Rick Wendler

I joined Ellison Travel & Tours in 2008 to help grow and develop their school group business as well as their corporate business.

Growing up and living in Sudbury and Northern Ontario gave me a desire to see the world and its culture. From my first high school geography trip to Mississauga, Ontario I learned going to a new destination would lead me to discover new cultures and meeting new people in different habitats.  I left Sudbury to earn an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario and  after graduation, travelled through Europe for three months visiting England, France, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Greece, Yugoslavia, Belgium and Germany.  What an educational experience!

On my return, I entered the business world with Procter & Gamble and travelled throughout Canada and the United States. In Canada, business travel took me to every corner of the country allowing me to experience the different cultures and disciplines that make our country so great! I lived in Vancouver (Richmond), B.C. for two years enjoying west coast hospitality. During my tenure, I visited Seattle and San Francisco on numerous occasions as well as Boston, Los Angeles, Detroit, Cincinnati, Dallas and Fort Worth, New York City, New Jersey, Buffalo, Chicago, Los Angeles and points on bordering west coast states.  Incentive business travel has taken me to Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Bermuda and other areas of the Caribbean plus Hawaii, Venezuela, Clearwater Beach, Scottsdale (Arizona) and New Mexico.

Parenting has also allowed me to see my three children travel on school trips to Washington, D.C., New York City, Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Italy and Hawaii.  Travel for my eldest son has been particularly challenging as wheel chair access is required for transportation and accommodation, providing me with another perspective of the travel experience.  As a parent I have appreciated the value of travel and how it can enhance a young person’s life. Through diversified cultural environments we obtain valuable experiences and learn how to adapt and interact within many different cultures. Travel is truly an education in itself!!