Dan Paszkowski
The Right Amount Campaign Pairs Best with Moderation
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President and Chief Executive Officer, Wine Growers Canada
Dan Paszkowski has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Wine Growers Canada (WGC) since 2006, representing wineries across Canada responsible for more than 90% of annual wine production. Mr. Paszkowski is an active advocate on national and international wine issues, and represents the Canadian wine industry on all federal policy issues, international trade negotiations, and various advisory bodies including the World Wine Trade Group (WWTG), the National Quality Assurance Committee, and the Beverage Alcohol Containers Management Council of BC, among others.
Richard Halstead
BC’s Position in the Canadian Market with Key Insights
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Co-founder and COO at Wine Intelligence
Richard is co-founder and COO at Wine Intelligence. He leads the company’s strategy practice and works closely with multinational clients on product development, branding and routes to market projects.
Richard’s early working life was spent in business journalism, including spells as a staff writer on the Independent on Sunday and the Mail on Sunday. After taking his MBA, Richard entered the world of wine when he was appointed the first Business Development Manager of Virgin Wines shortly after its launch.
Today Richard is in demand as a speaker, writer and lecturer. He is a regular on the international conference circuit. Recent teaching engagements include the Bordeaux Wine MBA programme, the OIV master’s programme and the master’s in Wine Business at Trieste University. Richard is a Certified Member of the Market Research Society and holds an MBA with distinction from London Business School. He is a graduate of Brown University.
Mike Procopio
2021 Retail Sales Trends and Landscape Report
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Executive Director, Retail Operations, BC Liquor Distribution Branch
Mike Procopio is the Executive Director of Retail Services with the BC Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB).
Mike has more than 20 years of experience in senior management and business management in the Canada alcohol beverages industry. He had been the Director of Purchasing, where he was responsible for purchase of all alcoholic beverages for all the government liquor stores, inventory management, quality control issues, social responsibility issues and store layouts i.e. planograms and category management.
Prior to his current position, Mike had also worked as the Executive Director of Human Resources.
Mike was appointed Executive Director of Retail Services in 2014 – overseeing store operations, marketing, and merchandising. Mike leads a team of retail directors to drive performance, customer service and continuous improvement to 198 BCLS.
The BCLS vision is to provide high levels of customer satisfaction, an engaged in-store experience with a focus on profitable growth.
Wesley Peterson
Okanagan College – Beverage Research & Development Centre
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Wesley Peterson for the past 20 years, has been engaged in various capacities across the global travel, tourism and hospitality sectors. His prior experience includes financial positions with both Canadian Airlines and Air Canada as well as executive roles with Expedia Inc. As Vice President Commercial at Expedia, he managed airline negotiations and other travel portfolios throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa from Expedia’s UK offices in London. He currently manages the BC Beverage Technology Access Centre (BCBTAC) in Penticton, BC. The Centre supports research, development and innovation for the beverage sector across Canada as part of its joint mandate between Okanagan College and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) in Ottawa. In addition to his role with the BCBTAC, Peterson also looks after the Canadian marketing and distribution portfolio of Odin Brewing Company, which he co-owns. The brewery operates multiple locations out of Washington State and brews under license in Vancouver, BC with distribution throughout Western Canada.
Jonathan Rouse
Okanagan College Vineyard Establishment and Sustainability Micro Credential Program
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Director for Food, Wine and Tourism and Associate Dean Okanagan School of Business at Okanagan College
Jonathan Rouse is Director for Food, Wine and Tourism and Associate Dean Okanagan School of Business at Okanagan College, British Columbia. Jonathan has a varied background beginning as an exploration geologist for leading mining corporations, as well as a senior mineralogical land use geologist for government. For the past 25 years, Jonathan has been active in tourism development and education, with particular interest in sustainability, learner centric learning and delivery models, and program development. Prior to moving to the Okanagan, Jonathan was the Dean for the School of Hospitality and Business at Vancouver Community College, and Department Chair for Tourism and Outdoor Recreation at Capilano University. Jonathan currently sits on the Board of Go2, and past Board member for the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society, Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council, Tourism Industry Association of BC and Tourism Vancouver.
Katarina Vucic
UBC Wine Sector Co-op Program Update
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Lecturer for the Wine Sector- Co-Op Specialization Program
She has over 10 years’ business experience in the BC wine industry, is a DipWSET graduate and holds a Master’s Degree in Viticulture and Oenology from the University of Bordeaux Agro. She is also a member of CAPS ( Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers).
Jamie Snow
UBC Wine Sector Co-op Program Update
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Associate Director, Community Relations, and oversees the UBC Okanagan Interdisciplinary Co-op Education program
Jamie Snow is Associate Director, Community Relations, and oversees the UBC Okanagan Interdisciplinary Co-op Education program including the newly launched Wine Sector Co-op. Jamie has worked at UBCO for 13 years in community engagement, experiential learning and work integrated learning programming. She is a board member for the BC Association of Co-op & Work Integrated Learning, a member of influence with the Okanagan Young Professional Collective and recently joined the HR committee for the Central Okanagan Foundation.
