By MICHAEL BAGINSKI/ Fifteen years ago when I wrote about Dina Bertolo’s (first) retirement from Thomas Cook North America, I dubbed her “Queen Dina” – a name that not surprisingly stuck. But just when she thought she was out, the travel industry, as it does, pulled her back in, and another dozen eventful years at Air Canada Vacations ensued.
So, what to call the industry icon this time upon her second and “last” retirement after over 40 pioneering years in the Canadian travel industry? Empress Dina? Dina Czarina? How about simply “Nonna,” a term admittedly better reserved for her grandson and the love of her family’s lives, “little Dante” – one of the biggest reasons, she says, she knew it was time to retire again.
With families – both real and travel – in attendance (including little Dante), Bertolo bid farewell on Wednesday night at a tasteful celebration of her career at the Royal Woodbine Golf Club, stating, “My journey in travel has been filled with unforgettable moments, visiting extraordinary places, (and) meeting the most interesting people… witnessing Cuba’s rise in the ‘90s – and let’s hope for the best for the future, we’re all rooting for Cuba…”
The ACV VP of product development thanked several mentors in attendance, not least now retired Alba Tours co-owner Gianni Bragagnolo, who first inspired and hired her in the business.
“He took a chance on me, a young woman in the ‘80s and he made me a buyer when most buyers were much, much older men,” she recalled. “He taught me that negotiation only works when both sides win and that relationships are the foundation of everything we do in this business. Those lessons stayed with me for over 40 years.”
Also singled out for praise was her product team at ACV and current “boss” Nino Montagnese. “You get me!” she declared, “sometimes so well that you finish my sentences.”
Bertolo joked that her many, many “scandalous” – and funny – stories of working during the “wild era” of the travel industry would be revealed in her future book.
The wild times also extended to too many tragedies, she acknowledged – “Sept. 11, viruses of every imaginable kind, earthquakes, hurricanes, countless faces that shook our industry. But we always found a way to rise again, stronger and better. And we cannot forget about our lost colleagues and friends along the way – people who left permanent marks in our hearts.”
Montagnese emphasized that Bertolo’s leadership at ACV has been instrumental in the company’s growth and elevating its brand across the country.
“But beyond the achievements,” he added, “it’s Dina’s spirit, her mentorship, and her genuine love for the travel industry that we’re all going to miss deeply. She brought vision, warmth, and a sense of adventure to everything that she touched… You really are leaving a legacy.”
Perhaps it was colleague Bryan Klompas who summed up Bertolo’s career best.
“The story goes,” he said, “that when Seinfeld was negotiating the last season of the TV show, he was offered a whopping $110 million, $5 million per episode (to continue), and he turned it down. When they asked him why he would walk away from so much money, he said that he learned something from The Beatles: that you always leave the stage when the audience is clapping.
“And I think we can all agree,” he said, “that Dina is leaving the stage while the audience is clapping!”
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