It was a ‘feel good’ evening in Toronto late last week (Dec. 11) as Air Canada welcomed it about 140 of its top industry partners and customers at the Sheraton Centre Toronto for the airline’s annual Customer Appreciation Event.
Toronto was the wrap-up for a trio of appreciation events which included stops in Vancouver and Montreal.
But along with showing its appreciation to its partners, Air Canada also showed its appreciation for the efforts of its Vice President Global Sales and Air Canada Vacations, Lisa Pierce who is retiring on Dec. 31 of this year.
As Vincent Gauthier-Dore – Managing Director Canada & USA Sales, put it, the evening was a chance to celebrate Pierce’s remarkable 40-year carrier with the airline and to welcome Francois Choquette as the new Head of Sales for Air Canada.
Pierce took the opportunity to thank all of the partners in the room for their “unwavering support,” praising some of the leaders – like Marc Rosenberg, Claude Morin, Lucie Guillemette, Zeina Gedeon, Duncan Bureau and others — that she has worked with over the course of her four-decade career and the things that they have taught her during that time.
Pierce observed that people and partners are the strength of Air Canada and she believes that those great partnerships will only continue to grow stronger.
As for Francois Choquette, he was quick to admit that he has some big shoes to fill, noting that Pierce has taken things up a notch with many of Air Canada’s partners.
Choquette told his audience that the year ahead is going to be a busy one — with Air Canada growing its network with the addition of new destinations, the introduction of new aircraft and its investments in its operations at Billy Bishop – and emphasized the importance that they airline places on its partnerships.
To Pierce, Choquette said: “You can count on me to carry on your legacy,” before adding, if there’s a Sales Hall of Fame, Lisa should be inducted.”
