• 10 reasons to go Entrée
• Our Mission
• The dream team
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Our Team
Because we want know what your expectations, needs and dreams are, we think it only fair that you get to know ours, too! Check us out below to learn how each of us came to share our passion for Canada here at Entrée Canada - and how we can best serve you.
Check out the Entrée Alaska team here.
Check out the Entrée Space team here.
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Beatrice Barton - Senior Group Sales & Operations Manager
Favourite Canadian Experience: "Heli-hiking in the Cariboos. No trails, no campgrounds or houses, no cars-just us hikers surrounded by majestic mountains, meadows, snow and glaciers. Breathtaking!"
Beatrice began her career in tourism as a travel agent in her hometown of Lucerne, Switzerland, eventually joining the destination management department of Bucher Travel. There, she spent nine years working for corporate and incentive groups as a program planner and manager.
Beatrice's travels have taken her to Europe, Australia, South America, Mexico, and Kenya. However, it wasn't until she met her now-husband, a Canadian, that she discovered the beauty of British Columbia. She moved to Vancouver in 1996, and she and her husband are avid skiers, hikers, campers and divers.
Beatrice joined Entrée Canada in 2002. As Senior Group Sales & Operations Manager, she guarantees the efficient operation of our unique and fun group programs-from special interest groups, corporate and incentive groups to high end group itineraries.
Contact her at beatrice@entreedestinations.com
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Bernadette Lynch - Senior Sales Manager, Canada
Favourite Canadian Moment: "A few years ago, I was at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, enjoying a glass of wine overlooking the lake, when my friend and I spotted two elk making their way across the lake. It was late spring, and the lake was starting to thaw. Suddenly, one of the elk fell through. The other one stood very still, afraid to move, and seemed to be silently encouraging the other one to fight its way out. Everyone around the lake shouted encouragement, absolutely riveted by the scene. Finally, after a tough struggle, the elk managed to fight his way out. A huge cheer echoed around the lake as they made their way to shore!"
Born and raised in Vancouver, Bernadette also lived in Montréal before beginning her career in tourism as a guide in Western Canada and the Rockies. She took great pride in showcasing the spectacular Canadian landscape to guests from around the world, and explored Europe, Japan, North America, and the Caribbean during the off-seasons.
After going back to school to earn her Marketing Management Diploma from the British Columbia Institute of Technology, Bernadette reentered the tourism industry as a Public Relations specialist. She joined Entrée Canada in 2006 as FIT Sales Manager, Canada. It was a natural transition, allowing her to use her extensive knowledge of Canada to create unique and exciting travel experiences for visitors from around the world.
Contact her at bernadette@entreedestinations.com
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Blair Letal - Product, Documentation & Administration Manager
Favourite Canadian Memory: "My two-month cross-Canada road trip with my parents and two brothers in the summer of 1989, when I was 13- Canada Day in Ottawa, old Quebéc City, Pierce Rock, Hopewell Rocks, the Cabot Trail, and all-you-can-eat lobster!"
Blair was born in Edmonton and raised in the small towns of Bow Island and Bonnyville in rural Alberta. He moved to Vancouver shortly after high school, and graduated from college with a Travel & Tourism Management Diploma in 1997. He immediately accepted his first job in the industry, and his career has been dedicated to wholesale travel ever since. Jobs have taken him to Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia; Sydney, Australia; and Auckland, New Zealand. He has worked in management for the past nine years, and has been our Product, Documentation & Administration Manager since 2007.
Blair's travels include Asia, Australasia/Oceania and Europe. In Canada, he has ventured from coast to coast and visited nine of the 10 provinces. In his spare time, he enjoys spelunking, whitewater rafting, photography, coin collecting and, of course, travelling!
Contact him at blair@entreedestinations.com
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Fannie Smith - Manager, FIT Operations
Favourite Canadian Experiences: "Crossing Canada from East to West as a child, with the Rockies getting bigger and more majestic every day. I also love going back to Québec, with its cobblestone streets, and catching up with friends at our favourite café. And no matter how much I travel and how many incredible cities I seen, Vancouver still takes my breath away."
The proud daughter of a professional hockey player, Fannie spent her childhood moving around, from Québec City to the Maritimes, New England, and British Columbia. Not surprisingly, she is fluent in both of Canada's national languages, and has developed a keen appreciation for the variety of experiences Canada has to offer.
