The Savvy Team Behind The Scenes
Our facilities are outstanding, but the success formula for Shaw Centre events relies just as much on our superb roster of event professionals.
The Savvy Team Behind The Scenes
Our facilities are outstanding, but the success formula for Shaw Centre events relies just as much on our superb roster of event professionals.
Our Team
PATRICK TURCOT
EXECUTIVE CHEF
BLAKE RAINVILLE
SENIOR MANAGER OF FACILITIES
KAREN WIERSMA
SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER, CONVENTION SALES
MATTHEW BLACKBURN
ACCOUNT MANAGER, CONVENTION SALES
SYDNEY SACKETT
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
LEE KING
FINANCE ASSISTANT & UNDERBOEK ADMINISTRATOR
Nina Kressler
President & CEO
Nina assumed the role of President and CEO of the Shaw Centre on June 1, 2015. Prior to her appointment, Nina was the General Manager of the Centre’s Food and Facilities operation managed by Aramark Sports and Entertainment. A native of Halifax Nova Scotia, Nina has over 25 years of hospitality industry experience in senior positions in Hotels, Gaming and Entertainment, Convention and Congress Centres. With experience in both B2B and B2C sales and operations, Nina has led teams in all areas of the hospitality function. Nina began her career with the Sheraton Halifax Hotel as Director of Sales and Marketing, and moved on to senior sales and marketing and operations roles with Trade Centre Limited and the World Trade and Convention Centre Halifax as Vice President Sales and Marketing. In this role, Nina’s primary goal was to secure and introduce Halifax as a premier destination to host national and international conferences and events. Prior to moving to Ottawa to join the Shaw Centre team, Nina held the position of Vice President Business Development for the Toronto Congress Centre. Nina’s passion for always delivering an exceptional customer experience is engrained in her DNA and remains part of her personal brand each and every day.
Dan Young
Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer
Dan has been with the Shaw Centre since 2002 and currently holds the position of Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Dan was responsible for formulating the financial benefits of the new Shaw Centre. Prior to joining the Ottawa Convention Centre, Dan worked for several organizations in the Ottawa region. Dan acquired his CMA designation in 1995.
Loretta Briard
General Manager
Loretta worked in the former Ottawa Congress Centre for over 15 years and held the role of Director of Events in the new Shaw Centre until June of 2015, when she became General Manager. Her passion for the hospitality industry began at the age of 14 when she was bussing tables as a part time job and has never wavered from this career path. Loretta’s drive to become a member of this profession led her to an education in Hospitality Management & Food Nutrition Management.
Loretta’s team is diverse in personalities and skills and she is proud to be part of such an inspired group of people. Every event is unique and Loretta likes the challenge of making it the perfect fit at the Shaw Centre. Her excitement level escalates every time she has the opportunity to exploit all the leading edge technology and service abilities that Canada’s Meeting Place possesses for our clients.
In Loretta’s limited amount of spare time, she enjoys a good glass of port and time spent with family and close friends. She loves to head out of the city for a day trip or two to local towns and communities exploring their unique heritage, charm and food.
Kim Brown
Controller
Kim is a proud Ottawan who has lived the majority of her life in the Nation’s Capital. After starting her career with the Federal Government, she worked at various organizations, including Cosmic Adventures, Source for Sports, Calian, Algonquin College, VON Canada, CBC, and Family Services Ottawa. She was admitted into membership of the Certified General Accountants of Canada in 2014 and maintains her membership in CPA Canada.
Kim was hired as the Controller of the Shaw Centre in July 2019, where she continues to pursue her passion for finance and accounting.
She enjoys reading, volunteering, and staying active by going to the gym in her spare time.
Carly Grace
Director of Sales
Carly was born in Ottawa but spent the better part of her childhood growing up overseas. Carly completed her undergraduate education at Queen’s University and promptly moved to Whistler, BC where her passion for the hospitality industry began. While working for The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler, she concurrently completed her Master of Business Administrative through Guelph University. Following the completion of her MBA, Carly was fortunate to be offered a position with Vancouver Organizing Committee during the 2010 Olympic Games, managing emergency response planning for both athletes’ villages. Following the Olympics, Carly was drawn back to Ottawa to be closer to her family and quickly re-established her place in the hospitality sector with The Westin Ottawa. Throughout her career with the Westin, Carly held the positions of Sales Manager, Event Manager, Director of Group Sales and Director of Events. Prior to joining the Shaw Centre in December 2019, Carly had the opportunity to revitalize her destination sell as the Director of Sales with JPdL, a local destination management company.
