That Mandy Farmer would end up at the helm of her fatherB次元官网网址檚 Accent Inns hotel chain was not a foregone conclusion.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a total fluke,B次元官网网址� the personable CEO says with a smile from AccentB次元官网网址檚 Victoria hotel. Her father, Terry Farmer, founded the company 26 years ago, which today also includes properties in Kamloops, Kelowna and the Lower Mainland.
Having just finished her undergrad degree in psychology in Quebec, Farmer found herself in need of a job and convinced her father to allow her to be his agent for the hotels back East, liaising with travel agents and tour operators to get the word out about Accent Inns.
B次元官网网址淭hat was my foot in the door,B次元官网网址� says Farmer, who did have some experience working at the Empress and Accent Inn hotels growing up.
B次元官网网址淚 think my father handled it very well. I ask him now and he says, B次元官网网址極h, I always knew,B次元官网网址� but I remember it very differently,B次元官网网址� she says, explaining that as the she and her brother were growing up, it was important that they neither felt compelled to enter the B次元官网网址渇amily businessB次元官网网址� or a sense of entitlement to it; their involvement would need to be desired and earned.
As Farmer brought more and more ideas forward, eventually her father encouraged her to look after more of the hotel responsibilities until B次元官网网址淚 finally knew what I wanted to do,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淚t was at that point that my dad and I started to talk about succession issues.
B次元官网网址淚t all fell into place and the good part about it is my dad and I really enjoy working together,B次元官网网址� says Farmer, this yearB次元官网网址檚 Black Press Women in Business Above and Beyond Award-winner.
Through that time, the two shared an office and travelled the world together, promoting the business and allowing Terry to impart the knowledge gained over his decades in business. B次元官网网址淗e taught himself the hotel industry so what he knew wasnB次元官网网址檛 written down anywhere. I said, B次元官网网址業 need to see what you do; I need to get whatB次元官网网址檚 in your brain into my brain.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
Today, Mandy Farmer is president and CEO of the companyB次元官网网址檚 six hotels, but if you look at her business cards, youB次元官网网址檒l notice that her B次元官网网址渙fficialB次元官网网址� title is crossed out, replaced with B次元官网网址渂ike lover.B次元官网网址� The title is reflective of her passion for mountain biking, but also the sense of humour she brings to business.
When not at the office, you might well find Farmer on a bike ride with her husband, Geoff Wong, or on a hike with her daughter Ginger, 6, and son Oscar, 5.
Farmer has also brought her passion for mountain biking to Accent Inns, and proudly proclaims the hotels as the most bike-friendly in the province, allowing bikes into the rooms and providing cleaning and repair stations, not to mention a mechanic-quality tool set for guests to use.
In addition, Farmer donates her time and talents to organizations such as Tourism Victoria, where she is vice-chair, and Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence, where she is a director.
Even those who havenB次元官网网址檛 stayed with Accent Inns in their travels around B.C. will likely still know of the companyB次元官网网址檚 work in the community.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e always done this B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 part of our DNA B次元官网网址� but itB次元官网网址檚 also important to our employees,B次元官网网址� Farmer says, noting proudly that Accent Inns has been named as one of the best companies to work for in B.C. and community giving is part of that.
Whether itB次元官网网址檚 providing a hotel room for the family of a child undergoing medical treatment or hosting a Charity in Changing Times seminar to help non-profit organizations make the most of their fundraising dollars, B次元官网网址渋tB次元官网网址檚 just a part of who we are.
That said, B次元官网网址渨eB次元官网网址檝e always said to employees that we donB次元官网网址檛 want to tell you where we should put our company donations. At each property they have money they can spend and they all come together and talk about where they want to put it,B次元官网网址� Farmer explains. B次元官网网址淭hey also know they can do anything to raise money,B次元官网网址� whether itB次元官网网址檚 a barbecue for a visiting hockey team or a jelly bean count contest in the lobby.
Many of these stories and personal insights youB次元官网网址檒l find told with characteristic humour in FarmerB次元官网网址檚 online blog, Confessions of a CEO.
B次元官网网址淔un is part of our brand,B次元官网网址� she explains. B次元官网网址淥ur customers are down to earth people so we get to be down to earth and we get to have fun. We donB次元官网网址檛 take ourselves too seriously and it makes us very welcoming.B次元官网网址�
Take the name tag initiative, for example. On the surface, Farmer changing her nametag from president and CEO to B次元官网网址渂ike loverB次元官网网址� might just seem like fun, but thereB次元官网网址檚 also a business case; it encourages guests to stop and ask staff members about their adopted B次元官网网址渢itle.B次元官网网址� In FarmerB次元官网网址檚 case, she can tell them about all the best places to bike in the Capital Region. Another staff member B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址渕icro-brewery aficionadoB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� can tell guests about where to go for locally crafted beer. B次元官网网址淪uddenly youB次元官网网址檙e having a real conversation.B次元官网网址�
