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After an extensive global search, Destination British Columbia has appointed Marsha Walden as its inaugural Chief Executive Officer, announced Board Chair Andrea Shaw. Ms. Walden, who was born and raised in Vancouver, joined the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) in 2002 as director of marketing and eBusiness. Over the last nine years, Ms. Walden served in a number of senior executive roles, most recently as vice president of Strategy, Transformation and Social Responsibility. During her time at BCLC, Ms. Walden led a cross-functional team focused on driving player-centric strategies and transforming how BCLC approached innovation, corporate social responsibility, communications and enterprise-level marketing. Ms. Walden’s background includes leading teams in corporate communications, player relations, consumer research, customer support centre, customer relationship management, corporate marketing, responsible gambling, sustainability, enterprise innovation and creative services. Her team represented the organization’s chief player advocates and acted as agents of change in driving business success measured by a balanced scorecard. Ms. Walden’s experience includes spearheading major new BCLC operational initiatives, such as Chances Gaming Entertainment centres and PlayNow.com. Working with private sector partners and local governments across the province, her vision for community gaming centres revitalized the entertainment experience for players and the future of an industry. Ms. Walden operated her own marketing and communications company from 1997 to 2002. Prior to this, she spent 17 years in advertising and communications at BBDO Canada, holding a number of senior leadership roles and was responsible for strategic planning, business development and client profitability. An active volunteer, Ms. Walden is currently a member of the Grey Cup Festival 2014 Organizing Committee and is on the board of directors of the VSO School of Music. Ms. Walden holds a bachelor of commerce from the University of British Columbia, loves to travel, and revels in the many pleasures of family life in our extraordinary province. Ms. Walden will officially join Destination British Columbia on November 25, 2013. Quotes: Andrea Shaw, Board Chair, Destination British Columbia: “Ms. Walden’s dynamic and collaborative leadership style, extensive marketing and brand expertise, and exceptional people skills make her the right leader for our organization. The board is confident that Ms. Walden will inspire stakeholders to work collaboratively with each other and with Destination British Columbia, to take full advantage of the tremendous growth opportunities that exist within this important sector.” Marsha Walden, CEO, Destination British Columbia: “The promise and potential to grow the British Columbia brand, fresh off the world stage, in collaboration with dynamic, diverse and dedicated partners across the province is extremely exciting. I feel incredibly honoured to have the opportunity in this role to invite the world to visit the place I live and love and to build the economic benefits we enjoy from tourism.” Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour: “I’m delighted that a marketing professional and proven strategic leader of Ms. Walden’s calibre has been chosen as Destination British Columbia’s first CEO. We live in one of the most welcoming, dynamic, safe, diverse and beautiful places in the world. BC is truly “Super, Natural” – and that amounts to a competitive advantage that Ms. Walden and Destination BC will present to the world. Tourism is highlighted in the BC Jobs Plan as a sector with tremendous potential to drive our economy. I look forward to working with Ms. Walden to facilitate the growth of this key economic and job creator for BC.” Learn More: Destination British Columbia is an industry-led Crown corporation that works collaboratively with tourism stakeholders across the province to coordinate marketing at the international, provincial, regional and local levels. For more information about Destination British Columbia’s programs and services, please visit: www.DestinationBC.ca |
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