A common theme throughout all of Carly’s work experience has been a dedication to delivering incredible guest experiences and exceeding client expectations.
In her spare time, she enjoys swimming, dabbling in the world of triathlons, hitting the gym and spending quality time with her family and friends.
cgrace@shaw-centre.com
613-688-8210
Josh Verch
Director, Marketing & Partnerships
Josh was born and raised in the Ottawa Valley before moving to Ottawa to complete a diploma in Business Administration and a post-graduate diploma in Sport Business Management, both from Algonquin College. Josh relocated to Toronto after graduation and worked at Tennis Canada for the Rogers Cup as well as the Ontario Cycling Association before returning to Ottawa to take a position as Manager, Partnerships with Canada Soccer.
At Canada Soccer, Josh was responsible for building relationships with organizational partners and generating value on their behalf during various events throughout the year. After nearly five years at Canada Soccer, he accepted a sales position at Festival Promotions to expand his portfolio of skills. During his time at Festival Promotions, Josh developed and managed an extensive client base, including several large-scale Canadian brands.
When Josh isn’t building business relationships, he enjoys traveling with his wife and keeping active. A sports enthusiast, Josh spends his free time exploring Ottawa by bicycle in the summer and takes advantage of Ottawa’s wonderful cross-country skiing trails during the winter.
Amanda Young
Director of Hospitality Services
Amanda is originally from the East Coast and grew up outside of St. John’s Newfoundland. Her love for hospitality and adventure brought her to the Rocky Mountains where she worked at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge for nine years. It was in Jasper that Amanda took on many leadership roles throughout the hotel which helped her build a foundation in customer service and managing events.
In 2014, Amanda moved to Ottawa and started working at the Shaw Centre in the Operations Department and most recently as the Senior Operations Manager. Over the past 5 years she has been a dedicated member of the team and has managed many events including the 2017 Grey Cup and the Juno Awards. Amanda is delighted to be taking the next step and overseeing the Operations Department to be able to use her experience to continue to manage the some of the most exciting events in the city. In her spare time, Amanda enjoys making pottery, travelling and spends time volunteering at the Ottawa Food Bank.
Patrick Turcot
Executive Chef
Patrick Turcot is a Quebec-born Executive Chef bringing with him experience from a distinguished career at numerous prestigious hotels across North America. He found his passion for food and cooking when he was teenager, perusing his dream by graduating from the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality of Quebec. Chef Turcot started his career off joining the kitchen brigade at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, returning to work at the legendary Chateau Frontenac and share his culinary experience with students at Cégep Limoilou in Quebec City. After stints as the Executive Chef at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald in Edmonton and Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, both in Alberta, Chef Turcot was appointed as Executive Chef at the Fairmont Scottsdale in Arizona, where he found new sources of inspiration in the desert and embraced the challenge of working with diverse regional flavours and products. His experiences there laid the foundation for great success as the Head Chef at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu in La Malbaie, Quebec, where he also became a passionate ambassador for culinary tourism throughout the Charlevoix Region. Throughout his career, Chef Turcot has received numerous awards and accolades and has participated in a variety of television productions.
In addition to working closely with local producers, Chef Turcot’s cuisine is also inspired by classical French techniques and principles, infused with current influences often found through travel.
Blake Rainville
Senior Manager of Facilities
Blake has been with the Shaw Centre since it first re-opened in 2011 as the Ottawa Convention Centre (formerly known as the Ottawa Congress Centre) where he first held the position of Maintenance Operator. He’s since grown with the organization as a Technical Services Manager, ensuring a safe environment for all Shaw Centre staff and clients, and most recently as Senior Manager of Facilities, where he manages the Centre’s housekeeping, engineering, uniform and linen teams.
Blake also has a Building Environmental Systems Operator Class 2 Certificate from Algonquin College, a Facilities Management Certificate (FMC) and is working towards completion of a Facilities Management Administrator (FMA) designation from BOMI Canada.
