APPOINTMENTS
Tara Powadiuk/Kensington
Kensington has appointed Tara Powadiuk as its new SVP, Marketing. Powadiuk is a seasoned global marketing executive with more than 25 years of experience driving brand growth, digital transformation and customer engagement, and she will lead Kensington’s global marketing strategy as the company continues its rapid expansion across the luxury and ultra-luxury travel markets.
Powadiuk joins Kensington during a period of significant momentum for the company. Over the past year, Kensington has expanded its portfolio of personalized travel experiences while introducing new offerings that reflect the evolving expectations of affluent travellers seeking deeper, more meaningful journeys and more options for travel based on their trip needs.
Powadiuk brings more than two decades of leadership experience spanning marketing, product development and digital transformation across the technology, government and luxury automotive sectors.
In her new role, Powadiuk will oversee global brand strategy, integrated marketing, digital marketing, customer retention and acquisition, partnerships, marketing innovation, and agent sales working with the outside sales team helping further strengthen Kensington’s position as the premier provider of personalized luxury travel experiences.
Elvi Cal/Snowbird Advisor
Elvi Cal is joining the Snowbird Advisor team, taking on the role of Director of Travel Partnerships in a consulting capacity.
Cal, a travel industry veteran, will be overseeing partnerships with DMOs, Tourist Boards, Airlines, Cruise Lines, Tour Operators and other providers who want to reach the rapidly growing Canadian snowbird market.
The Canadian snowbird market, estimated at over 1 million and growing, is seeing an influx of younger snowbirds as many Canadians continue to work remotely and ease into retirement, finding ways to spend part — or all — of the winter in warmer climates around the world.
A growing segment of snowbirds are also changing their travel habits, choosing to go beyond North America for their winter escapes – or visiting more than one destination for an extended stay during the winter months.
Cal spent the last 38 years with travelbrands, and related companies, most recently as Senior Vice President Product and Commercial, spearheading the Product and Commercial teams driving growth, profitability and building strategic partnerships with their tourist board and hotel partners.
Meaghan Ferrigno/Destination Canada
Destination Canada’s President and CEO, Marsha Walden is retiring, following a tenure with the organization that saw her guide it through some of the most challenging periods in the history of the Canadian tourism industry. Walden is embarking on a new chapter in her life, with her agenda focusing on family, friends and fun.
Walden led Destination Canada and its partners in a bold and inspired path forward through recovery, ultimately positioning Canada’s visitor economy for greater resilience, improved competitiveness, and the record-breaking growth our sector is now experiencing.
Destination Canada’s Board of Directors announced that Meaghan Ferrigno has been appointed Interim President and CEO, since July 1, 2026.
As Destination Canada’s Chief Financial Officer and Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Ferrigno is an accomplished executive leader who will provide continuity as the organization continues working with partners to strengthen our sector’s global competitiveness and build local economies across Canada.
Anko Van der Werff/Air Canada
Air Canada has announced that Anko Van der Werff will become its next President and Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board, by the end of January 2027. Van der Werff, currently President and Chief Executive Officer at Scandinavian Airlines, succeeds Michael Rousseau, who previously announced his retirement after 19 years with Air Canada.
The selection of Van der Werff follows a comprehensive global search for the best person to lead Air Canada into the future. The search considered a number of performance criteria, including the ability to communicate in French.
Rousseau’s retirement is effective Aug. 31, 2026. He will continue to be available as needed throughout the transition. Following his departure and for the duration of the transition period, the Executive Committee will report to the Board of Directors.
Joe Scardigno/Envoyage Canada
Joe Scardigno has been named National Sales Director, Envoyage Canada. He brings over 16 years of experience in the North American travel industry, with extensive expertise in sales leadership, business development, advisor engagement, and strategic partnerships. Throughout his career, he has built strong relationships across the travel advisor community, helping agencies and industry partners achieve sustainable growth.
