Our Story

Junction Consulting, one of North America's most respected tourism consultancies, had been building and delivering digital training to clients for more than 12 years when they had an idea: Instead of creating programs one region at a time, what if they combined all of their best resources, and the resources of their network, to create one space where the entire tourism industry could learn, adapt, and collaborate?

Today, that idea continues to grow as more experts contribute and new resources are developed every week.

Leadership

Conner Galway

Conner is the founder of Junction, an award-winning digital consulting firm based out of Vancouver. Since 2010 they’ve been helping companies to embrace digital as an essential part of their business, working with brands like lululemon, Fairmont Hotels, and Destination BC.

He’s also the author of The Brief, a weekly digital strategy newsletter that recently won the Marketing News Canada Best Newsletter award, and the CSuite Digital Leadership Award. He’s a frequent University guest instructor, President at eLearningU, and host of our weekly show: This Week in Digital.

Conner believes that digital has changed the relationship between brands and customers, and has the opportunity to benefit every step of the customer journey. His mission is to empower businesses to close that gap, providing value to every stakeholder in the process.
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Advisory Board

eLearningU's Industry Advisory Board is a trusted team of industry leaders, academic scholars, and experienced online learning strategists. They help guide eLearningU's strategic direction, ensuring it remains a leader in tourism marketing education. The board's expertise guarantees eLearningU's courses are always relevant, up-to-date, and in line with industry trends, solidifying the platform's reputation as a reliable, comprehensive, and industry-recognized online learning resource.
ADVISOR

Darian Kovacs

Darian is an Indigenous business leader who founded Jelly Digital Marketing & PR in 2013 to help businesses build and execute their digital marketing, communications, and public relations strategies. He has established a name for himself as an industry leader, driving innovative strategies that continually push boundaries and set new industry standards.


Darian has a unique understanding of how tourism and digital marketing intersect, and his guidance has been instrumental in the development of eLearningU, helping to build the foundation and set the vision right from the beginning. His strategic insights and practical understanding of both sectors make him a key contributor to the board.

With his deep commitment to education, Darian is passionate about helping aspiring marketers gain the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in the tourism industry. His contributions to eLearningU have been crucial in making it a leading online learning platform for tourism marketing.
ADVISOR

Dr. Luis Villalba

Dr. Villalba is a professor at Capilano University, and former Associate Dean of Business at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. He has over a decade of teaching experience, and was recently was awarded a PhD in Business Administration and Economics- University of Kansas/ Field Research in UNIDA-Paraguay, and an EdD in Science of Education.

Luis earned a Master’s of Arts in Latin American Studies at the University of Kansas, as well as a Master’s of Arts in Teaching Business and Economics at Piedmont College in Athens, GA.

He also has a Master’s in Development and Leadership from ISEAD in Madrid, Spain.

He is currently working on a Post Doctoral program in Green and Clean Business Curricula at the Centre for Post Doctoral Studies in Madrid, Spain. His most recent book is titled: Green and Clean Technologies - Sustainable Soils with Paramagnetic and Diamagnetic Fertilization. He held high profile positions at the Board of the World Bank and the Global Environmental Facility in Washington DC. He is also a former monetary programming Chief at the Central Bank of Paraguay. 

Luis was recently given an award by the Canadian Federal Minister of Heritage as “One of the Ten Most Influential Hispanic Canadians”- Vancouver, November 1st, 2018. He is also on his third term as the Honorary Consul of Paraguay to British Columbia, Canada.
ADVISOR

Joanne Wolnik

Joanne is the Executive Director of the Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation. Before joining the tourism industry, she built her experience as Senior Economic Development Officer, and earned her MBA from Lakehead University. 


She has a demonstrated history of innovative support for the tourism industry in Ontario. Since taking on her role, she has helped her team to navigate a global pandemic and recovery along with dramatic shifts in the region’s travel business. 

Southwest Ontario continues to be a leader in stakeholder engagement and the support that it offers to local businesses. She has introduced first-of-its-kind training programs, and leads a team of highly skilled tourism professionals who provide high quality, direct value to tourism operators every day.
ADVISOR

Jonny Bierman

Jonny leverages his rich experience as a digital marketer and his advocacy work for inclusive and sustainable tourism. As the founder of ecoEscape Travel, he has made significant strides in sustainable travel and digital strategy, innovatively merging these sectors for his clients.

Jonny brings to the board a fresh perspective on the integration of sustainability, digital marketing, and tourism. His insights and advocacy work help ensure that eLearningU's course offerings are not just market-relevant, but also eco-conscious and future-focused.

His successful track record in digital strategy development, combined with his profound understanding of the evolving tourism industry, allows him to provide practical, actionable guidance to eLearningU. His contributions continue to be pivotal in shaping eLearningU's platform to be a leading-edge, eco-conscious, and comprehensive resource for aspiring and current tourism marketers, ensuring they are equipped to tackle the demands of the digital and sustainable tourism industry.