TORONTO — The Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) has announced several key appointments to start the new year.

Brett Walker, General Manager Canada at Collette, has been named Chair following the conclusion of Tim Croyle’s two-year term.

Melissa Reiter, Legal Counsel at G Adventures, is now Vice-Chair, while Richard Edwards and Pierre Le Page remain as Treasurer and Executive Director, respectively.

Having assumed his new role on Jan. 1, Walker has hit the ground running with news of an upcoming members meeting to discuss future strategies.

“One of our goals this year is to make CATO more representative of all its members by expanding our vision and direction, as well as our membership,” he said. “We will be holding a meeting of our tour operator members in February to review our mission and strategy and set a new course for the future.”

Some of the immediate changes on CATO’s agenda include the introduction of voting privileges for all tour operator members by way of eliminating the associate (non-voting) membership category, as well as the requirement of lengthy business history.

CATO will also continue with its educational symposiums in conjunction with the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and other institutions to better inform and prepare members on such issues as data security, legal implications and a broad range of corporate risks.