Virtuoso has announced industry veteran Karen Hardie as its new general manager for Canada.
Hardie comes to Virtuoso as a strategic and collaborative executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience in the global luxury travel industry. She enters the role as former GM of Canada, Una O’Leary, steps into her new role as vice president, global partnerships.
“Karen brings a combination of deep industry expertise, strategic vision and a strong commitment to the success of our members, advisors and partners in Canada,” said Virtuoso’s senior vice president global operations Michael Londregan.
“Her ability to build high-impact relationships, drive performance and lead with credibility makes her the ideal candidate to accelerate Virtuoso’s growth in Canada, while strengthening our global influence.”
Recognized among Canada’s Most Powerful Women (WXN 2016), Hardie brings a proven track record of success in growing B2B sales, deepening partner engagement and leading high-performing, multi-market teams across Canada, the U.S., Australasia and Europe. Most recently, Hardie served as vice president, global sales for Rocky Mountaineer, and prior to that as director, global sales operations and director of sales for the U.S. and Mexico for the same organisation. Her experience also includes executive roles with Jetset Travelworld Group and Orion Expedition Cruises, North America and Australia.
In her new position, Hardie will be responsible for developing and executing the regional business strategy across Canada with a focus on expanding Virtuoso’s member and partner base while deepening engagement within the region. She will be based in Vancouver and report to Londregan.