In 1998, Fannie returned to B.C. She began her career in tourism in the snowy side shops of Whistler village, eventually moving into customer service and sales. In 2003, she and her husband set off on a 16-month trip to Europe, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti. They welcomed their son to the world in 2007, and are already passing on their passion for travel.
Fannie joined the Entrée Canada team in 2005, bringing with her a dedication to providing outstanding customer service, and a passion for creating vacations as memorable for others as the ones she's experienced herself.
Contact her at fannie@entreedestinations.com
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Grace Schmidt - Manager, Group Sales & Operations
Favourite Canadian Place: "The great outdoors! In B.C., there's so much to do-hiking, biking, climbing, kayaking. But for me, the best thing is walking in the forest after a rainfall, when everything smells so earthy and there are a million shades of green. Heaven!"
Growing up on a farm in Ontario, Grace's first real travel experience was during a summer co-op at the Fairmont Château Lake Louise in 1986, when she visited the World Expo in Vancouver. It was a short trip, but the seed was sown.
With an honours degree in Resort & Hotel Management, Grace has worked at The Fairmont Algonquin in St. Andrews, New Brunswick; as a Canadian Cultural Representative at Epcot Center; as a tour guide for seniors' coach tours across North America; and for the Sonesta Beach Hotel in Bermuda. Her own travels have taken her through South America and Southeast Asia, to Europe, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. She also spent five years at sea as Group Coordinator and Event Manager for Royal Caribbean International.
Now firmly back on land, Grace settled in Vancouver with her South African husband in 2005. She joined Entrée Canada in 2008, and is eager to share her enthusiasm for travel and her favourite country in the world.
Contact her at grace@entreedestinations.com
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Jason Wong - Assistant Controller
Favourite thing about Canada: "I just love the variety of outdoor activities British Columbia has to offer-camping and fishing on the lakes around the interior, cycling around Stanley Park, and playing beach volleyball under the temperate sun."
Born and raised in Vancouver, Jason earned a BA in Economics from Simon Fraser University in 1999. Five years and myriad experiences later, he realized he wanted to pursue a career in accounting-and received a professional accounting diploma from the British Columbia Institute of Technology a year later. Currently, he is pursuing a Certified General Accounting designation and is in his final year of studies.
Jason has more than seven years of accounting experience across diverse industries. His interest in tourism was piqued during a tenure at Intrawest Corporation, a world leader in the development and management of destination resorts.
Having recently joined Entrée Canada, Jason is excited to be to working in the travel industry again. He lives in Vancouver with his wife, who is a registered clinical counsellor.
Contact him at jason@entreedestinations.com
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Jose Azpiri - Sales Manager, Canada
Favourite Canadian Resort: "The beautiful Sonora Resort in B.C. You get there by seaplane or helicopter, and once you're there it's like you are in another world-one where you can go grizzly bear viewing, whale watching, or fishing... every time you're there, the experience is different."
José was born in the colonial city of Puebla, Mexico, and is fluent in Spanish and English. He graduated from the Universidad Iberoamericana Mexico with a Business Administration degree in 1997, and made the move to Vancouver in 2002.
José has worked in sales and marketing for the past decade. His first position in Canada was as a Sales Manager for a local DMC, where he learned about all the beautiful places that Canada has to offer. His creativity and professionalism-along with the extensive network of contacts he has nurtured throughout Mexico and Latin America-make him a tremendous asset for Entrée Canada, which he joined in 2008.
José prides himself on his ability to anticipate and respond to his clients' needs. He also believes that exceptional accommodations can define a holiday experience; travelling is an integral part of his own life, and his journeys have instilled in him a deep appreciation for world-class hotels.
José spends his free time with his family-his wife, who is a chef, and two energetic boys.
Contact him at jose@entreedestinations.com
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Lynn Matson - Controller
Favourite Canadian Experience: "Walking along a trail close to my home, where the peace and tranquility of the west coast rainforest has been perfectly preserved."
Lynn grew up in Vancouver and spent family holidays exploring beautiful B.C. Many years later, a trip to Europe sparked her fascination with tourism, while her most recent adventure took her Ireland to visit the working farm where her grandmother grew up.
