Real Talk with Beth Potter
Joining the Tourism Industry Association of Canada as its President and CEO in March 2021, Beth wasted no time bringing heightened awareness of the importance of tourism in Canada and working on the organization’s efforts to recover the industry from the impact of COVID-19. With experience in the tourism industry for over 25 years, Beth exemplifies what it means to be a Woman of WORTH and we were lucky enough to have her take time out of her busy schedule to tell us about her memorable career moments so far, her advice for other women in the industry, and more.
What motivated you to follow a career path in the tourism industry?
Simple – it’s the people. Tourism just attracts the most dynamic, hardworking, open-minded, and big-hearted people because it’s fundamentally about connecting with each other. Showcasing the best of a place and its people. My mom worked for Air Canada for over 25 years, so I was introduced to the industry at a very young age and the impression I had as far back as then was that a career in tourism was every bit as exciting as it was educational. That sense of excitement has never left me – a job in tourism is fast-paced and enriching, with plenty of opportunities for personal and professional growth. But we’ve had a hard go of it these last few years. Travel is often seen as a “fun” industry. And it is. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that it is also absolutely essential. The pandemic years have taught us just how much we truly need each other. And how important tourism is for us to be able to relate to – and have compassion for – each other; whether that’s between communities here at home, for example, with Indigenous reconciliation; or on a global level, between nations.
What are some of your most memorable and proud career highlights to date?
I could say that I am most proud of being recently named one of the Top 50 Women in Travel by the Global Business Travel Association, or receiving the 2022 Canadian Live Music Industry’s “Unsung Hero” Award for my work as co-chair of the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses…and I am proud of those achievements, to be sure. But what I am most proud of is all that my team at the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) and I have accomplished throughout this pandemic. I joined the team as President and CEO in March 2021 and immediately set to work strengthening our advocacy efforts and raising awareness of COVID-19’s devastating impact on tourism businesses across Canada.
Under my leadership, we became the fourth most active lobbying organization on the federal lobbyists’ registry in 2021. In 2022, the Hill Times named me among the top 100 lobbyists in their annual list of prominent ones operating at the federal level. I don’t see these as just my achievements alone – rather, they speak to the dedication, the hard work, the late nights and the long hours that we at TIAC put in to ensure the survival of our industry at its darkest moment. Through our efforts, we ensured that our members had a seat at the table with the federal government and that their interests were represented in numerous discussions and conversations, which led to the gradual scaling down of pandemic-related border restrictions since February of this year.
You’ve been in the tourism industry for over 15 years, what are some of the biggest shifts you have seen in the industry since then? What would you like to see in the next 15 years?
Actually, my first full-time job after university was as a Marketing and Communications Coordinator for the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in tourism, so you could say that I’ve been a part of the industry for more than 25 years! I go back even further, in fact – my first job as a teenager was as a ride attendant at Centreville Amusement Park in Toronto. I’ve been fortunate to have worked in this industry in a variety of positions throughout my career, and that’s made me sensitive to its labour issues and impressed on me the importance of attracting the best and brightest workers.
What would I like to see going forward? While I’ve been grateful to have seen a big shift in the number of women in mid-management and senior management roles, I don’t think our work on this front is done. I would like to see the progress continue, with more opportunities for women, particularly at the executive, and decision-making level; and especially for Indigenous and women of colour. I am firm in my belief that, as we rise in our careers, it is incumbent on us to help those around us – to open or create new avenues of opportunity for them to succeed.
When you look back on your career, what helped you strive for senior leadership roles? What pushed you?
I’ve been a life-long learner and always wanted to be able to put into practice what I learned. I’m a strong believer in the idea of being able to effect change – and in order to do that, you need to be willing to stand up and take responsibility. I have a daughter, two granddaughters, and four nieces, and I want to set the best example I can for them as to what we can do when we put our minds to it.
I’ve been in tourism since 1990 and have definitely seen an increase in women assuming positions of leadership within the industry. There are still key challenges we face, especially with respect to narrowing the gender pay gap and ensuring more support for working parents. I choose not to feel defeated by those challenges; but to, instead, be motivated by them.