Most recently, Scardigno served as National Account Manager for Tauck Canada, where he played a key role in expanding the company’s Canadian business. Prior to that, he spent seven years with Kensington Tours, most recently as Sales Director, leading the Europe division and driving sales performance across key markets.
His appointment reflects Envoyage Canada’s continued investment in strengthening its leadership team and supporting the long-term growth of its network of travel advisors and agency owners. In his new role, Scardigno will lead Envoyage Canada’s national sales strategy, with a focus on advisor and agency recruitment, retention, and business growth.
Jennifer Zammit/Swan Hellenic
Swan Hellenic has strengthened its commercial leadership across the Americas with three senior appointments to accelerate growth through the travel trade as the cultural expedition cruise line continues its international expansion.
Jennifer Zammit has been named Senior Director, Canada Sales, Jane Martin takes on the role of Sales Director, National Host Accounts and Gordon Dirker as Senior Vice President, Americas.
The move significantly expands Swan Hellenic’s commercial capability across North and South America, a key growth region for the brand.
Zammit brings extensive experience in luxury travel and trade partnerships. She joins from Rocky Mountaineer, where she served as Key Account Manager for Canada, and has previously held commercial roles at Huntington Travel Group and Globus Family of Brands.
She will focus on strengthening the company’s presence in the Canadian market and developing strategic partnerships with the travel trade.
Karen Kuttner-Dimitry/Aurora Expeditions
Aurora Expeditions has announced the appointment of Karen Kuttner-Dimitry as Vice President, Affinity Sales, North America. Based in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, Karen brings extensive experience across expedition travel, affinity sales, charter development, and small-ship operations.
Kuttner-Dimitry began her career in the travel industry at sea, spending five years as a Social Director and Shore Excursion Manager. This operational experience helped shape her deep understanding of the guest experience and her long-standing passion for expedition and small-ship travel. She later transitioned into sales with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, initially leading the Mid-Atlantic region before going on to build and scale the company’s affinity business nationally. Since 2004, she has served as Vice President of Affinity and Charter Sales, where she developed the affinity and non-traditional markets, launched the charter department, and helped establish both as highly successful revenue channels.
Prior to Lindblad, Karen held leadership roles with Natural Habitat Adventures and Grand Expeditions, with responsibility across sales, marketing, and operations in the affinity market.
In her new role, Kuttner-Dimitry will lead Aurora Expeditions’ affinity sales strategy across North America, working closely with partners, organizations and special-interest groups to develop meaningful expedition travel opportunities.
Rose Cosentino/Air Canada Vacations
Air Canada Vacations has named Rose Cosentino as the Head of Product Development.
In this role, Cosentino will lead Air Canada Vacations product strategy and partner portfolio, guiding the continued evolution of our offerings and strengthening the relationships that are central to our shared success.
With her extensive leadership experience in the travel and hospitality industry, Cosentino brings a strong track record of driving growth, developing innovative strategies, and building meaningful partnerships across international markets.
Her collaborative approach and deep industry expertise will support our ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional vacation experiences and creating value for our customers and partners alike.
Dean Moore/Goway
Joe Robinson/TTC Tour Brands
TTC Tour Brands has appointed Joe Robinson as Senior Vice President, Sales, North America.
Robinson will report directly to Deputy CEO & Chief Sales Officer Melissa DaSilva and will lead TTC Tour Brands’ North American trade sales strategy across the U.S. and Canada, overseeing advisor partnerships, strategic accounts and field sales.
Robinson has more than two decades of travel industry experience spanning guided vacations, experiential travel and travel technology. Most recently, he served as President & CEO of smarTours. Prior to that, as Managing Director for North America & Oceania at Indie Campers, he helped grow the region from an early-stage presence into a scaled, multi-country business across more than 25 markets.
Earlier in his career, Robinson held senior leadership roles at RocketRez and Big Bus Tours, where he built and led sales and marketing organizations and expanded B2B distribution. He began his career in the advisor channel with Intrepid Travel, ultimately leading trade sales across North America and building relationships across major agency networks and partners.