Blake’s extensive knowledge of the Centre and dedication make him a valuable and integral member of the Shaw Centre team.
Karen Wiersma
Senior Account Manager, Convention Sales
Karen is a true Ottawa advocate, having been born in Montreal she has called Ottawa home for the past 22 years and absolutely loves it! Karen is a graduate of the Algonquin College Hotel and Restaurant Program where her passion for the hospitality industry began. Karen spent a year working in the industry out West in Banff but ultimately returned to Ottawa to be closer to her family. Having spent over 18 years working at various hotels in Ottawa, Karen has gained experience in the departments of Front Desk, Managing Reservations and as a Conference Services Manager for 6 of those years. Karen then found herself in a Sales role within the Delta Ottawa Hotel and Suites where she learned what it takes to surpass any expectations clients may have of the sales process from start to finish. Karen is eager to demonstrate her vast knowledge of the hospitality industry when assisting you in creating extraordinary events here at Shaw Centre.
In her spare time or on the weekends you can find Karen at the dog park with her dog Bayler, or she is entertaining family and friends. Karen is also is an avid sports fan cheering on Ottawa Senators and Ottawa Redblacks!
kwiersma@shaw-centre.com
613-688-8214
Helen Bird
Account Manager, Local Sales
Helen is originally from Guelph, Ontario, yet made her way to the Nation’s Capital after being accepted to Carleton University. She fell in love with the city and has remained here ever since!
Helen has worked in the hospitality industry for the majority of her professional life. To kick start her career, she gained employment with Westin Ottawa, where she worked for 21 years as a Sales Manager. As a result, she is well versed in markets such as; SMERF, Tour & Travel and Government. Helen thrives on a fast-paced sales environment; therefore, the short-lead local market is the perfect fit. Helen loves all aspects of event planning and has planned events from the initial contact to tearing the event down once it’s concluded. She’s also worked for other prominent players in the hospitality industry, such as the Sheraton Ottawa, as an Account Manager.
When she’s not booking business, Helen loves to be creative; you’ll find her making all kinds of arts and crafts, knitting, specifically slippers, hats and mittens that she makes for all her family and friends. She is also an avid baker! As a young girl, Helen spent a significant amount of time with her grandmother, who worked in a bakery and taught Helen how to make the perfect loaf of bread and other delicious pastries. At the end of the day, you’ll find her curled up on the couch watching her favourite Netflix shows with her 3 daughters.
Greg Giek
Events Services Manager
Greg was born and raised in rural Ottawa in the small town of Manotick. Over the years, he’s enjoyed watching his hometown grow into a wonderful metropolitan community. He loves the Nation’s Capital and has pursued his career here in Ottawa.
After graduating from Carleton University, Greg entered a career in Event Management, focusing on sports and live entertainment. Culminating almost 30 years of event management experience, he has held various roles across several major facilities and organizations in Ottawa, including OHL, CFL and NHL. Greg brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience in all aspects of events and operations. In addition, he is well versed in trade, consumer, and social events. Greg prides himself on his superior attention to detail while delivering excellent customer service. He thrives in the hustle and bustle of the event planning industry, and his proven leadership skills led him to execute events as a team successfully.
When Greg isn’t busy creating extraordinary experiences, you’ll find him enjoying the great outdoors. A wilderness enthusiast, Greg spends his free time kayaking, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, and doing other social sports as the seasons permit.
Sharon Cholette
Administrative Coordinator
Sharon grew up in Mississauga, Ontario, and various other provinces throughout her childhood and eventually claimed Ottawa as her place to call home.
She started her career in retail, but after taking a course in business administration, she decided to pursue a different career path. She’s worked in various organizations such as Ottawa Life Sciences Council, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, and Mortgage Brokers of Ottawa.
Sharon has dedicated almost 14 years of her professional life at the Shaw Centre and worked through the transition from the Ottawa Convention Centre to the rebuild of the current Shaw Centre. Throughout her time at the centre she’s worked in various administrative roles supporting the sales team and ensuring all administrative duties are completed efficiently and effectively.
She loves to spend time at the cottage with her two daughters, family, and friends. Sharon loves to relax and snuggle up on the couch with her cat Jack and a good documentary!
