Age: 41

Role: Banquet manager, the Fairmont Hamilton Princess

What is your job? As banquet manager, my job is to oversee all events such as meetings, functions, banquets and weddings that take place at the hotel. This includes working very closely with clients, meeting planners, conference service managers and catering managers. I also oversee the set-up crew and work very closely with the restaurant managers.

What is your favourite part of the job? Knowing that my client had a very successful event at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess. When a client tells me personally that we've exceeded their expectations and that we were able to wow them, it's very rewarding. When we've done a great job, we build great relationships and, chances are, we've earned their trust and the opportunity to do business with them again.

What is the least favourite part of the job? First the good news. At Fairmont, a scoring system created by JD Power & Associates is widely used throughout the company. When we have groups that book 10 or more rooms, we send the surveys to them electronically following their stay, which they fill out and return to us. At that point, we learn more about their stay and any challenges they faced, as well as how they felt we addressed and dealt with them. It's very disappointing to find out later if we were unable to turn a negative experience into a positive one before they left, as we take great pride in our service.

What is your most interesting experience at work? My most interesting experience at work happened during my first week as banquet manager. I was assigned a VIP dinner event that needed to be organised within four days. The theme of the evening was "Jazz under the Stars" and it was set outside in one of the function spaces overlooking Hamilton Harbour. Despite the tight timeframe, the event turned out to be a huge success and the attendees were impressed with the set-up, the service, the décor and lay out.

What would you be doing otherwise? My heart is in the hospitality industry. A few years ago, I took a three-year break to pursue a career in law enforcement, something I had always wanted to do. Once there, however, I realised that my calling was really in hospitality. I am still involved with law enforcement on a voluntary basis and that allows me to do the work I love to do and still give back to the community.