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The way John Wilson sees it, life is like a box of chocolates. Sure, it was Forrest Gump who first described it as such, but they can’t argue with John that it does aptly describe his approach to both his professional and personal life.

As Vice President, Performance, John has responsibility for overseeing the operations of the company’s seven Canadian hotels and resorts, as well as centralized accounting and special projects. And, like that box of chocolates, in this role, John never quite knows what he’s gonna get.

In a job where he has to influence and shape operational best practices across the portfolio to ensure the safety, comfort and well-being of guests, associates and partners alike, you just know that there’s going to be more than a few surprises. But his record shows that he’s more than ready for a challenge.

John joined New Castle in 1996 to help bring the shuttered Nova Scotia Hotel back to life as the first Westin-franchised hotel in the world and recently oversaw a multi-year $16 million renovation of the hotel including guest rooms, public spaces, a new lobby bar-restaurant and major upgrades to mechanical and life safety systems.

A native of New Brunswick and graduate of St. Mary’s University in Halifax, John has over 24 years with New Castle and has earned multiple promotions and the company’s General Manager of the Year Award in 2017.

That’s a lot of time checking out hotels, so he can be forgiven when he admits that in his spare time he likes to get outdoors, particularly at the cottage or the beach. When he does hunker down to relax, it’s often re-watching his all-time favourite movie, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”. Box of chocolates indeed.