What words of advice do you have for women in the industry interested in senior leadership, who may be discouraged right now?
The best advice I’ve been given, which I’d like to share now, is simply to know your stuff. Knowledge is power. The more you immerse yourself in your area of focus, the more your expertise will speak for itself. The women thing, the age thing, or any other thing is ultimately irrelevant when it comes to acquiring knowledge - the diligence to pursue it, the tenacity to understand it, and the wisdom to share it.
Another key piece of advice: find a woman mentor. Someone that you can discuss issues with, talk through problems and devise solutions. No woman is an island – we all need someone we can look up to, someone who can be our sounding board. And when you get to that stage in your career like I have where you can support other young women in the industry, it will be its own reward.
Lastly – networking is important. Many studies have shown that most job opportunities are found through weak ties, so expand your network by joining organizations like WORTH and getting involved in your community!
Can you talk about one woman who has impacted your life and career?
There are too many to count and I am grateful to them all. I’m trying, but I really can’t pick just one. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to count Diane J. Brisebois, President & CEO of Retail Council of Canada; Johanne Belanger, past President & CEO of Destination Toronto; and my very first mentor, Joanne Beckett, past head of PR at Clinique Canada, as women who’ve had an impact on me. I was very lucky to intern under Joanne as a high school student, and – silly as it sounds– she taught me things like how to dress for success, how to answer the phone, how to make a professional phone call and some of my first networking skills. She gave me something to aspire to early on in my career and the support I needed to launch myself.
I’ve also been very lucky to have many friends and colleagues in the industry who have all had a part in shaping the leader that I’ve become – Grace Sammut, Carol Greenwood, and Alexandra Anderson, to name just a few more (sorry, there are just so many that it feels unjust to name but one!). I’m also a big believer that learning goes in both directions, I have the immense pleasure of learning from, and being inspired by, many of the young women I work with at TIAC and in the industry!
When you are not working as the President & CEO of TIAC or serving on the board of directors for Metro Toronto Convention Centre and Tourism HR Canada, what might we find you getting up to?
I serve on the Board of Governors for Centennial College and am co-chair of the Canadian Travel & Tourism Coalition, co-chair of the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses, and Canadian Vice-Chair for the Future Borders Coalition – that keeps me very busy, indeed! Apart from that, I think it’s healthy to cultivate talents that are not related to your day job, it’s all part of being a well-rounded human being. So when not working, you’ll find often find me volunteering to raise money to find a cure for breast cancer (for example, CIBC’s Walk to End Breast Cancer and the Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Foundation’s Snow Run). As a survivor, it is a cause that is both near and dear to me.
Beyond that, you’ll catch me spending time at the cottage, and golfing or curling – depending on the season. My other big love outside of travel? Art. I love to sketch and paint and recently took a watercolour painting class. It is so refreshing to engage the “other” side of my brain!
About Beth Potter
Beth is an accomplished leader with more than 35 years of diversified provincial, and national association experience, and over 20 years in the tourism sector. From 2011 to 2021, she served as President & CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), representing over 200,000 tourism businesses.
Since joining TIAC as its President and CEO in March of 2021, Beth has been implementing her vision to heighten awareness of the critical importance of tourism across Canada and to build on the organization’s advocacy objectives to recover the sector from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and to position it for continued growth into the future.
Internationally, she is an active member of both the World Travel and Tourism Council’s COVID-19 Taskforce and Government Affairs Working Group and the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
As a testament to her leadership in the industry, Beth was recently named one of the Top 50 Women in Travel by the Global Business Travel Association and also received the Canadian Live Music Industry’s 2022 “Unsung Hero” Award for her work as Co-Chair of the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses.
Beth continuously works with a variety of committees and volunteers from across the tourism industry; including serving on the boards of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Provincial & Territorial Tourism Industry Association Council, Destination Ontario Sector Advisory Committee, and Tourism HR Canada.