Lee King
Finance Assistant and Ungerboeck Administrator
Lee was born & raised in Ottawa and has been lucky enough to call the city home her entire life!
She is one of the Shaw Centre’s longest-standing employees; her commitment to the company has been for over 22 years! She’s worked in various positions, such as the Account Coordinator, where she provided administrative support to the Sales and Marketing Teams. She then pursued a Senior Administrative position to the Vice President and the Director of Sales. Ultimately, she found her true passion within the Finance department. Lee is responsible for the financial aspects of receivables. Her extensive knowledge of the building and company has championed her as our property management system expert, and she has mastered the entire database. Lee maintains the database to ensure its functionality for all users and trains new staff on the system.
When she’s not maintaining the database or tracking receivables, you’ll find her in the wilderness camping with her husband and daughter. Lee has a passion for travel where she enjoys enduring new experiences. She’s a total kid at heart, so if there’s a theme park nearby, you can bet she’s there too!
Adam Hassen
Account Manager, Local Sales
Adam grew up in a small town in the greater Toronto area before heading to Toronto for post-secondary education. After obtaining his degree, he went back to school to complete a Post-Grad Diploma in Sport and Event Marketing, which led to career opportunities at MEC and the Canadian Cancer Society, before joining the fantastic team at The Shaw Centre.
At MEC, Adam was responsible for organizing road races, cycling events, and triathlons around the GTA which he found incredibly rewarding being an athlete himself. While in Toronto, he had the pleasure of coaching Varsity Cross Country at both George Brown and the University of Toronto Mississauga. As a runner, he was voted MVP for four years and was named coach of the year at UTM in his last year of coaching.
At CCS, he worked with high school youth across Eastern Ontario. He helped them plan Relay for Life events from start to finish by empowering and teaching them about philanthropy and raising millions of dollars for cancer research and support services.
Adam relocated to Ottawa four years ago with his partner and daughter; he loves that Ottawa has so much to offer his family. He relishes in the outdoors, whether it’s enjoying a round of golf, playing softball, pickup basketball, or going for hikes. He describes himself as an extrovert who likes to meet new people and doesn’t shy away from new experiences!
Amanda Delorey
Event Services Manager
Amanda joins the Shaw Centre from the world of national associations; she’s worked as an event planner producing conferences, tradeshows, and corporate events all over Canada for the past five years. She is thrilled to be working on the venue side of event production as an Events Services Manager, crafting together an event with each client to make their vision come to life.
Her working philosophy is to provide a personalized experience to each client, understanding that each event is entirely unique. She brings her perspective as a former client to the table and loves to work closely with clients to ensure that all their needs are fulfilled. She is passionate about live events and is excited to get back in action as we return to in-person events. A major highlight in her career, specifically within 2021, was the opportunity to work at the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit. She was responsible for creating an exceptional experience for high-profile private clients and supervising the hospitality suites’ operations during the event.
Outside the Shaw Centre, you might find Amanda enjoying live music of all kinds, especially at outdoor festivals and small venues. She is also a huge motorsports fan and loves cruising on the parkway on her motorcycle or watching a race.
Jawad Alami
Event Services Coordinator
Jawad was born and raised in Tangier, Morocco; at a young age, he was always curious about traveling the globe to discover new countries, cultures, cuisines, and architecture. His passion for travel led him to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in Operational Management of Hotels and Restaurants and a Master’s Degree in Strategy and Management of Hotel Operations.
He took full advantage of his studies and started his career in event planning as a Sales Executive in Mövenpick Hotels in Morocco in 2015. After moving to work with a national hotel brand, he had the opportunity to travel to different countries around the globe (Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Czech Republic, Qatar, Morocco, to name a few) to present and promote the country as a tourist destination and the company he works for in a worldwide event.
He moved to Canada in 2020 and worked for Bytown Catering in Ottawa as a Sales and Event Supervisor. He planned various events, which mainly consisted of weddings, and was excited to share his prior six years of event planning experiences he acquired around the globe.
Outside of work, he enjoys discovering the rest of Canada and capturing his finds by taking lots of pictures. His passion for cuisine brings him to restaurants and bars to uncover new dishes. He also enjoys watching sports, specifically basketball, soccer, and hockey.