Honourable Lana Popham
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries
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Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries
Lana was raised on Quadra Island in a do-it-yourself community, where growing food, raising animals and harvesting from the sea was a way of life.
Her interest in urban planning led her to UBC, where she graduated with a degree in geography.
In 1996, Lana made her home in Saanich South. She co-founded and operated Barking Dog Vineyard, the first certified organic vineyard on Vancouver Island. She also managed a crew of vineyard workers who took care of many vineyards on the Saanich Peninsula.
Lana became politically active in 2007 when the economic viability of over 90 food producers in Saanich was threatened by increased property taxes. Lana gave voice to the wave of public reaction that forced the Campbell Liberals to back away from their misguided farm tax policies.
Lana served on Saanich’s Planning, Transportation and Economic Development Committee and the Peninsula Agricultural Commission. She was also president of the Vancouver Island Grape Growers Association, chair of the Certification Committee for the Islands Organic Producers Association, and a member of the Investment Agriculture Board.
After being elected in 2009, Lana served as Opposition Spokesperson for agriculture for eight years.
Charmaine Hammond
The Makings of a Strong Team – Workplace Mental Health, Recruitment and Retention
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Conflict Resolution & Collaboration Expert with MyWorkplaceHealth
Charmaine Hammond is a Conflict Resolution & Collaboration Expert with MyWorkplaceHealth. She has extensive experience in: Conflict & Dispute Resolution, Building Workplace Collaboration, Workplace Violence Prevention, Disaster Recovery & Resilience Building, Facilitating Team Building and Team Charter processes. She is passionate about workplace health because teams that are healthy work better together and have healthier and happier families. Workplace health improves productivity, reduces safety incidents, and fosters employees achieving their personal and professional potential.
Charmaine is known for her skills in managing conflict and difficult conversations. As a former Correctional Officer, Workplace Mediator and Crisis Intervention Professional, Charmaine is experienced and skilled in dealing with workplace crisis and training teams on the skills to resolve conflict, work collaboratively, improve relationships and trust, and, resilience.
Charmaine holds an MA in Conflict Analysis & Management and a BA in Social Development Studies. As a Professional Speaker (approved TEC Canada Speaker), Charmaine has presented keynotes, breakout sessions, and seminars across Canada, as well as in five other Countries to more than 300,000+ people on topics related to collaboration, conflict resolution, resilience, and leadership. Charmaine has provided training programs, in house customized professional development and presentations (e.g. at conferences) to thousands of participants during her career. She has won various awards, most recently, the 2012 Business Matchmaker of the Year Award, 2013 Renison College Alumni of the Year.
She is an award-winning, best-selling published author of Bounce Forward: Building Resilient and Inspired Teams, On Toby’s Terms. She is also a contributing author in Chicken Soup for the Soul-what I learned from the dog book, a contributing author in the Defining Moments book, co-author of GPS Your Best Life, contributing author in Road Map to Success, and is featured in six other books.
Charmaine has developed hundreds of Conflict Resolution and Training programs for corporations, government, educational institutions and associations. As a consultant, she also worked with her corporate clients on developing policies and procedures around conflict management and workplace violence prevention. Charmaine has also developed an Alternative Complaint Resolution Process for Alberta College of Social Workers, as well as internal conflict management systems for various companies and organizations.
Charmaine turns communication breakdowns into communication breakthroughs and helps teams work better together!
When not working with leaders and teams to build healthy and respectful workplaces, you will find Charmaine enjoying the outdoors with her dog Toby and her husband Chris, reading a good book or enjoying conversations with others.
Maya Lange
Expectations for Tourism and Travel
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Vice President, Global Marketing, Destination British Columbia
Maya Lange is the VP, Global Marketing for Destination British Columbia. Maya has a proven track record of managing strong brands on the local, national and world stage having worked in data-driven digital marketing and content marketing in Germany, France, USA and Canada. In 2018, Maya was recognized as the Canadian Marketing Association’s Marketer of the Year.
At Destination BC, Maya is responsible for our global marketing efforts in 14 domestic and international markets via the Super, Natural British Columbia® brand. A passionate British Columbian raising a young family, she loves skiing and exploring BC’s hidden wonders.
Deirdre Campbell
Crisis Communications and Reputation Management
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President, Tartan Bond
As President of Victoria-based tartan bond Deirdre has been entrenched in the integrated communications business for more than 20 years. What began as a West Coast-based boutique PR agency called Tartan in 2001, with a handful of Canadian signature tourism experiences, quickly expanded internationally with a range of sustainable businesses across North, Central and South America. An avid entrepreneur who is nicknamed the “connector”, Deirdre’s passion for strategic communications, storytelling, reputation management and crisis communications has earned clients from the tourism, healthcare, food and beverage, real estate, technology, wellness and non-for-profit industries. She has been nominated as a businessperson and PR professional of the year and recognized with a YW/YMCA Women of Distinction award for her work in the community.
