Less than two months after former Whistler Chamber of Commerce president Louise Lundy announced her resignation, a new president has been found.
Fiona Famulak was announced as the chamber’s next president on Friday, Aug. 29. She will start her new position next month.
“I think it is a challenging role, but I think it is an exciting challenge,” said Famulak, who was delighted by the news.
“It is a role that is unique given where we are in Whistler’s history and leading up to 2010. It is a fantastic opportunity and that is part of the reason I applied for the position. These opportunities only come up once in a lifetime.”
Famulak is the current chair of the chamber board of directors. Professionally, she is the managing broker for Indigo Initiatives Inc., a brokerage licensed to provide strata management services.
Now that she is the chamber’s new president, Famulak said she wants to make it a priority in her first 100 days to take the temperature of the chamber’s membership and the industry sectors within it.
She added that although leading the business community up to and during 2010 will be a major focus over the next 18 months, she wants to look at the post-Olympic challenges.
“What will the business community look like after the Games are over?” asked Famulak. “Although we’ll capture some of the answers during the chamber’s annual strategic planning sessions, a more complete answer will come from sitting at the table with our resort partners and working closely with them to define what Whistler will look like and need as a whole. I look forward to those discussions.”
A member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, Famulak has 22 years of business experience, including nine years as an international consultant working with industries in Hong Kong and the Asia Pacific region and eight years managing businesses in Canada. She has been an active member of the Whistler business community since 2001.
Despite her experience, Famulak has a big role to fill as she takes over from Lundy, who is recognized as having increased the chamber’s profile as a professional and credible organization in Whistler.
“It’ll be my job to ensure that we build on those qualities and become even more effective as a business organization and resort partner, leading up to, during and beyond 2010,” said Famulak.
“I’ve worked closely with Louise and the chamber staff, the board and many of our resort colleagues, and I am very confident that our handover at all levels will be seamless.”
Famulak will resign from the chamber board of directors on Tuesday, Sept 9.