Kyla Orr
Event Services Manager
Kyla was born and raised in Collingwood, Ontario, nestled in the Blue Mountains. Her optimistic spirit and passion for working with people led her to pursue a career in hospitality. She excelled as a student at Georgian College where she completed her advanced diploma in Hotel and Resort Administration Management.
Upon completing her schooling, the mountains called to Kyla and she made her move to Banff, Alberta. In her 5 years living in the mountain town, she truly flourished and gained invaluable experience within food and beverage operations for top-tier establishments such as The Fairmont Banff Springs and Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts.
After her ventures on Canada’s west coast, Kyla decided to move home closer to family and friends. She earned a job with the Ottawa Marriott as an Event Manager where she grew her skills and fell in love with our nation’s capital as her new home.
When Kyla isn’t creating her next event, she enjoys snuggling up on the couch with a nice glass of wine while she plans her next vacation!
Lisa Nicholson
Director of Events
Matthew Blackburn
Account Manager, Convention Sales
Born in Montreal and raised in Toronto, Matt relocated to Ottawa over 10 years ago. Before relocating, Matthew completed a business diploma from Seneca College and then furthered his education by obtaining a degree in communications at Wilfrid Laurier University. Matt brings over 20 years of experience in the service and hospitality industry, including 5 years as an Account Manager with a Toronto-based marketing company.
He played a role in opening restaurants in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and Ottawa. Before joining Shaw Centre, Matthew was a vital part of the management team at Nordstrom. During his time there, Matthew developed his excellent customer service skills and a commitment to providing above and beyond experiences. Matt joined the team at the Shaw Centre in 2016 as a Local Sales Manager and worked his way up the ladder to his current position as National Account Manager specializing in SMURF and Corporate markets. His familiarity of the building and its operations makes him a knowledgeable seller who’s dealt with a roster of events.
Today, Matthew can apply his knowledge of both his business and management background when assisting you in planning your next event. When Matthew is not busy creating extraordinary events, you can catch him at the many live sporting events around the city or spending time with his family.
mblackburn@shaw-centre.com
613-688-8202
Sydney Sackett
Executive Assistant
Born in Panama to American parents, Sydney grew up between Puvirnituq and Montreal, Quebec. With a degree in Creative Writing from Concordia University, she spent her practical years working across the Canadian Arctic and later in Ottawa as a freelance and then full-time corporate publications writer.
In 2006, Sydney followed her Ottawan husband to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where she worked in progressively senior office management and business support roles with Kearney and Boston Consulting Group, providing C-Suite and corporate secretarial assistance while leading large, diverse admin teams.
When she is not studying for chartered secretary certification, Sydney can be found trying to keep up with her husband’s skiing and cycling enthusiasm or honing her novice gardening skills.
Trisha Overvest
Marketing and Partnerships Coordinator
Trisha comes to the Shaw Centre with a passion for hospitality. After moving out of her home town of Vankleek Hill, ON, she attained her diploma from Algonquin College’s Hospitality and Restaurant Management program. From there, she spread her wings and moved to Kananaskis, Alberta. A little slice of heaven nestled into the mountains. After her west coast adventures, she decided it was time to further her education and pursued her honorary degree in Hospitality and Tourism from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, NS.
After missing her family and friends from all her travels, Canada wide – she decided to pursue a career in hospitality, here in Ottawa. Ottawa has always been her calling, as she loves the busy city life. Ottawa is safe, entertaining and a place she’s happy to call home.
Her career started at the Ottawa Marriott Hotel as the Sales and Marketing Coordinator. It was here that she learned the ins and outs of the hospitality industry. Assisting her managers with sales initiatives and enhancing their social media platforms it was in this role Trisha discovered her passion for hospitality marketing. She joins the Shaw Centre with sheer excitement and can’t wait to learn and develop her skills.
In her spare time, Trisha ventures out into the city, discovering local events, new foodie scenes and live music. On the weekends she’s socializing with friends or traveling to her home town to spend time on the family farm.
Reach Out To Our Team
Shaw Centre
55 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 9J2
Tel: 613-563-1984 or 1-800-450-0077
Fax: 613-563-7646
Email: info@shaw-centre.com
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