore

DIRECTOR

David is the General Manager of the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle