TORONTO — In a hospitality industry propelled by innovation, resilience, and purpose, the 2025 KML Top-30-Under-30 Leadership Summit, held on May 27 at the Sheraton Centre Toronto, offered an opportunity to shine the spotlight on the trailblazers shaping its future.
“This event stands out as a beacon of inspiration, celebrating the remarkable achievements of young leaders who are re-shaping the industry and driving societal progress,” said Rosanna Caira, editor/publisher of Kostuch Media Ltd. (KML).
The Top-30 winners represent a wide range of disciplines — from culinary and hotel operations to supply chain and tech — united by their passion and people-first ethos.
A standout moment early in the day was the surprise presentation of the inaugural Future Leaders’ Impact Award to Bruce McAdams, a beloved University of Guelph educator whose mentorship has touched generations of hospitality students. “There are those who teach, and those who inspire,” said Caira. “Bruce is undeniably one of the latter.”
That sentiment flowed seamlessly into an inspiring valedictorian address from Mohammed Noorullah, senior Operations manager, Housekeeping, Fairmont Royal York Hotel, Toronto. Noorullah spoke of his journey from a part-time F&B attendant to a senior leadership role, a path that included detours through the tech industry during COVID-19 and a deep investment in mentorship. “Leadership isn’t defined by titles,” he said. “It’s about empowering others as we grow.”
He encouraged peers to “embrace failure as fuel,” remain rooted in their cultural heritage, and view hospitality as a vehicle for community-building. “Hospitality doesn’t just build careers,” he said. “It builds communities.”
Spotlight Stories: Leadership with Heart
Three Top 30-Under-30 winners — Emeline Boul, GM, Silver Hospitality; Gagan Singh GM, O&B Hospitality; and Alexis Bragagnolo, Fairmont Gold Manager, Fairmont Royal York — took to the stage and offered intimate perspectives on leadership and personal growth.
Boul emphasized the power of inter-cultural understanding in team building. “Hospitality thrives on connection, and connection comes from understanding,” she said. “You do not see the world for what it is — you see the world for who you are.”
Singh spoke about fitness as a leadership tool. “Discipline, consistency, and resilience — those are gym skills and hospitality skills,” he said. “When I care for my physical health, I’m stronger mentally and emotionally. That makes me a better leader.”
Bragagnolo reflected on legacy and heart-led leadership. “Culture lasts longer than we do,” she said. “The deepest impact we make isn’t in the headlines — it’s in the hearts of the people we touch.”
She finished her talk with a quote from Maya Angelou. “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,” she said, reminding the room that “empathy and authenticity are foundational to hospitality.”
Fireside Chat
The morning featured a Fireside Chat between Rosanna Caira, editor and publisher, KML, and Sash Simpson, executive chef, Sash, Toronto. During the discussion, Simpson shared his inspiring journey from being an orphan in India to becoming an executive chef and restaurant owner.
He recounted his early struggles, including living on the streets in India and being adopted by a Canadian woman who ran the orphanage.
Simpson also shared his journey of becoming a chef, starting at age 14 with various jobs, including newspaper routes and dishwashing. But, he says it wasn’t until he was 35 that he decided to become a chef. He recounted his experiences working in different restaurants and the challenges he faced, including being rejected for a job at North 44 due to lack of formal culinary education. However, he eventually secured the job by offering to work for free for three months, emphasizing the importance of hard work and persistence.
“I was devastated,” says Simpson. “I don’t like hearing the word ‘no’, so I thought about what I could do to change their minds. The funny thing about that story is they didn’t want to hire me because I wasn’t qualified, but at the end of the day, I took over that restaurant as its executive chef and re-gained its three-and-a-half star rating.”
In 2019, Simpson opened his own restaurant, Sash. He described the financial and emotional stress of building the restaurant, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. He says he had an initial budget of $800,000 to a maximum of $1 million.
“The budget kept me up at night because it was always climbing,” says Simpson. “I had to borrow money, I put in a lot of my own money and I put all of my property money into that restaurant. Failure wasn’t an option for me,” revealing that the restaurant’s total investment climbed to $2.4 million.
The discussion concluded with Simpson advising future leaders to be level-headed. He highlighted the importance of taking care of staff and creating a supportive work environment, and encouraged future leaders to keep their promises and to be committed to their teams.
“If you can create a system where people want to work for you, then you’re going to do really well,” says Simpson. “You have to take care of the people who are taking care of you.”
Focus on the Future
Moderated by PhD candidate, educator and Top-30-Under-30 winner Alex Owens, the Future of Hospitality panel featured four 2025 honourees: Carson Hall-Corbeil (chef, Harbour 60), Joseph Johnson (director of front office, JW Marriott), Sara Lee (GM, Redberry Restaurants), and Marco Robineault (restaurant manager, Four Seasons Whistler). Together, they painted a candid portrait of the industry’s challenges, including recruitment, retention, seasonality, and balancing evolving guest expectations with staff wellbeing.
Seasonality, particularly in resort destinations such as Whistler, makes continuity and culture-building difficult. “Hiring 30 staff every six months is definitely challenging,” said Robineault, who emphasized onboarding and briefings as essential tools for alignment. Lee, meanwhile, spotlighted the value of emotional intelligence in retaining staff: “Finding motivated employees is about making people feel seen. Not just what happens at work — but before and after their shifts.”
Johnson addressed a unique challenge: managing guest experience in a hotel that includes a noisy nightclub. His team’s solution? Know your guest deeply and customize their stay accordingly. “Understanding the guest’s intent — why they’re here — lets us tailor their experience meaningfully,” he said.
The conversation turned to diversity and generational gaps in the workforce. “Leading multi-cultural and multi-generational teams takes nuance,” said Lee. “Sometimes it’s not about getting it right — it’s about letting people fail so they can succeed.”
Panellists also emphasized the need to reject the long-held glorification of burnout. “We need to stop rewarding burnout,” said Hall-Corbeil. “It’s time to build environments where work-life balance is respected. Hospitality needs to evolve beyond the burnout badge of honour. We must value fulfillment and emotional sustainability.”
Johnson and Robineault offered strategies for hiring and retaining top-tier talent — most notably, rigorous onboarding and post-training engagement. “The real work starts after the training ends,” said Johnson. “It’s about personalized, scheduled support.”
In terms of creating a long-term career appeal, flexibility and transparency were key themes. “Flex scheduling, cross-training through Task Force programs, and being transparent about the business strategy — these are things that help employees feel empowered and invested,” Johnson explained.
The panel also explored how sustainability can align with guest experience and profitability. Robineault described local initiatives such as beekeeping and integrating locally sourced products — even into minibar offerings. “Hyper-localization adds meaning to guest experiences,” he said. “It connects them to the place in an authentic way.”
Be sure to read the Thursday edition of Hospitality Headlines for coverage of the Top 30 Under 30 Leadership Summit afternoon sessions.
