Our Team

We are a small and mighty team of dedicated professionals with diverse backgrounds.

We bring our positive energy, complementary skillsets, and breadth of experience to all our work.

Trevor Jonas Benson

Managing Partner

(he/him)

  • I have the pleasure and responsibility of shepherding Bannikin into a future where the company is thriving because its team and client-partners are happy.

    I am a social-minded systems thinker, progressive project manager, and entrepreneurial extrovert. After completing my undergrad in law and human rights, and graduate coursework in legal studies, I took my master's thesis in autopoiesis and corporate sustainability to London, England, where I put it on hold to pursue the craft of small business management. My experience there served as a foundation for me to open and operate several food-based businesses in the culinary capital of the Caribbean, Barbados; a place that I am so lucky to call my second home.

    I sit on the Advisory Council at the Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Research at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan University. I am also part of the Program Advisory Committee for the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts at Centennial College, where I developed curriculum for North America’s first postgraduate certificate in Food Tourism studies at Centennial College and taught Global Tourism Development & Social Justice for several years.

    What most excites you about the future of tourism?

    Since tourism is made up of such a breadth of industries and it is connected to so many aspects of life, I remain excited about the potential it has to create value that is realized within and beyond the sector.

    Favourite place to be outside of the office?

    Anywhere in Barbados with family and friends, liming at someone's house, going for an early morning beach bath, or walking along the east coast.

    Favourite thing to be doing outside of work?

    Outside of work I am happiest spending time with my family, cooking with others, and playing football, i.e., soccer.

    My home office is located in:

    Kanata, Ontario.

Partner

Camilo Montoya-Guevara

(he/him)

  • I oversee day-to-day operations at Bannikin, while supporting the setting and implementation of its strategic direction.

    I hold a bachelor’s in Art History and Languages from Queen’s University and a Master’s in Cultural Heritage Policy and Management from Central European University.

    I believe in the value of learning from others as well as from our own cultural connections. This perspective is informed by my experience emigrating from Colombia to Canada as a young newcomer and refugee. Whether on exchange in Atri, Italy or teaching English in Daejeon, South Korea or returning to Colombia for field research during my master’s – I always make it a point to explore, learn, and appreciate the diversity inherent in our world. Some of the other places I have lived include Budapest, Hungary; East Sussex, UK; and Kingston, Ontario.

    My passion for exposure has pushed me to pursue language learning with enthusiasm. I am fluent in Spanish, French, and English, as well as proficient in German and Italian.

    What most excites you about the future of tourism?

    I’m excited by tourism’s role as a connector of ideas, cultures, and peoples. Tourism stands to make the world our classroom to better understand others, appreciate and respect nature, and grow an openness within ourselves.

    Favourite place to be outside of the office?

    A hammock deep in the Andes Mountains. The breathtaking landscapes I grew up with and continue to feel the most like home.

    Favourite thing to be doing outside of work?

    Roaming! Whether walking, biking, or jogging, I love to explore and discover new corners of a place that I’m familiar with but can always stand to know better.

    My home office is located in:

    Victoria, British Columbia.

Partner

Kerry Sharpe

(she/her)

  • I am responsible for the strategic development and execution of ongoing media relations plans from conception and planning through implementation and reporting, providing management and hands-on involvement in all phases.

    I have worked in the travel industry since 2002, getting my start as a journalist with a Canadian travel trade magazine before moving over to corporate communications with Thomas Cook North America. Working in public relations and marketing to drive awareness of the company’s trade and consumer-facing brands, I also worked closely with company leadership to implement internal communications strategies designed to drive employee engagement and satisfaction. Before making the move to Bannikin in June 2022, I led PR representation in Canada for destination clients in the U.S. and Caribbean, working to promote travel and tourism via media outreach and partnerships. I have spent most of my life in Toronto, taking full advantage of Pearson airport’s many international flights, but also spent a few years in Halifax, Nova Scotia for school, and a good chunk of time in Havana, Cuba.

    What most excites you about the future of tourism?

    The continued momentum to make travel a force for good in the world, with more tour operators and destinations working diligently to implement more sustainable and regenerative travel practices into not only their trips but everyday operations.

    Favourite place to be outside of the office?

    By the lake, in the lake – any lake – but especially my cottage lake.

    Favourite thing to be doing outside of work?

    Spending time with family and friends, particularly if it is at the cottage (read: by the lake).

    My home office is located in:

    Toronto, Ontario.

Partner

Caroline Morrow

(she/her)

  • As a tourism development specialist, I'm putting my project management, research, and facilitation skills to use.

    I studied International Development and Environmental Studies at McGill University before pursuing a Master of Urban and Regional Planning at Queen's University. I also have an international Master in Wine Tourism Innovation granted collaboratively by Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Université de Bordeaux, and Univesidade do Porto. I have lived across Canada in Quebec (Montreal, Cree Nation of Wemindji), Ontario (Guelph, Toronto, Kingston) and the Yukon (Whitehorse). Internationally I have called Saudi Arabia, Panama, Mexico, Spain, France, and Portugal home. I'm always keen to apply my French and Spanish language skills to facilitate meaningful engagement.

    What most excites you about the future of tourism?

    The growing recognition for how interdisciplinary the field of tourism is as well as its potential to contribute to sustainable food systems, rural livelihoods, and protected area management.

    Favourite place to be outside of the office?

    Drinking coffee by a misty morning lake, ideally with a loon or two!

    Favourite thing to be doing outside of work?

    Hiking, paddling, or cooking up a feast.

    My home office is located in:

    Guelph, Ontario.

James Arteaga

Tourism Developer

(he/him)

  • I support the strategy and development work through project management, research, as well as community and stakeholder engagement.

    I hold a Graduate Certificate in Local Economic Development, a Master of Arts in Heritage Conservation, and a Bachelor in Environmental Studies in Urban Planning. My career has focused on work related to community development through tourism, economic development, urban planning, heritage conservation, public policy, and sustainability. I have lived and worked in Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Colombia. Overall, I am particularly interested in the intersections of economic development, cultural heritage, and urban planning, and how they work together in tourism development to improve the quality of life of communities. I am Fluent in Spanish and have intermediate language skills in French and Italian.

    What most excites you about the future of tourism?

    How tourism transitions in the future as it becomes more apparent that it’s interconnected to so many other areas of our life, such as environmental conservation, social justice, cultural revitalization, and economic wellbeing to name a few.

    Favourite place to be outside of the office?

    At a park or by Lake Ontario in the summers, or at a cultural space in the winter.

    Favourite thing to be doing outside of work?

    Going on walks or bike rides in the summer, tasting a new food or beverage, visiting an exhibit on social history, or going to a movie or documentary at a local theatre.

    My home office is located in:

    Toronto, Ontario.

Media Relations & Project Coordinator

Annie Bird

(she/her)

  • I support Bannikin’s projects while working to create value for our media relations and communications client-partners.

    I grew up in the tourism industry, taking up the position of general manager at my family’s drive-in movie theatre when I was 17. Since then, I have completed a Bachelor of Commerce (BComm) degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) and have worked in a variety of academic and industry roles. This has included qualitative and quantitative data collection, analysis, synthesis, and reporting for research projects that focused on sustainable tourism development, Indigenous tourism and entrepreneurship, and using tourism as an economic development tool for main street revitalization. In addition, I have worked in project management for tour operators and managed media and engagement planning for a global hotel operations brand. Now based in British Columbia, I have had the privilege of living and working in Toronto, Italy, and Poland.

    What most excites you about the future of tourism?

    The growing appreciation for what an important and complex thing tourism is and all the wonderful innovation taking place.

    Favourite place to be outside of the office?

    It's a toss up between my local ski hill (I'm talking about you, Kimberley Alpine!) and the library.

    Favourite thing to be doing outside of work?

    Skiing, reading, and enjoying the amazing place I call home.

    My home office is located in:

    Kimberley, British Columbia.