Sidney’s Young Professionals Go Beyond
Sidney’s young professionals provide first-rate service and go all-out to meet customer needs. Consider the stories of Gina Amato and Brian Liversedge.
Brian is a chartered accountant with the Sidney-based firm of Hughesman Morris. He has been with the company since 2009 when he started as a co-op student. He began his education with the general business program at Camosun College, and says he “gravitated towards accounting” because of his love of math. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Camosun and then his Chartered Professional Accountant designation.
As an accountant, Brian says the best part of his work is helping clients solve their unique problems.
“Everyone is different,” Brian says. “It’s one of the things I enjoy most about our work.”
At this point in his career, Brian says that forming relationships in the community is key to his success. That’s one reason he decided to join the Peninsula Celebrations Society Board. “It’s another way of reaching out and being part of a great community,” Brian says.
Originally from Ontario, Brian’s family moved to B.C. when he was five years old, living in Sidney and Brentwood Bay. Married in 2014, Brian and his wife, Lauren, live in Sidney with their two dogs, Bowser and Petra.
Gina Amato joined Sidney-based Departures Travel in July 2018 after several years of working in the hospitality industry. As she describes it, “I started in Panama, continued in Brentwood Bay, and now I’m in Sidney!”
Gina says she values every customer interaction and each new friend at work. “I love the idea of visiting the places people come from, learning their languages, and enjoying their food,” she enthuses. “There is so much to explore!”
Gina says she looks forward to building on her extensive experience in the hotel industry to contribute her best to the travel sector. To that end, she is enthusiastically committed to “learning, growing and experiencing all facets” of the travel industry in an effort to assist customers to create “memorable experiences”.
When asked what she likes best about her work, Gina quickly replies, “I like that there are no limits on how much you can learn and how far you can go.”
In her spare time, Gina loves the outdoors, “camping with a good book in the morning and good friends in the evening.” She also loves playing in the ocean with her stand-up paddle board, wind kiteboarding and fishing — a true outdoor spirit.
Brian and Gina, like the others we’ve showcased, reflect the very best of Sidney’s young professionals. They are strong, committed to their work, enjoy this community and love working with people.
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