With over 35 years of management experience in the tourism, hospitality, real estate development and the entertainment industry, Mike has extensive experience training some of North America’s finest tourism and hospitality properties. In his early years, Mike’s business QSR Concepts set the service standards for Tourism British Columbia in all the visitor information centers across the province of BC. Training and evaluating 118 visitor info centers and staff resulted in tourism BC’s program being recognized as one of the leading and most respected visitor info center networks in the world. Michael’s passion for people and his ability to see opportunities where others will see difficulties has resulted in Michael being highly respected as a transformational leader and change agent. His knowledge of the multiple industries and his willingness to share his insights with others keeps him in great demand. In 2005, Michael was contracted to be the Vice President of Customer Service for the worlds largest sustainable development, Loreto Bay. This was an 8000 acre, 6000 home masterplan development in the Baja of California with five miles of ocean front, hotels and restaurants. Michael implemented general company wide systems, policies and procedures, customer service standards and an international supply chain. After one year, Michael was promoted to President of Village Homes Division. Responsible for all aspects of the development from construction schedules, staffing, master planning, architectural and design, financials, timelines, customer service, sales and marketing. Michael is also a firm believer in developing young entrepreneurs and new business ideas, expanding and restructuring existing businesses with a strong emphasis on, ROI, strategic planning, customer service, sales and marketing. Michael’s continual thirst for helping young business entrepreneurs with their new ideas has seen him increasingly become the principle investor in a wide variety of new business startups. In addition to his business acumen, Mike is known for his service commitment to giving back to a wide variety of charitable organizations both locally, nationally, and internationally (Canadian Cancer Society, Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock, Young Life, David Foster Foundation, etc.). Mike started as a volunteer for the David Foster Foundation in the late 80’s and shortly thereafter became a director of the board and then President, at which time he took the foundation from a provincial charity to a national foundation assisting families of children needing major organ transplants throughout Canada. In January 2009, Mike was appointed Chief Executive Officer. Since then, Mike has restructured the entire foundation operations and procedures, opened a second foundation office in Toronto, expanded the staff and board of directors to include prominent Canadians from across Canada. He has developed an endowment fund and initiated the Life Legacy Member program to ensure the foundation is sustainable for decades to come. Mike developed and implemented the “Sponsor a Family Campaign” which has become the largest single fundraising initiative for the foundation in 37 years, raising over 30 million dollars in the past five years. Mike is a proud supporter of Canada’s military as a son of a World War II Royal Air Force veteran. In 2021, Michael was appointed Honorary Colonel of the Royal Canadian Air Force 410 Tactical Fighter Squadron. Mike has been married to Cassandra for 32 years, he is a father to two beautiful daughters and a proud grandfather of four grandchildren. Mike and Cassandra divide their time between their hometown of Victoria, British Columbia and Phoenix, Arizona.