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Our mission is to share the exhilaration of travel with our guests, providing an unparalleled experience by operating to the highest standards of creativity, integrity, and professionalism.
To the travel consultants who entrust their guests to us, our goal is to provide consistently exceptional service and build loyal, long-term partnerships. For our employees, we endeavour to provide well-balanced and fulfilling careers, with opportunities for personal growth and development. We strive to contribute to all the communities in which we operate, and to enrich the lives of our staff, our clients and guests. Finally, we aim to make a significant contribution to the revenues of our supplier partners, rewarding them for their loyalty and support.
Go Entrée Marc Télio has been designated as the Top Travel Specialist in Canada by Condé Nast Traveller Magazine 2008, 2009, 2010
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It’s all about the people, the passion and culture in our organization. Click on this video to see what our staff have to say about our company, our values and what we stand for.
Jose Azpiri – Sales Manager, Canada
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 Beatrice Barton – Senior Group Sales & Operations Manager
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 Andrea Clarke – Manager, FIT Operations
Born and raised in Vancouver, Andrea has seen enough of the world to appreciate it all—and to know that western Canada will always be home. Having started in the hospitality industry over 15 years ago, Andrea worked her way up to management overseeing on-site program logistics and assisting in the sales of group business. Over the years, she has successfully delivered complex programs from all industry segments with corporate giants such as Pfizer, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, and the American Bar Association. She values and cultivates strong relationships with industry suppliers and clients to ensure successful program delivery. Andrea is a past board member of The Canadian Special Event Society. An avid soccer player, she is also an active member and past president of her soccer club, and volunteers in soccer and youth programming. Her newest endeavour is being a Mom; daughter Isabella is a constant source of joy and delight. Working at Entrée gives Andrea the perfect work/life balance—she loves both coming to work and heading home at the end of each day! Contact her at andrea@entreedestinations.com Michelle Glass – Senior Account Manager
Michelle was raised in Oregon and graduated from Western Washington University with degrees in Geography and Secondary Education. On a lark after graduation, she went up to work in Alaska for “one summer only!” and stayed 13 years. She feels fortunate to have traveled through much of Alaska, and to have lived in several communities, including Valdez, Haines and Kenai. Michelle met her husband while living in Skagway, and their toddler was born on Alaska Day. Michelle’s professional experiences range from working as an onboard naturalist in Prince William Sound to conducting historical tours, in period costume, while double-clutching a 1937 vintage limousine (without power steering). She has worked in sales & marketing for a cruise line and served as the Executive Director for two Alaskan Convention and Visitors Bureaus. She has experienced every aspect of the Entrée Alaska business, from Marketing to Operations, Custom Trip Planning to Program Development. While she has traveled the world, Michelle is fervent in her love for Alaska and considers it a personal mission to educate everyone she meets about the beauty and ineffable qualities of the “The Great Land”. Contact her at michelle@entreedestinations.com Gwen Horchover – Senior Sales Manager, Alaska
A third generation Alaskan, Gwen was born and raised in Juneau and Fairbanks. As a child, she spent summers flying with her father to remote areas of the state to canoe, fish and camp. In Alaska, the land of the midnight sun, Gwen developed a deep appreciation and passion for the wilderness, and spent much of her time whale watching, bear viewing and fishing remote rivers, With a broad range of personal travel experiences behind her, Gwen began her career as Manager of a travel agency/tour company in Juneau. There, she spent 17 years researching and planning adventures all over the world. At Entrée Alaska, her deep roots and passion for Alaska, and her willingness to share her experiences with travel agents and their clients, make her a valued team member. She is proud of her ability to design a true Alaskan Adventure. Gwen lives on Whidbey Island with her husband Bob, a boat captain. Contact her at gwen@entreedestinations.com Blair Letal – Product, Documentation & Administration Manager
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 February 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 Gurpreet Malhi – Assistant Controller
Born in a small village in Punjab, India, Preet moved to Canada with her family at the age of nine, and grew up in Surrey, BC. She graduated from University College in 2003 with a Business Administration degree, after which she took a year off from school to return to India. Preet started to work on her CGA designation in 2004, and a year later took a job with The Greater Vancouver Visitors and Convention Bureau. During her five years at Tourism Vancouver, Preet learned a lot about the tourism industry, and was inspired by the city’s efforts to attract visitors. She received her professional designation in 2008. Preet experiences the Canadian wilderness—including bears and coyotes—every day, as she lives on a farm with her husband and two young children. She enjoys the sense of calm the farm affords, especially after a busy day at work, while her kids love it for the animals and endless activities. At Entrée Destinations, Preet continues to enjoy the tourism industry, and loves that she is always learning about amazing new attractions and locations to take her own family! Contact her at gurpreet@entreedestinations.com Cyndie Martinez – Sales Manager, Canada
Cyndie knew she wanted to see the world from the age of 10, and by high school was volunteering at a local travel agency. As one year in tourism turned into two, two into seven, Cyndie took on managing leisure and all corporate accounts and special event group presentations. She fell in love with making peoples’ travel dreams come true, eventually, working at top agencies in Vancouver as well as a destination management company. Cyndie’s own travels have taken her all over Mexico, Alaska, Europe, Central and South America. Most recently, she and her husband travelled to India with the newest addition to their family—their three-year-old son! Cyndie joined Entrée Canada in 2010 as Sales Manager for Canada. Her experience in the travel industry, passion for creating memorable journeys—especially in Canada—and commitment to exceptional customer service allowed her to fit in perfectly. Contact her at cyndie@entreedestinations.com Murphy – Director of Fluffy (a.k.a. Fluff Daddy, Sir Humpalot)
Favourite Canadian Moment: Dominating the government auditor that audited our company last year. The expression on her face was priceless. Other interests Dislikes Favorite movies Favorite Hotels Judith Root – Sales Manager, Alaska
Judith hails from Boston, though it was while she was living in New Mexico that she was actually introduced to Alaska, spending summers in Skagway, working at the University in Fairbanks, floating the Yukon River, and visiting South Central Alaska. Judith’s career in tourism began with a job at La Posada de Santa Fe, where she worked in group sales and catering. Taking time off to raise her two children, Judith indulged her passion for alternative medicine by attending a graduate program in Ayurvedic Medicine in California. She eventually returned to tourism in the role of Assistant Innkeeper and Group Sales Manager for The Inn at Langley, in Langley, Washington. She spent four years there, honing her public relation skills, before joining the Entrée Destinations Team. At Entrée Alaska, Judith custom designs trips of a lifetime, offering our guests an outstanding collection of touring options to Alaska. She is also the undisputed guru of all Shore Excursions, managing our collection of private experiences for our cruising guests. Whether it’s a single-day shore excursion or a full-blown touring program, Judith takes great pleasure in designing truly memorable adventures. Contact her at judith@entreedestinations.com Grace Schmidt – Manager, FIT Operations
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 personal 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 is happily settled in Vancouver with her South African husband. With the arrival of her daughter in 2010, life is even better! Grace is eager to share her enthusiasm for travel and her favourite corner of the world. Contact her at grace@entreedestinations.com Marc Télio – President
Favorite Alaskan Experience: “Helicopter dogsledding. We took our own private heli up a glacier to meet with a well-known musher raising Alaskan huskies. It was my daughter’s 9th birthday, and we had cake on top of a glacier. The dogsledding was absolutely unforgettable.” 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, I’ve been privileged to visit countless exotic corners of the earth and I wouldn’t trade my career 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 site inspections (it’s never too early to bring the kids into the business…and onto the golf course). Contact him at marc@entreedestinations.com Sandra Towers – General Manager
Growing up in Vancouver, Sandra spent her formative years exploring British Columbia. Passionate about both mountains and ocean, she became an avid skier, biker, hiker and sailor. After university, Sandra spent six months backpacking through South America and trying to figure out how to turn her passions into a career. She soon took a job guiding luxury bike trips in the Canadian Gulf Islands, the Canadian Rockies, France and Costa Rica. Sandra joined Entrée in the spring of 2010 as General Manager. In this role, she is able to support the Entrée team as they create “favourite experiences” for Entrée’s discerning clientele. The best part, according to her, is that she gets paid to do what she loves. “I am privileged to work with a team of talented, experienced professionals who, like me, get such satisfaction in sharing with others the amazing experiences that have changed our own lives. ” Contact her at sandra@entreedestinations.com. |
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.”