Every time you come to Lansdowne Park, whether you’re going to a sporting event at the stadium or arena, a concert on the Great Lawn, or even shopping, Anne-Marie Villeneuve has gone above and beyond to ensure your experience is a positive one.

The Vice President of Guest Experience & Operations has several responsibilities to ensure exceptional guest experience, including guest services, safety and security, parking, facilities, and food and beverage, as well as taking care of many other aspects on site.

None of Anne-Marie’s days ever look the same in her role but are underscored by her relentless pursuit of excellence for every patron on any given day, night, rain, snow, or shine.

Upon learning Ottawa would soon have a new team in the league, she took a leap of faith, and reached out hoping to gain employment with the new franchise. “I sent them an email saying that I was the right fit for them, and they were the right fit for me,” Anne-Marie said. “They gave me a call, and I had an interview, I already felt like I belonged, even if I had no idea what the job was going to be.”

Soon after, she was hired as the Director of Guest Services, and has since risen through the ranks. It has also come with a great deal of change, she says, especially with Lansdowne 2.0 now on the horizon.

Compared to other organizations, TD Place has many unique factors at play with their buildings, from being a stadium in a park and especially with the arena being underneath the stadium.

To make the experience enjoyable, Anne-Marie and her team rely on guest feedback, combing through comments, no matter how big or small.

“Our team goes through every single comment,” Anne-Marie said. “We use it to figure out our action items, and in some cases, we’re able to address them before the next event.”

Faced with accessibility hurdles in an older facility, Anne-Marie and her team knew that accessibility would be a challenge. “We created an accessibility team to prioritize inclusive practices.” This dedication has earned accolades from patrons who have commended the team’s efforts. Still, they search for ways to improve, but put a full effort forward in fostering a welcoming environment for all.

With the big tasks drawing much attention, and a desire to help everyone who texts the support number on a game day, Anne-Marie has learned that sharing the workload with her team is critical, and they can achieve far more with the support of one another.

“You have to learn how to delegate, but it’s doable,” Anne-Marie said. “COVID taught me how to slow down. I still do everything that I need to do in my day, but I’m more efficient, and I have more family time now than I ever did before. I’m surrounded by great people.”

Her job takes plenty of passion, which is on full display when she arrives every day, especially when there is a big event a few hours later. “I love to walk the site first thing in the morning, on game days. It’s the calm before the storm.”

Anne-Marie’s favorite time is the thrill of welcoming a new season, whether it’s for the 67’s, REDBLACKS, or any other resident team at TD Place. Ensuring her presence at every home opener, seeing familiar faces return, meeting new staff and fans, and the buzz all around the team.