Brittany Drinnan

First hospitality job:

My first hospitality job was a guest service agent and night auditor at an independent hotel in Winnipeg called Marlborough Hotel when I was 18 years old.

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Age you started working in hospitality:

18 years old.

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Your inspiration to begin working in hospitality:

I originally pursued hotel work to gain some general experience, but I quickly discovered how much I truly enjoyed working at the front desk. The role was incredibly rewarding, and my General Manager at the time supported my growth by cross-training me in multiple departments, including the restaurant, banquets, housekeeping, front desk, and laundry. Through their real-time feedback and mentorship, I developed a strong foundation in both front-of-house and back-of-house operations. – This kept me challenged!

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My hospitality mentor:

My first General Manager, Mr. Epsicopo, played a significant role in my development. I began working with him at the Marlborough Hotel, and when he later moved to the Clarion Hotel in Winnipeg, he brought me onto his team there as well. Under his leadership, I continued to gain valuable experience and progressed into the Duty Manager and Front Office Manager roles.

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What are your favourite aspects of your job?

Throughout my career in hospitality, one of the aspects I’ve enjoyed most has been the opportunity to be cross-trained across multiple departments. This experience gave me a true 360-degree understanding of hotel operations. I found front-of-house work especially rewarding because I genuinely loved creating memorable guest experiences and back-of-house responsibilities were equally fulfilling, as I’ve always been drawn to working with numbers, systems, and operational processes.

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In my current role, I oversee multiple properties across various markets, which allows me to travel, connect with diverse teams, collaborate, and focus on elevating both the hotels and the people within them. What I enjoy most is the combination of travel, developing strategic initiatives, leading chain-wide projects to support operations and guest satisfaction, and the opportunity to mentor and support others.

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What has inspired you to continue your career path in hospitality?

My mentor played a key role in guiding my career. He helped refine my résumé to ensure I remain competitive and encouraged me to seek out a hotel chain with a strong Manager-in-Training program. That advice led me to Sandman Hotel Group, where I was accepted into their MIT program, an opportunity that truly launched my career as a General Manager. From there, I advanced through lateral moves that allowed me to gain extensive operational experience and travel across Canada. Sandman offers real growth and development, which is exactly what I was looking for in my career journey and continuing to do this!

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(Manager in training -> General Manager -> Hotel Opening Manager -> Regional Director -> Regional Vice President)

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Advice for students interested in a career in hospitality:

• Cross train as much as you can

• Take on extra work, small projects, expand your knowledge

• Self Development - Take courses online/read books to expand your knowledge on Emotional Intelligence – Understand people!

• Be flexible

• Initiative & Self Discipline