Known for his collaborative leadership style and focus on execution, Robinson has built high-performing teams and driven sustained growth across multiple sectors of the travel industry.
Marty Milburn & Matthew Kunz/Flair Airlines
Flair Airlines announced the appointment of Marty Milburn as Vice President, Customer Experience and Call Centres, and Captain Matthew Kunz as Chief Operating Officer (COO).
In his new role, Milburn will oversee Flair’s customer experience and call centre operations across all channels, supporting customers through booking, pre-departure travel, disruptions, and post-booking support while helping strengthen operational performance and customer satisfaction across the network. He brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across customer operations, contact centre management, sales performance, and large-scale outsourced operations, having led complex, multi-site, multi-brand customer support organizations across travel, finance, technical support, and other regulated industries.
Meanwhile, Kunz brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across customer operations, contact centre management, sales performance, and large-scale outsourced operations, having led complex, multi-site, multi-brand customer support organizations across travel, finance, technical support, and other regulated industries to the role. He has extensive experience in airline operations, aviation safety, and regulatory compliance, with a strong understanding of the Canadian aviation landscape and Transport Canada’s regulatory framework.
Mathieu Robert/AmaWaterways
AmaWaterways has appointed Mathieu Robert as Business Development Manager for Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
In this new role, Robert will support travel advisors and agency partners across the region, helping to strengthen relationships, drive growth, and share the exceptional experiences that define the AmaWaterways’ brand.
He brings a rich background in travel to the position, having begun his career as a travel advisor before moving into sales leadership with a major cruise line. His experience across both frontline advising and cruise sales gives him a strong understanding of the travel advisor community and the evolving needs of today’s travellers.
Travel advisors and industry partners are encouraged to reach out and welcome Robert as he begins this new chapter with AmaWaterways. He can be contacted at: MathieuRobert@amawaterways.
Patricia Di Benedetto/Explora Journeys
Explora Journeys has promoted Patricia Di Benedetto to the role of Director of Sales, Canada.
Since joining the company in 2022, Di Benedetto has played an instrumental role in growing the brand’s presence and partnerships across the Canadian market.
In her new role, she will continue leading the company’s sales strategy and trade relationships across Canada, focused on driving growth, strengthening key partnerships, and expanding brand visibility nationwide.
Di Benedetto previously held the title of Business Relationship Lead – National & Key Accounts Canada at Explora Journeys. She has extensive experience building retail and hospitality brands for companies like Royal Caribbean International, Reebok and more.
David Gallie/Flight Centre Canada
Flight Centre Canada has named David Gallie as Country Product Leader — a newly created role within the company’s evolving global product structure.
Gallie brings nearly 30 years of experience across the Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) business, with leadership roles spanning retail, wholesale, product contracting, product marketing, and supplier partnerships.
He began his career with the company in the late 1990s as the first Retail Area Leader in Canada, and is a Flight Centre Hall of Fame and National Leaders Award of Excellence recipient. Most recently, he served on the senior leadership team at Envoyage Canada.
In the new role, Gallie will oversee the brand’s product strategy in Canada — driving product performance, market intelligence, and consultant enablement.
He joins the Canadian executive leadership team, reporting to Anita Emilio, Executive Vice-President and General Manager, Flight Centre Canada, and Monique Van Gelder, Global Product Leader, Flight Centre.
Jamie Fox/Flair Airlines
Jamie Fox has joined Flair Airlines as its Director, Agency Sales and Partnerships, a newly created leadership role focused on expanding Flair’s visibility and engagement across Canada’s travel industry while supporting long-term growth.
Fox will lead Flair’s agency sales and partnership strategy in his new role, focussing on strengthening trade relationships, expanding distribution opportunities, and enhancing collaboration with travel partners across Canada and the United States.
He brings over 30 years of leadership experience across the Canadian and U.S. travel industry, bringing a proven track record of driving revenue growth, expanding market presence, and building high-impact strategic partnerships in highly competitive markets.
