Brenda Howes, CEO
brenda@thehowesgroup.com
(613) 692 2514
With close to two decades of entrepreneurial experience, Brenda Howes brings to her clients a portfolio of results based on dedication and trust. Since focusing on site selection for clients exclusively six years ago, she continues to work with the same clients that she started with. This is the only measurement of client satisfaction that matters.
The scope of her industry experience includes clients from all sectors, including association, government, corporate and the extensive not-for-profit realm.
The three initial factors of a successful meeting continue to be location, location, location. With local, national and international experience, Brenda understands regional content and the importance of including the unique features of a destination into the overall planning.
Brenda considers the strong relationships she has made with hoteliers critically important to the success of the process. Understanding how a hotel assesses value is key to finding value.
Lisa Sharman
Director Global Accounts
lisa@thehowesgroup.com
(613) 574-0256
With over 25 years in the tourism industry, encompassing travel, hotels and recently destination sales, Lisa brings extensive experience and knowledge working with associations, corporate and government markets.
Lisa is passionate about fostering solid relationships with her clients. She prides herself on the ability to listen to her clients’ objectives, making sure their expectations are met and helps them reach their goals. Lisa does this while having fun, remembering that we are all people first.
Lisa believes it’s important to give back to the community and has volunteered for organizations like the Ottawa Food Bank, Shepherds of Good Hope and the Weekend to End Cancer. She is also an active member of MPI & CSAE and volunteers on both committees
Lisa has been married for two years, has a wonderful husband and daughter and resides in Greely, Ontario, just outside of Ottawa. She is passionate about horses, cooking, design, and in her spare time Lisa enjoys painting in her studio.
Sylvie Pesut
Associate Global Accounts
sylvie@thehowesgroup.com
(289) 442-4824
Sylvie brings to The Howes Group a wonderful depth of experience in the hospitality industry. Within the last decade, she has worked with business travel including all market segments: corporate, association, SMERF and even tour and travel. The last few years have been focused on destination sales and working with numerous partners collaborating on mutual goals.
Honesty, integrity and building strong relationships with both clients and suppliers are very important to this service oriented team member. Sylvie’s goal is to make her clients look like superstars and take the stress out of the site selection process. Loving what she does shows in her passion for her clients’ success.
Sylvie is an active member of MPI and CSAE. She is married to her best friend and greatest supporter, as well as a mother to three amazing children. Sylvie loves staying fit and spending time with her kids when she has some time to herself.
Rod Howes, CFO
rod@thehowesgroup.com
As a partner in the Howes Group and its Chief Financial Officer, Rod Howes has a thorough understanding of managing meetings and delegations, both nationally and internationally. Assessing market trends for both business and financial expectations is where Rod’s expertise resides, having managed portfolios valued in the millions.
His technical savvy is a critical component to the company’s success as he has managed the systems for the company since 1995. Developing time saving and cost effective processes is something that simply comes with ease.
Leslie Boomer, Business Coordinator
leslie@thehowesgroup.com
As the glue to the team, Leslie brings unparalleled administrative skills and she ensures the ‘i’s are dotted and the ‘t’s are crossed. She also makes sure that all of the contest winners receive their prizes. An important monthly task!
Michele Larkin, Account Manager
michele@thehowesgroup.com
Six years ago, Michele Larkin received a call from Brenda Howes, who was recruiting for a client event in Ottawa. This call developed into a lasting relationship sparked by a common entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic: “Treat every project like it’s your own.”
Michele’s career has encompassed the tourism industry from both the hotel perspective as well as the meeting planning side. After graduating from Lakehead University in the early 90′s, Michele held several positions servicing the association, government and corporate markets. In 2000, Michele was hired as a meeting planner for a medical communications company to organize the logistics for advisory board meetings in Canada, the US and in Europe. After having her first child and looking for a position that offered more family friendly hours, Michele became an entrepreneur and began working as a Hotel Site
Selection Specialist, sourcing group hotel and meeting space and doing on-site management for events such as sales meetings, annual conferences and training events.
Today, Michele has been married for 8 years, has two beautiful children and lives in Austin, Texas. Thankful for having had the time to spend with her two young children, she is now returning to the meeting planning world and looks forward to servicing your account like it was her own event!
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