Five HFTM Alumni Named 2021 Top 30 Under 30

Top 30 Logo Kostuch Media's annual Top 30 Under 30 recognizes the rising stars of Canada's hospitality and foodservice industry. This year's list of top young professionals featured five alumni from Lang's School of Hospitality, Food & Tourism Management.

Congratulations to the following LANG HFTM alumni:

Amber Douel, HAFA'18 - Front Office Manager, Delta Hotels by Marriott - Vancouver Downtown Suites
Bonnie Nethery, HAFA'17 - General Manager, Descendants Beer & Beverage Co.
Meghan Wright, HAFA'15 - General Manager, Oliver & Bonacini
Nicole Chan, HAFA'16 - Program Manager, Guest Experience, Sonder
Yonnie Wong, HAFA'17 - Account Manager, SnapCommerce

A list of previous winners can be found at this link [1].

Amber Douel, HAFA'18
Front Office Manager, Delta Hotels by Marriott - Vancouver Downtown Suites

How has your education at the U of G helped you build your skills and experience to become a young leader in the HFTM industry?

"Through the combination of incredibly knowledgeable faculty and the opportunity to gain industry experience through the co-operative education program, I developed a strong foundation of knowledge that was shared by my industry experience allowing me to easily transition directly into a leadership role post-graduation."

Bonnie Nethery, HAFA'17
General Manager, Descendants Beer & Beverage Co.

How has your education at the U of G helped you build your skills and experience to become a young leader in the HFTM industry?

"My education from UofG provided me with a strong business foundation that allows me to be analytical when making decisions."

Meghan Wright, HAFA'15
General Manager, Oliver & Bonacini

How has your education at the U of G helped you build your skills and experience to become a young leader in the HFTM industry?

"The HAFA program allowed me to learn hands on. With these experiences I was able to grasp exactly what hospitality is and better prepare myself for future job opportunities."

Nicole Chan, HAFA'16
Program Manager, Guest Experience, Sonder

How has your education at the U of G helped you build your skills and experience to become a young leader in the HFTM industry?

"I am so thankful that my education at UofG allowed me the opportunity to build a multitude of relationships that shaped my career path. Being in a tight-knit cohort and being involved in extracurriculars meant lifelong friendships but also allies in the industry as we ventured into the 'real world' together. I still keep in touch with many of my professors and will always be indebted to them for their constant efforts, teaching us the foundations of hospitality, business, and leadership, but also for going above and beyond to get us connected to alumni and industry professionals in any way possible and opening up our networks."

Yonnie Wong, HAFA'17
Account Manager, SnapCommerce

How has your education at the U of G helped you build your skills and experience to become a young leader in the HFTM industry?

"My time at UofG in the HAFA program helped me build a very strong and solid foundation in hospitality, in both hotel and restaurant operations. I was able to apply my knowledge and it gave me the confidence to excel at whatever position I was in. It was actually until my internship, which was an opportunity that I found through the School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management, where it piqued my interest in the hospitality and technology space. "

The Top 30 Under 30 represent the industry including restaurants, hotels, entrepreneurs, tourism-related businesses and suppliers. The program has also been launched nationally for the first time in its 16-year history. The awards reflect KML's mandate to provide educational support and programs for future generations to succeed.

The program was developed in 2006 by the School's professor Bruce McAdams alongisde J. Charles Grieco, former president of the Ontario Hostelry Institute (OHI). In April of 2019, Kostuch Media Ltd. (KML) took over the production of the annual program from the OHI, following the passing of Charles Grieco.