jim muir, cha
President - Summit Resort Management Inc.
Jim Muir is a committed hotel professional with over 35 years of experience in the business.
Jim was born in Scotland and grew up in Kitchener, Ontario. After graduating from Fanshawe College,
with a degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Catering Management, Jim worked with Holiday Inns for a period
of 12 years in various management capacities at properties located from coast to coast across Canada.
Jim has resided in Canmore for fifteen years while he was Manager of The Timberline Lodge in Banff before
assuming the position as General Manager
at the Chateau Canmore Resort. Accredited by the American Hotel Motel Association as a Certified Hotel Administrator, Jim is results oriented with a proven track record. Jim was recognized as a leader in the Canadian Hotel Industry when the Chateau Canmore Resort was awarded “1996 Hotel of the Year” by Choice Hotels Canada. During the summer of 1997 Jim studied Hotel Real Estate, Development, and Hotel Investment, as well as Hotel Planning and Design at Cornell University in New York. Most recently, Jim studied Condominium Management with Canadian Condominium Institute.
Jim went on to start Summit Resort Management for the purpose of providing consulting and management services to Resort and Hotel developments and operations in Western Canada. Jim’s involvement at Advantage West Inns & Suites included the development of a limited service hotel concept utilizing modular construction. The Advantage West Inns & Suites property opened in Fort McMurray in July 2004 and the property enjoyed the highest market-share in Fort McMurray. The property was sold in 2008 providing the investors an unprecedented return on their investment.
While taking an active role in the management of the Rocky Mountain Resort Properties that include the Falcon Crest Lodge, Copperstone Resort and The Stoneridge Mountain Resort, Jim also finds solutions to raise the bar in the hospitality business.
Jim maintained a leadership role in the development of the Acclaim Hotel at Calgary Airport which opened in 2009. This hotel is recognized in the industry as being very innovative already out performing many of the flagged properties in the area. In 2010 the Pacini Restaurant brand was introduced into the Calgary market at the Acclaim Hotel.
While Jim enjoys the hotel business, he also takes time to pursue other interests which include his family, skiing, mountain biking, sailing, traveling, and following Formula One motor racing. Jim is past chairman and a founding member of the Canmore / Kananaskis Tourism Board and has sat on Canmore Planning Commission and the Development Appeal Board.
Jim maintains an uncompromising belief in guest satisfaction, delivering guest service that goes beyond the guests’ expectations. Jim will continue to be involved with operations in planning, strategy, and assuring the team is focused on the commitment to the property objectives. It is very important that Jim brings value to any project in which he participates, and will continue to strive for high standards in the properties in which Summit will operate, maximizing the full profit potential.
stewart winterburn, cha
Vice-President, Hotel Operations
General Manager – Acclaim Hotel, Calgary
Stewart Winterburn, career hospitality professional brings over 20 years of hotel and management experience to
the Summit Hotels & Resorts management team. Stewart joined the SRM team and opened his first hotel as General
Manager in 1998. With a proven record of getting the job done during the challenging opening period Stewart has opened
three hotels in the Canmore area, one in Fort McMurray and most recently the new Acclaim Hotel Calgary Airport.
In 2000 Stewart received his professional designation as Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA). In 2001 and 2002 Stewart played a lead role in reforming the Canmore Hotel & Lodging Association as President. In other community activities he sat as member of the Board of Directors for the Canmore Chamber of Commerce, and was actively involved as member of the Canmore Rotary Club.
Committed to being an industry leader Stewart has seen properties he manages achieve top market share and ADR in their market. Recognition has included Good Housekeeping Awards through the Hotel Association of Canada’s Canada Select program. Top rankings on user based review sites such as Trip advisor, and Expedia reflect his commitment to provide an exceptional guest experience while achieving the organizations financial goals.
edward keenan
Vice President- Resort Operations
General Manager – Stoneridge Mountain REsort, Canmore
Edward is joined the Summit Hotel & Resort Management team in 2005 as the General manager at the Advantage West
Inns & Suites in Fort McMurray. Bringing over 18 years of experience in the hotel, restaurant and resort business,
Edward is committed to ensuring the highest levels of owner, staff and guest satisfaction. Prior to his appointment as
General Manager of the Stoneridge Mountain Resort, Edward has been the General Manager of the Advantage West Inns & Suites in
Fort McMurray, Falcon Crest Lodge and the Copperstone Resort in Canmore. Prior to joining the Summit team, Edward worked as the Operations Manager at the Quality Inn University in Calgary for 8 years and before that at the Quality Resort Chateau Canmore, where he first met Jim and Stewart. Recently, Edward studied at Cornell University in New York, successfully completing the General Manager’s program further supporting his studies at the De Vry Institute of Technology, and the University of Alberta. Edward is currently the Vice-President of the Canmore Hotel & Lodging Association and in his spare time enjoys golfing, alpine skiing, mountain biking and spending time with his family.
