Robert Safrata, CEO
Robert Safrata is an entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience acquiring, building and growing companies by delivering a triple bottom line. He has a successful track-record of acquiring under-performing companies and executing a turnaround strategy that drives growth and profitability, with a focus on integrating sustainability into the business; a point of differentiation from competitors. As an industry leader and speaker, Robert served as an inaugural member of Vancouver's "Greenest City Action Team" helping to guide economic development leadership towards the goal of making Vancouver the greenest city in the world by 2020 and regularly shares the story of NOVEX's transformation from a high-carbon business into an industry leader as a certified B-Corp and the greenest courier company in Canada. Robert is a member of the Young Presidents Organization, a past Chairman of Outward Bound Canada, and past Chair of the Audit Committee of Tourism Vancouver. As a former member of the 1976 Canadian Olympic Alpine Ski Team at Innsbruck, Austria, Robert continues to use the discipline and drive of competitive sport to guide his triple bottom line approach to business.
Charles Holmes
Charles Holmes is a master convener, gifted facilitator, skilled educator and empathetic coach. Described by Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, as a ‘true social alchemist’, Charles authentically engages and connects people with ideas and possibilities to help them innovate, collaborate and deliver results they previously thought were impossible. His exceptional ability to respectfully surface and integrate disparate perspectives and approaches generates an environment of trust that effectively brings people together to create a better future. Charles teaches leadership, team building, facilitation and negotiation at universities in Canada and Saudi Arabia. With Peter Senge and others, he co-founded the Academy for Systemic Change, a global community for collective capacity building in business, education and community development. He founded the Connecting for Change dialogue series for the Dalai Lama Centre for Peace and Education and has facilitated a series of dialogue with business and NGO leaders with the Dalai Lama.
James Terry
James Terry is a seasoned expert in strategy, corporate culture, operations, and world-class guest experience in the Tourism and Hospitality industries. For sixteen years, James served as COO and Executive Vice President at Rocky Mountaineer, winner for the past ten years of the World’s Best Travel Experience by Train, steering the company through a period of extraordinary growth. Prior to Rocky Mountaineer, he ran successful restaurant companies and managed world class hotels. James was Chair of the Board of Tourism Vancouver, sat on the Board of TIA BC (The Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia) and served on the Royal Roads School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Advisory Board. He is a former Board Member of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) and has sat on many committees including the World Travel and Tourism Council Human Resources Task Force, the BC Competition Council Tourism Industry Advisory Committee, the Capital Campaign Steering Committee for the Vancouver Community College and the North Vancouver Tourism Advisory Committee.
Maria Foo
Maria Foo is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CMA) with accounting and management experience in various industries including Transportation and Logistics, Tourism and Golf. Maria was a founding management team member of Eaglequest Golf Centers, a start up company that consolidated golf driving ranges in Canada and the US. At Eaglequest, she played a substantial role in building the company’s accounting and administrative infrastructure. She also served as President of WESTCOAST Sightseeing , bringing structure and business development to the company. Maria’s strengths are: Management – Communications, Operational, Technology, and Financial; Measurement – Organizational Analysis and Reporting; and Implementation – Develop Organizational Infrastructure, Workflow Process and Systems.