About us
What is Bliss Hospitality?
Bliss Hospitality is a hospitality training and consulting company that offers professional advice and practical workshops for professionals, managers, and other individuals that are interested in progressing within the hospitality industry.
Our Mission
To offer our expert advice in the hotel industry and related hotel operations and technology by delivering one-day workshops that certify your knowledge and prepare you for your next career move in the hospitality industry.
Our Vision
To be the best education firm for hotel training and development. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service and value so that we establish a long-lasting relationship with all our customers.
Our Values
Care
Honesty
Transparency
Continuous Learning
MEET THE TEAM
Meet Bonnie and Yahya. They have worked in the hospitality and education industries nearly all of their lives.
They both started off in entry-level positions at hotels before working their way up to management positions.
With over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, they are eager to share everything they have learned with you through Bliss Hospitality Talent & Education.
Directors & Founders
Bonnie Li
Director & Co-Founder
A highly involved hospitality professional who is known in the industry as the “pre-opening guru” for hotels.
Bonnie holds a Business of Commerce Degree in Hospitality Management from Ryerson University and an MBA from both Cornell University and Queen’s University.
Bonnie has spent her career with brands such as the Four Seasons, Fairmont, and opened the Trump International Hotel & Tower Vancouver and the EXchange Hotel Vancouver in the past few years. Bonnie is currently the General Manager of the Seaside Hotel North Vancouver.
Bonnie’s passion is to provide future talent and industry experts with a platform to network and connect.
Yahya Shakhshir
Director & Co-Founder
A passionate, driven, and dedicated hotelier with 15 years of experience in the hospitality and education industry.
Yahya graduated from the world-renowned Glion Institute of Higher Education with a Bachelor’s Degree in International Hospitality Business Management.
He has international experience working in the Front Office and Housekeeping departments in nine different countries.
He is a faculty and customer advisory board member of AHLEI (American Hotel Lodging Educational Institute) and has successfully taught 20+ hospitality and business courses to hundreds of students throughout his career.
The Team
Simona Budryte
Director - Eastern Region
Best described as a leader first, by building empowered teams she has been able to achieve some extraordinary results in the hotel industry.
Simona graduated from a law school in Europe. During her last summer break in university, she discovered Hospitality and has been passionate about it ever since.
The hotel experience of Simona ranges from the West Coast to the East Coast. She has over 10 years of experience both in Front Office and Housekeeping Operations and had the pleasure of opening some of Canada’s most anticipated luxury hotels, including Hotel X Toronto, Bisha Toronto, and Trump Hotel & Tower Vancouver.
As an independent consultant, she continues to mentor and develop talents into future hospitality professionals and leaders.
Juan Caballero
Marketing
Juan is a marketer with more than 10 years of experience in marketing and 5 in digital marketing.
A passionate Business Administrator, Juan has worked for the construction, agriculture, airline, high tech SaaS, and education industries where he has successfully helped companies achieve growth through high-impact marketing strategies.
Currently, he is a full-time digital marketing consultant dedicated to developing and optimizing campaigns for lead generation and brand awareness for small to medium-sized companies. Always eager to learn, Juan is completing a full-time diploma at one of Vancouver’s top private colleges.
Gary Peña
Information Technology
As an accomplished IT professional, Gary has a wealth of experience spanning more than 20 years in both the Hospitality Industry and IT.
Gary has worked in Hotel Operations, performing IT support, and has planned and implemented IT initiatives in over 50 hotels across North America and the UK.
Striving to provide service excellence is paramount to Gary and is central to everything he does. A love for opening new, and/or rebranding hotels is a passion of his, rivaled only by his love of his family and music.
In 2020, Gary opened GAP Hospitality Services, an IT infrastructure service provider for hospitality companies.
Diego Garcia
Video Production
Diego is an audio and film production professional with studies in International Business and Digital Marketing from one of the top private colleges in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Diego is the co-founder and director of a video production company. His extensive experience in the creative industry and creating engaging multimedia content have provided Diego with the skills necessary to create content from conception to delivery.
He has achieved success on small and large-scale audio, film, and animation projects by creating a storytelling message based on feelings and emotions.