In his capacity as General Manager at various hotels and resorts, Edward was instrumental in exceeding all expectations, exceeding bottom line profit projections. Edward has led his team to only deliver the highest standard of service while assuring bottom line profits continue to grow. The Stoneridge Mountain Resort maintains a top position on Trip Advisor.
Maarten Hiemstra
Maarten has over 20 years of financial experience, the last 8 years in
hospitality. Originally from the Netherlands, Maarten and his wife moved to Canada in 2003. He started as controller at The Residence Inn By Marriott in
Canmore and after a year moved to The Radisson Hotel in Canmore where he increased his knowledge of the operational side of hospitality. With his
knowledge and personality he was able to increase the profitability of the hotel and reduce the turnover in the accounting department. In 2010 Maarten
was the interim GM for 2 months. During this time he was able to further develop his leadership skills and improve his knowledge of guest and
employee satisfaction. In his spare time Maarten and his family can be found on the slopes of Sunshine ski area or on the golf course.
cory haggar
General Manager- Falcon Crest Lodge
Cory joined the CLIQUE team in 2011, assuming the position of General Manager at the Falcon Crest Lodge. Cory has 25 years experience in the hotel and restaurant industry. Prior to his appointment as General Manager of Falcon Crest Lodge, Cory has worked for Fairmount, Holiday Inn and Sandman Hotel and Resorts. Through his years in the industry he has gained a wide range of knowledge and training which he has been able to apply in various settings. This has enabled him to do develop exceptional leadership qualities and a great marketing edge.
david field
General Manager- Pacini, Calgary Airport
David joined the team in 2010, and brings with him 24 years of food and beverage experience with proven track records. David
spent 4 years in Fort Mc Murray as Director of Food and Beverage for one of the busiest conference hotels in the area. David was
crucial in the 8 million dollar conference and restaurant re development working with designers and construction teams to ensure
that time lines and budgets were adhered to. David also took over the Darden’s flag ship Canadian restaurant (Olive Garden) when it
was the worst performing restaurant in Canada
and in 3 short years had turned it to the best performing restaurant in Canada and won 2 of the company’s highest awards for best profit and highest guest increase over the previous year in the Denver division. David brings a passion for Food, Beverage and people to this organization and is always looking for ways to set the bar higher for him and the team in respects to the Guest Experience.
joan cook
Accountant – Summit Resort Management
Joan joined Summit in 1998. With 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including 10 years as accountant and assistant controller at the Banff Springs Hotel, Joan is an important asset in the Summit team. Joan has been instrumental in streamlining accounting procedures and in providing accounting solutions for rental pool distribution and implementing our efficient system for prompt revenue distribution.
julie mears
Controller – Acclaim Hotel
Julie joined the CLIQUE team in 2010. Prior to joining the CLIQUE team Julie has worked as an accountant and controller for the past 15 years in various hotel and resort properties throughout Western Canada including Best Western and Bellstar Resorts. In her capacity as controller, Julie maintains tight controls; protecting the company’s assets.
rose moser
Manager – Owner Relations – CLIQUE Hotels & Resorts
Rose joined the team in August 2010. Rose completed high school and her apprenticeship as Hotel Manageress in Switzerland, where she grew up. She has worked in various departments in the Hotel and Restaurant industry and has more than 10 years of experience in Office Administration. In addition to making sure that the day to day office duties are being completed, Rose is also the direct contact to the owners of the Hotel rental pool.
farra gillis
Sales Manager – CLIQUE Hotels & Resorts
Farra joined the Clique team in the spring of 2011, bringing 12 years of experience in hospitality sales & marketing.
Having worked for major hotel players such as Marriott, Sandman and Silverbirch Hotels, she has a vast knowledge of effective
sales techniques, targeted marketing efforts and an aptitude for delivering service excellence. Farra has worked in hospitality
sales in Calgary and the Alberta Rockies, including hotels in both Canmore and Lake Louise. Her work experience also includes
6 years of selling meeting and conference facilities for the MacEwan
Conference & Event Centre at the University of Calgary, giving Clique a competitive advantage in the market. Farra prides herself on delivering superior customer service and responding to customer needs as a top priority. Farra also has her diploma in Advertising Communications from Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology.