YYC triumphs at the 60th annual White Hat Awards

A special shoutout to YYC’s Customer Care Ambassadors for their outstanding performance at the White Hat Awards! On May 24, YYC’s Customer Care Ambassadors were celebrated and honoured with nominations and awards at this year's White Hat Awards.

Creating effortless and memorable experiences is at the heart of our strategy, and there’s no better group to help us reach that goal than our Customer Care Ambassadors. Achieving this level of service is possible through the collective effort of our dedicated team at YYC.

As YYC continues to grow, offering more routes and amenities for our increasing passenger volume, Team YYC consistently rises to the occasion and delivers exceptional hospitality. It's no surprise that YYC received six nominations, with one finalist runner-up and one winner at this year's White Hat Awards.

Jim Wou: Winner - Exceptional Service: Driver

Let's give a round of applause to Jim for being awarded this year's exceptional service award in the driver category. For those who may not be familiar, Jim is an outstanding YYC LINK Shuttle driver, responsible for transporting guests and facilitating connections within our airport. Jim's well-deserved recognition stems from his tour-like service, which includes providing food recommendations, travel tips, and even sharing a well-timed joke.

When asked about one of his most memorable encounters with a guest, Jim shared a story of two passengers who struck up a conversation during their LINK shuttle ride, only to discover they were long-lost neighbours. One of them had even babysat the other decades prior. Jim also shared his favourite part of working at YYC – improving someone's day by providing knowledge and assistance.

Congratulations and a sincere thank you to Jim for consistently going above and beyond in representing YYC and delivering exceptional service to our guests.

Kasia Okonska-Syska: Finalist - Exceptional Service: Airport/Airline

Kasia was one of the top three finalists for the exceptional service award in the Airport/Airline category. Her remarkable service has been made its impact on YYC, and you can find some great travel tips and a Q&A from her on @Fly_YYC’s Instagram Reels. Kasia is renowned for brightening our airport with her constant smile, clear passion and unwavering dedication to our guests.

"Reaching the final is a tremendous achievement that I'm incredibly proud of. It's an unforgettable experience that will forever remain in my memory" said Kasia.

The finalist also expressed her gratitude towards her team and manager, Bruce, for their tremendous support throughout the nomination process.

And more!

Kasia and Jim weren’t the only ones recognized at the awards. Here are the other incredible Team YYC members from Concorde Airport Services who were semi-finalists:

• Bruce Solilo: Exceptional Leader
• Megan Wou: Exceptional Service: Airport/Airline
• Pete Hilot: Exceptional Service: Airport/Airline (see Pete’s exceptional service and travel tips on our @Fly_YYC’s Instagram Reels too)
• Xerxel Gentallan: Exceptional Leader

Jim and Kasia both expressed that they are not alone in their dedication to exceptional customer service, they are also surrounded by an exceptional team. When any member of Team YYC is acknowledged for their exceptional work, we collectively celebrate their success. The White Hat Awards received last week, are truly the result of a united team effort.

Congratulations Jim, Kasia, Bruce, Megan, Pete and Xerxel!

About the White Hat Awards:

The White Hat Awards is an annual event that acknowledges Calgary's world-class hospitality and recognizes individuals who represent our city and region to visitors from around the globe. In its 60th year, the event returned to an in-person format for the first time post Covid-19. Attended by numerous guests, one article explains the event was "an evening with all the glitz and glamour of the Oscars, befitting Calgary's hospitality industry."