People on the Move
Development/Construction
Kris Till has been appointed product manager at Kryton International Inc. With 20 years of product-focused experience, Till will help drive and support the development and promotion of new and existing concrete waterproofing products.
Hospitality/Tourism/Convention
Allen Liu has been appointed manager, sales and market development, Asia, in the leisure travel sales division at Tourism Vancouver. Originally from China and fluent in Mandarin and English, Liu has 15 years of hotel sales experience, including positions at Shangri-La Qingdao, Crowne Plaza Qingdao, Renaissance Tianjin, Beijing Marriott West, Renaissance Beijing and most recently the Sheraton Vancouver Airport.
Human Resources
Melissa Jaalaid has recently joined Career Contacts Ltd., a full-service employment agency assisting companies with permanent, temporary, contract and payrolling services, as a recruitment specialist.
Legal
Hermann Luitingh has joined Davison Law Group as legal counsel. Luitingh is a senior practitioner with 17 years of experience in civil, family and estate litigation. Luitingh is past chair of the Canadian Bar Association (British Columbia)’s administrative law committee.
Hardeep Gill has recently joined Borden Ladner Gervais LLP’s Vancouver office as an associate focusing on corporate tax, family wealth counsel and private companies.
Robin Bennett and Betty Wu have recently joined Hakemi Ridgedale LLP. Bennett will be advising individual and corporate clients on a broad range of commercial litigation matters including real estate and construction disputes. Wu brings experience in all areas of commercial litigation including estate litigation, wills variation actions and intellectual property disputes.
Guyle Clark and Nikki Prihar have joined the personal injury law firm Warnett Hallen. Clark is committed to bringing legal advocacy to the public as well as devoting his efforts to personal injury law. Prihar is fluent in Punjabi and, during articles, appeared in the BC Supreme Court, and the provincial court of B.C. and assisted with Supreme Court trials.
Public
Jeff Lekstrom has been appointed chief operating officer at the Industry Training Authority (ITA). Most recently, Lekstrom has been providing consulting services to ITA on the pan-Canadian harmonization project to standardize Red Seal training across Canada. Prior to that, he was general superintendent at Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold in Papua, Indonesia, where he was responsible for the Nemangkawi Mining Institute. Lekstrom was dean of trades at Northern Lights College from 2000 to 2012.
Real estate
Russ Bougie has joined Avison Young as a principal. Based in the company’s Vancouver office, he will focus on industrial sales and leasing in Metro Vancouver. Bougie brings 20 years of commercial real estate brokerage and appraisal experience to the firm.
Companies on the move
New in town
Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc. has launched its new online camera insurance program, allowing photographers the chance to get quick quotes and process policy documents in less than five minutes, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Details can be found at https://photographer.frontrowinsurance.com.
Hats Off
Business in Vancouver welcomes submissions from local small businesses and large corporations alike that demonstrate examples of corporate philanthropy and community involvement in the Vancouver area. High-resolution images are also welcome.
Pacific Blue Cross Community Connection Health Foundation donated $100,000 toward the Pacific Autism Family Centre Foundation’s new “hub and spoke” modelled centre in Richmond. The funds will be used to create the Pacific Blue Cross Preschool Room.
A&W Food Services of Canada Inc.’s seventh annual “Cruisin’ to End MS” campaign raised $1.5 million. One dollar from every Teen Burger sold across the country on August 27, in addition to funds collected in donation mugs, through paper cut-out sales and online, went to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.
GCT Canada and Matcon Civil Constructors donated $100,000 and $20,000, respectively, to the Reach Child and Youth Development Society in support of its Building for Children Together capital campaign, which aims to build a new children’s community resource centre to provide new, enhanced and more easily accessible programs for children with special needs and their families. •