Mallory Graham
10 Strategies for Business Growth & Resiliency with Indigenous Partnerships
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Indigenous Business Coach, Tribal Trade Co.
Aanii, boozhoo. My name is Mallory and I am an Ojibway woman from the Anishinaabeg Nation of Curve Lake, and the founder/creative director of Tribal Trade Co. We’ve helped tens of thousands of people learn, celebrate, and connect with traditional Indigenous cultural teachings using online learning. My teaching approach comes from stories that I’ve heard from elders in my community, combined with my personal experiences. I’m passionately committed to getting people results, seeing transformations by combining traditional Indigenous cultural knowledge with new world personal development strategies.
Conner Galway
Digital Marketing Strategy, Where to Place Digital Marketing Dollars to Sell Wine in 2022
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Founder of Junction
Conner is the founder of Junction, an award-winning digital consulting firm based out of Vancouver. Since 2010 they’ve been helping companies to embrace digital and an essential part of their business, working with brands like lululemon, Fairmont Hotels and Destination BC.
He’s also the author of The Brief, a weekly digital strategy newsletter that recently won the Marketing News Canada Best Newsletter award, a University instructor, and most recently, the new head of eLearningU – North America’s largest online learning platform for the tourism industry.
He believes that every business is a digital business and that embracing the online world doesn’t have to be technical, it just has to be valuable for everyone involved.
Katie Pease
Vineyard Management Plan Template
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Principal of Synapse Strategies and the Program Manager for Sustainable Winegrowing BC (SWBC)
Katie Pease is a Principal of Synapse Strategies and the Program Manager for Sustainable Winegrowing BC (SWBC). Her professional practices focus on enhancing ecosystem health & resilience in conjunction with strategic sustainable planning, development, and organizational change. As Program Manager of SWBC, she’s recently led the launch of a third-party verified certification program for BC Wine and Vine industry, BC’s first. Through this work, she’s been invited to participate in a global roundtable discussion about sustainable winegrowing standards. A California native, Katie has worked with AG Innovations Network as a Food System Alliance Facilitator, in counties across the state, to help develop robust regional food systems. She has helped develop a community food strategy, a social enterprise farm, a food charter, and served on the Board of a thriving food cooperative. In the Okanagan, she volunteers as a board member of the Central Okanagan Food Policy Council and a prep-cook at the Kelowna Gospel Mission. Her formal education includes a Masters Degree in Strategic Leadership Toward Sustainability from the Blekinge Institute in Sweden. Her artistic expression is creating a beautiful and functional living space, indoor and out, and exploring the world with her husband, David, and husky mix, Aura, through wilderness adventures. Her claim to fame is hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, from Mexico to Canada, in 2002. Fun fact, crossing the border on the Pacific Crest Trail was her first visit to Canada (and now she won’t go home J).
Arnica Rowan
Key Insights BC Export Guides
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Co-Owner, Terroir Consulting
Arnica Rowan is an award-winning wine researcher, strategist, educator, writer, and a partner in Terroir Consulting. The professional consultancy supports wine and beverage organizations with private research and development, and wine professionals with education and training.
Combining her passions for wine and her experience as a seasoned business consultant, Arnica enjoys supporting family businesses and regional associations to reach their goals. Her specialist contributions to Terroir Consulting include consumer and global market research, wine region development, strategic planning, business coaching, portfolio/product assessment and development, branding, curriculum development, and teaching. Based in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, she currently oversees multi-disciplinary Terroir Consulting teams providing winemaking, export, research, marketing, design and social media services to organizations across North America.
With a consulting career spanning two decades, Arnica has also worked outside the wine sector with multi-national businesses, government, First Nations, post-secondary institutions and NGOs, to strategic plan, connect stakeholders, develop organizations, create brand identities, develop marketing plans and convey scientific research to the public and decision makers. Her entrepreneurial talents have launched successful businesses in the medical and personal care industries, and catalyzed impactful NGOs in a variety of sectors.
As an academic specializing in sustainable business, Arnica presented her research from Pittsburg to Marrakesh. As a professor for eleven years at Okanagan College, Lakeland College and Antioch University, Arnica taught change and non-profit management, and developed diploma to MBA level curriculum in management, marketing and sustainability. She won Alberta’s Innovation in Teaching award for college professors and an Emerald Award for environmental excellence.
With passions for honest wine and romantic stories, Arnica currently also writes off-the-beaten-path articles highlighting social and environmental issues for JancisRobinson.com. She has been privileged to visit many of the major wine regions of the world.