Lynn has worked in various industries over the course of her career, and spent the past 12 years as a business consultant, helping implement financial management reporting systems. It was in that capacity that she met Marc Télio, whom she helped "set up the books" at Entrée Destinations. Over the years, Lynn has offered advice and support to Marc and the team, and says it's been fascinating to watch Entrée Canada evolve into the thriving business it is today. Lynn came on board full-time to assist with the acquisition of Entrée Alaska and never left!
Lynn is blessed to share her life with three wonderful children.
Contact her at lynn@entreedestinations.com
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Marc Télio - President
Favourite Canadian Moment: "Walking the endless beaches of Tofino with my wife and children, looking for sand dollars and other treasures that pepper that amazing shoreline."
Marc's love affair with international travel started in his early twenties. After receiving an Economics diploma from his hometown university in Montréal, he set out to explore Asia, Australia and Africa. His travels continued for almost four years.
Using his working fluency in French, Japanese and English, Marc began working for a tour operator on the east coast of Australia, coordinating inbound travel for the French, Japanese and English-speaking markets. In 1994, he returned to Canada and moved to Vancouver with the intention of creating Canada's top inbound travel company.
"I consider myself blessed. I work with amazing teams in both our Canada and Alaska offices. They believe in what we stand for and they take pride in delivering exceptional service to our guests. I cherish the strong partnerships we have built with our suppliers. I am blessed to work in partnership with the best clients in the travel industry. I've made amazing friends in this business, and the luxury travel industry has us traveling the world in style. I wouldn't trade this for anything!"
Marc loves living and working in Vancouver. He attempts to keep a good balance between his time at the office and his time with his wife and their two children-whom he considers integral to all site inspections (it's never too early to bring the kids into the business).
Contact him at marc@entreedestinations.com
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Murphy - Director of Fluffy (a.k.a. Fluff Daddy)
Murphy is Marc's Old English Sheepdog. He is responsible for all things Fluffy. He comes into the office most days and spends his time lying on his back, welcoming visitors and keeping the office on its toes.
Favourite Canadian Moment: Dominating the government auditor that audited our company last year. The expression on her face was priceless.
Other interests
Meat
"Watering" the neighbour's lawn
Going through everyone's garbage in the office
Running up and down the office hallway with the rubber chicken (the one that's holding a banjo and makes a horrible screeching noise)
Dislikes
Healthy dog food
Being left alone for any amount of time
Always being asked to "shake a paw". What's up with that?
Favorite movies
The Godfather 1 & 2
The Jazz Singer
Gandhi
A Star is Born (the one with Barbra)
Favorite Hotels
Soneva Gili, Maldives (amazing food and beverage, loves the curry)
Palazzo Sasso, Ravello (confession: has not been there since the renovations in 2007)
Six Senses Yao Noi (now he can't stay in a hotel without a personal butler)
Fairmont Château Whistler, Whistler Resort (was floored by the consistent attention to dog details)
Ambitions
Saving up for a Virgin Galactic Space Flight. $199,999 to go.
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Timothy (TJ) Lim - Manager, FIT Operations
Favourite thing about Canada: "I love how every major city in Canada is so different. Out here, I can go dog sledding, to the driving range, and snowboarding on Blackcomb glacier before 4pm. That said, my heart is in Toronto: the diverse culture, the food, the architecture, the music. It truly is Canada's most cosmopolitan city."
"TJ" was born in Windsor, Ontario. His interest in travel was fostered at an early age through family trips-which were frequent and diverse. At 18, he moved to Toronto and spent several memorable years in Canada's metropolis.
In his mid-twenties, TJ embarked on a cross-country road trip that eventually drew him to Vancouver. It was here that his passion for tourism, travel, and business took over. Dividing his time between mountains and school, he worked in the ski and snowboarding industry while earning his BA in Tourism Management. He joined the Entrée Canada team in 2007 and takes great pleasure in showcasing Canada to the rest of the world.
Outside of work, TJ keeps his life in balance with sports and the arts. He's an avid snowboarder and volleyball player, and truly believes that with one more foot in height, he would be a professional basketball player by now. He's a collector of music who still prefers vinyl, has been known to hit the dance floor, and is teaching himself how to play the piano.
Contact him at timothy@entreedestinations.com
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