Board of Directors
Brian Hope
Chair
Regional Director of Sales, Diamond Hotels Management Inc.
An industry veteran with 22 years of considerable experience in the hospitality and tourism industry, Brian Hope began his hospitality journey at the Fairmont Château Laurier and has held Sales positions at the Fairmont Royal York, Marriott Canadian Sales Office and JW Marriott, The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa.
Hope joined Diamond Hotels Management Inc. in 2016 as the Sales Manager for the Delta Hotels by Marriott Kingston Waterfront, bringing high levels of motivation and professionalism to the group. In April of 2021, after continually exceeding sales targets, Hope was promoted to the Director of Sales where his primary focus was growing the corporate, association and education markets for the business. In August 2022, Hope was promoted to the Regional Director of Sales position and now oversees the Sales efforts for all Diamond Hotels Management properties in Kingston and Sault Ste. Marie.
Hope has obtained tremendous experience in hotel sales and leadership roles, which has shaped who he is today and helped him build and maintain a large local and national network. He is known for his high levels of energy, amiability, and his ability to come up with innovative and creative ways to assist the company achieve their long-term goals and objectives. He believes these skills will be valuable as a member of the Kingston Chamber of Commerce Board.
Hope and his family moved to Kingston in 2010 and quickly fell in love with the city and community. They are all regulars at Queen’s Gaels basketball games, football games and Kingston Frontenacs games. Both son and daughter play basketball competitively and Hope is currently the head coach of the Kingston Impact U12 Girls competitive basketball team.
As for activities/interests, Hope is an avid runner and has participated in seven marathons over the past five years. And on a unique note, Hope is a professional comedian and has performed all across Canada. He was selected to be a part of “Team Canada” (along with Guy Lafleur and Paul Gross) to travel to Afghanistan and perform for the Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan in 2010.’
Bittu George
Vice Chair
President, Friends of the Penitentiary Museum
The son of immigrant parents, Bittu was born and raised in Kingston. He attended Queen’s University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Political Studies and his Bachelor of Laws degree.
After his call to the Bar, Bittu ran his own law practice, until he joined the law firm of Cunningham, Swan, Carty, Little & Bonham. During this time, he was also serving as a member of Kingston City Council representing the Collins-Bayridge district. In 2005, Bittu was elected by City Council to the post of Deputy Mayor for a 1-year term.
In 2007, Bittu was first appointed as a Member (adjudicator) with the Landlord and Tenant Board by an Order-in-Council of the Government of Ontario. He was subsequently re-appointed to this position twice on the new Social Justice Tribunals Ontario (SJTO), with cross appointments to both the Landlord and Tenant Board and the Social Benefits Tribunal.
Bittu has been heavily involved in the Kingston community for over 20 years, in areas such as community policing/safety, schools, hospitals, economic development, conservation, heritage and municipal government. Bittu is currently serving the community as the President of the Friends of the Penitentiary Museum, a Councillor with the Queen’s University Council, Chair of the Bylaw Review Committee of the Frontenac Law Association, and as a child car seat inspector.
Bittu was first elected to the Chamber’s Board of Directors in 2020, where he was also elected by that Board to its Executive Committee. Bittu was appointed 3rd Vice Chair (Secretary) in 2020, then became 2nd Vice Chair (Treasurer) and Chair of the Finance Committee in 2021. Bittu was also the 1st Vice Chair and Chair of the Advocacy Committee in 2022. Bittu continues to be a member of the Advocacy Committee, and is Chair of the Committee’s Official Plan Working Group.
Bittu is the recipient of several awards, such as the City of Kingston Certificate of Appreciation, the Kingston Township Community Policing Association Volunteer Award, and the Canada Youth Award.
Kent Williams
Past Chair
Lawyer, Empire Life
Kent is a business lawyer at Cunningham, Swan, Carty, Little & Bonham LLP where he supports local businesses of all sizes in the private, not-for-profit, and charitable sectors. He also works with businesses across Ontario on projects including mergers and acquisitions, corporate structuring, and contract drafting and review. Before joining Cunningham Swan, Kent practiced management-side labour and employment law in Kingston and in the Thousand Islands region. This breadth of experience has afforded Kent the opportunity to work closely with many businesses and entrepreneurs on a wide variety of the challenges that they encounter, and to collaborate on effective solutions.
Originally from the Grey-Bruce County region of the Province, Kent moved to Kingston in 2010 to complete an undergraduate degree in Music at Queen’s University, where he studied guitar performance and composition. Kent has called the Kingston area home ever since, attending law school at Queen’s in 2015 and working in the Kingston region since completing his J.D. While in law school, Kent engaged with the community through involvement with the Queen’s Business Law and Prison Law Clinics, and as the Queen’s liaison to the Frontenac Law Association. Kent has continued his passion for community involvement through positions with the Frontenac Law Association, The Advocates’ Society, and as a board member of the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning. He has also participated in presentations and programs for Kingston-based businesses through, among others, the Kingston Homebuilders’ Association, the Human Resources Professionals Association, and the Kingston Economic Development Corporation. Recently, he participated as a speaker and mentor for the Toronto Board of Trade’s “Trade Accelerator Program” which was presented in conjunction with KEDCO for Eastern Ontario businesses for the first time earlier in 2021.
Having observed the remarkable growth of the Kingston business community in recent years, Kent is enthusiastic for the ongoing success of this exceptional community.
Rob Adams
Board Member
Chief Executive Officer, YMCA of Eastern Ontario
Rob Adams is the CEO of the YMCA of Eastern Ontario and has served in leadership roles for more than 17 years. He is a forward-thinking strategist with broad operational expertise in areas that include human resources, fund development, marketing and communications, partnership development and change management. Rob has deep knowledge of board operations. He has experience in board recruitment, development of board terms and references, and board strategy, and understands how to obtain board approval of new directions and policies.
Recently Rob lead two independent YMCA associations in a review process that resulted in a full merger creating a single regional charitable focus while ensuring local appeal and systemic issues still get addressed.
Andrew Creese
Board Member
Head of Real Estate and Investments, Modern Niagara
Andrew Creese is the Head of Real Estate and Investments at Modern Niagara, Canada’s largest mechanical contractor, building and servicing in the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional sectors. Andrew oversees the company's overall real estate and investment strategies in addition to managing the equity portfolios.
He has led building decarbonization initiatives for Modern Niagara, including a deep energy retrofit in Kingston of Alcan’s former research facility and the first Zero Carbon Arena under CAGBC’s Zero Carbon Building Standard Program.
Andrew is also the founder of AMPED Sports Lab & Ice Complex in Ottawa. This sustainable and innovative facility is dedicated to developing athletes of all ages and supporting the community.
Andrew sits on the boards of several Not-for-Profits, including RXN Hub, a scale-up enabler to the Chemtech ecosystem and Hockey Eastern Ontario.
In his spare time, He enjoys playing hockey and golf, and is an avid mountain biker.
Sunita Gupta
Board Member
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Consultant, Co-Founder, I2C Immigration Consulting
An active member in the Kingston community for the past twenty-five years, Sunita has lived experience across four continents. She has strived towards making Kingston a more diverse and inclusive community both personally and professionally. The recent pandemic, social movements and globalization have led to a shift that necessitates a more innovative, inclusive and nimble workplace culture. There is an inherent value to diversity and inclusivity in the work environment and leaders must ensure they tap into the potential of diverse talent to remain competitive presently and in the future. As an Inclusion Practitioner Sunita identifies barriers to inclusion in the workplace and helps organizations move forward with a planful approach to drive measurable change in employee engagement, performance and retention.
Sunita is extensively involved as a volunteer in the Kingston community. She is a sub-committee member for the Mayor’s Kingston Economic Recovery Team and the City of Kingston’s EDI committee. She is the past President of the India-Canada Association of Kingston and past Board Director for the Tett Centre. Sunita has a certificate in Leadership and Inclusion from Centennial College and a certificate in Ethics & Contemporary Social Issue: Immigration and Integration from St. Paul’s and Ottawa Universities.
Through I2C Immigration Consulting, the founders aim to address the workforce shortage via immigration and build the community’s capacity to integrate the newcomers into the workforce.
Jeff Hewitt
Board Member
Founder, Venture Growth Co.
Jeff is the Founder of Venture Growth Co., a Kingston-based strategy and marketing firm that helps small and mid-sized businesses diagnose stalled growth and build the clarity needed to increase sales and profitability.
He works closely with founder-led organizations to identify what is holding them back, clarify their positioning, and turn strategy into practical execution that drives measurable business results.
Before launching Venture Growth Co., Jeff served as GM of a $100M global frozen food manufacturing and distribution operation, where he held P&L responsibility across procurement, international supply chains, production, and national retail. He played a direct role in launching consumer brands into national distribution and drove significant improvements in gross profitability. Earlier in his career, he spent over a decade in both boutique and big-box retail management.
Originally from the Kingston area, Jeff returned to build his business and invest in the local community. He is committed to supporting small business growth and strengthening the region’s economic foundation.
Sahiza Hossenbaccus
Board Member
President & CFO, SnapCab Canada
As the President and Chief Financial Officer of SnapCab, Sahiza Hossenbaccus leads the strategic financial and operational activities of the company across Canada and the USA. Joining as CFO in 2018, she advanced to General Manager in 2020 before assuming her current role as President in 2023. With over 25 years of financial experience in various industries such as software, service, and manufacturing, she brings significant expertise and insight to the company.
Sahiza holds an accounting qualification from the UK, a CPA designation from Canada, and an MBA degree. She was born and raised on the beautiful island of Mauritius, where she developed a passion for learning and excellence. She moved to Canada in 2002 and moved to Kingston with her family in 2003. She is passionate about giving back to the community and actively seeks opportunities to make a positive impact. She
Andy Larin
Board Member
CEO & CTO, allCare I.T.
Andy Larin is the CEO and CTO of allCare IT. A true entrepreneur at heart, Andy created and successfully ran multiple businesses from his childhood on. Before graduating as a Certified Novell Engineer, Andy started his own IT company in 1996, which rebranded as allCare IT in 2014 when he and his business partner joined together to create Kingston’s premier IT services company.
Andy is notorious for his deep understanding and passion for all things IT related. His work ethic, honesty and demand for excellence are deeply appreciated by his loyal clients. With his inquisitive spirit and love of learning, Andy has risen as a leader in the field of Cybersecurity. This has led him to create a company focused on providing top of the line IT services that specializes in Cybersecurity
Katie Lockridge
Board Member
CEO, Founder and Head Planner, The Vowstead Wedding & Event Agency
My name is Katie Lockridge, and I am the CEO, Founder and Head Planner for The Vowstead Wedding and Event Agency.
With a passion for transforming spaces and a keen eye for logistical precision, I started my passion for planning as a logistics officer and unofficial event planner for the RCAF 15 years ago. I then turned this passion into a dream, and have spent the last 4 years helping couples and clients alike, bring their wedding and event visions to life. I then founded The Vowstead Wedding and Event Agency in 2025, were we specialize in curated rental collections, seamless event coordination and mobile bars that can bring the party anywhere.
When I'm not refining our catalogue or leading our ever-going seasonal crew, you'll find me exploring local markets or spending time on our farm with my husband and three little boys.
Andrew Martin
Board Member
Director of Construction & Real Estate Development, Martin Group
Andrew is the Director of Construction & Real Estate Development at the Martin Group, where he leads a diverse portfolio of residential, commercial, and industrial projects. A graduate of Queen’s University with a degree in Applied Economics, he brings a disciplined, analytical approach to development, complemented by a strong understanding of design, construction and long-term asset performance.
He is currently leading an innovative housing initiative aimed at addressing Kingston’s need for more attainable housing, while exceeding national standards for energy performance and accessibility.
As a past President of the Kingston Home Builders’ Association, Andrew has played an active role in advocating for responsible growth and advancing the local building industry. Through both his professional work and industry leadership, he remains committed to supporting Kingston’s economic vitality and long-term success.
Jose Ribau
Board Member
Founder & CEO, R5 Innovations
Jose is a senior executive with a background in data, digital technology and marketing that spans numerous sectors including retail, commercial real estate, and financial services.
As a founder and sponsor of both startups and technology venture funds, he uses his enterprise experience to help companies transition through different stages of growth. Jose is the CEO of a management consulting firm R5 Innovations that advises companies on how to best develop and implement digital and AI capabilities. Before starting his own business, Jose served as EVP Digital & Innovation at Cadillac Fairview where he led the Innovation practice as well as Marketing, Technology, Brand and Communications. Leveraging his background in financial services, Jose led the creation of award-winning shopping mall experiences using digital apps and AI.
Prior to Cadillac Fairview, Jose spent 18 years at CIBC where he launched Canada’s first Visa debit product, managed deposits in the retail business, and pioneered the use of segmentation to improve marketing campaigns. As CIBC’s Chief Data Officer he was responsible for retail customer information and analytics, and led the development of the bank’s first enterprise data and AI program.
He holds an Honours B.Sc. degree from Wilfrid Laurier University, an M.Sc. from McMaster University, and an MBA from Queen’s University.
Samantha Rogers
Board Member
Chief People Officer, EZ STAK
Samantha Rogers is a seasoned People & Culture leader with over nine years of experience helping organizations build the kind of workplaces where both people and business can thrive. As Chief People Officer at EZ STAK — a Kingston-based global manufacturer of mobile workspace systems — she leads HR strategy across Canada and the USA, ensuring that people initiatives are tightly connected to operational goals and long-term growth.
Samantha's career has taken her through leadership roles in some of Canada's most dynamic and fast-moving industries, including Director of Human Resources at VIVO Cannabis Inc. and Director of People and Culture at MediPharm Labs — both publicly traded companies navigating rapid growth and complex regulatory environments. Throughout, she has led the full scope of HR functions: talent management, employee relations, labour and employment law, organizational design, and culture transformation. She holds a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) and Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation, and a Master of Industrial Relations from Queen's University.
Alongside her executive role, Samantha runs an independent HR consulting practice, working with businesses across Kingston to help them navigate people challenges — from startups to established organizations. She has a strong appreciation for the unique pressures facing local employers and is passionate about building a business community where people strategy is seen as a competitive advantage.
A proud Queen's alumna, Samantha is deeply connected to Kingston and excited to contribute her experience to the Chamber Board. Outside of work, you'll find her in the saddle as an avid equestrian, or somewhere across the globe — feeding her love of travel and adventure.