Arnica has completed her WSET Diploma, and is a certified Rioja Wine Educator. Arnica also holds a Bachelor of Commerce with honours from the University of Alberta, a Master of Arts in Environmental Education and Communication from Royal Roads University, and was awarded the prestigious SSHRC graduate scholarship for her research in online communities of practice.
Arnica is a founding director and serves as Chief Learning Officer of Vinica Education Society, a non-profit dedicated to diversifying the wine industry through education. She contributes to the greater wine community as a member of the Diversity in Wine Leadership Forum, and as co-founder of the Tasting Games, the BC wine industry’s tasting competition.
Darcen Esau
Key Insights BC Export Guides
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Co-Owner, Terroir Consulting
Darcen Esau is a market researcher specializing in both consumer behavior, sensory evaluation, and global trends. He is co-founder of Terroir Consulting, one of the largest research and development consultancy firms in Western Canada that is solely dedicated to supporting wine industry partners. Darcen has supported dozens of BC wine producers and regional wine associations with consumer research, export planning, marketing plans, sustainability initiatives, strategic planning, label design, and many other custom projects that he oversees with a team of multi-disciplinary experts.
Darcen is also part-owner and head of research at TasteAdvisor, which developed the world’s only white labeled wine tourism platform. In partnership with Wine Growers British Columbia, the Wines of BC Explorer platform is the first wine tourism app to win gold in Travel Weekly’s Magellan Awards. He completed his Masters at the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) where he studied the sensory experience of wine and how this impacts consumer decision making. Darcen continues to contribute to academic publications through multiple universities, including UBCO and Thompson River University.
Dr. José Ramón Úrbez-Torres
Plant Health and Economic Impact of Viruses
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Research Scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Summerland Research and Development Centre
Dr. José Ramón Úrbez-Torres is a Research Scientist at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Summerland Research and Development Centre in British Columbia and serves as Adjunct Professor in the Biology Department at the University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus. He is also a Professional Affiliate in the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute at Brock University. Dr. Úrbez-Torres received a postgraduate Master’s degree in viticulture, enology and wine marketing in 2001 from the International Social Science Council and the degree of Agricultural Engineering in 2004 from the University of Valladolid in Spain. He completed a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology in 2009 at the University of California Davis. Dr. Úrbez-Torres has studied diseases of woody perennial crops since 1999 and his current research focuses on the development and implementation of sustainable management strategies against fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases of grapevines and tree fruits in Canada.
Trent Ball
Plant Health and Economic Impact of Viruses
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Agriculture Department Chair and Coordinator of the Vineyard and Winery Technology Program, Yakima Valley College
Trent Ball currently works at Yakima Valley College (YVC) as the Agriculture Department Chair and Coordinator of the Vineyard and Winery Technology Program. He teaches an array of classes and operates and manages the Teaching Winery at YVC. In addition, he is a partner in Agri-Business Consultants, LLC, a consulting firm that specializes in the economic, financial, marketing, management and research of agricultural products and services. Recent projects include the Economics of Field Grafting and Replanting and the Economic Impact of Virus Diseases in Washington State.
BENOÎT GAUTHIER
Creating a Vineyard Management Plan w Sustainable Winegrowing BC
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Winemaker & Vineyard Manager, Noble Ridge Vineyard & Winery
Benoît joined Noble Ridge in 2011. He brought with him local and international winemaking and viticulture experience and a passion for great wines. All of his 14+ years working in the wine industry in BC have been devoted to specializing in the Okanagan Falls terroir. With the help of his dedicated team, Benoît strives to grow premium Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne varietals. During his tenure as winemaker, his wines have been recognized worldwide with numerous significant awards, including 99 points for his King’s Ransom Meritage in the New World International Competition, a gold medal at the prestigious Chardonnay du Monde competition and Best Sparkling of the Year in the All-Canadian Wine Championships to name a few.
Hans Buchler
Aligning the BC Wine Industry with 2030 Reduction Targets
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Chair, Canadian Grapevine Certification Network
Natalie Janssens
Aligning the BC Wine Industry with 2030 Reduction Targets
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Director of Programs, Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC
Natalie Janssens is the Director of Programs at the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. In this role, she provides leadership and oversight for programs delivered by IAF and actively engages with government and industry stakeholders to support IAF’s strategic plan and its contributions to the BC agriculture and agri-food sector.
Danielle Synotte
Aligning the BC Wine Industry with 2030 Reduction Targets
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Executive Director, BC Agriculture Council
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Members of the WGBC are proud of their wines and are committed to ensuring their wines are promoted and enjoyed responsibly by those adults who choose to consume them for the continued enjoyment and prosperity of the BC wine industry.
Learn what is the right amount for you at therightamount.ca
Learn what is the right amount for you at therightamount.ca
