After 22 years of leadership experience in hotel sales and operations in Canada, US and Japan, Joe joined Meeting Encore in January 2009 as Regional Director and became Managing Partner and Co-owner with Jenn in 2012. Since then, Joe and Jenn have tripled the size of the company by attracting great people who share their passion for service excellence and giving back to the industry and their community.
Joe is Past-Chair of MPI Foundation Canada and continues to be an active contributor in the industry. He is on various advisory committees and panels, has facilitated education sessions and co-written numerous articles on topics such as Venue Contracts, Site Sourcing, The Power of Relationships, Changing Careers and the Importance of Face-to-Face of Meetings.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Joe now works and lives with his wife and best friend, Shannon in Burlington which is definitely a huge bonus for him!! His dream is to have his beloved Canucks hoist the Stanley Cup and the Blue Jays to win the World Series in his lifetime! Joe’s 3 kids; Miyoko, JD and Emily continue to make him proud and his other passions include golfing, recreational hockey, working out and live music!
What is your favourite part of the job – I am so lucky that I get to do something that I love for a living. From seeing our team members achieving their goals to the smile on my client’s face because I found them a “hidden gem” property, I love the variety of the job!
What is your favourite childhood memory – Saturday nights watching Hockey Night in Canada when Mom and Dad would “make” Swanson TV dinners and let us eat in front of the TV. My favourite was the fried chicken but we could not eat the apple pie until we ate all the peas and carrots.
Who do you admire most in life – My mom, Carol! She is one of the strongest people I know and taught me so much throughout my life. Especially the value of hard work and taking pride in what you do.
What was your nickname growing up – Kwai Chang, after the main character in the series Kung Fu. He was a cool Shaolin monk that wandered the US West looking for his half brother. Along the way, he could kick your butt with his hands and feet or with a wise quote. “I seek not to know all the answers, but to understand the questions. - Caine”