Meet the ABLE BC Board of Directors: Stephen Roughley, Director

Stephen Roughley is perhaps the best traveled Director on the ABLE BC Board (who also happens to carry three passports!). A seasoned hotelier with over 30 years of experience in hotel management, he has worked with benchmark brands such as Marriott, Four Seasons, Sheraton, and Hilton and enjoyed living in some amazing markets. From Portugal to The Caribbean, Canada to The United States, he’s had a number of postings throughout North America including Key Largo, Las Vegas and Seattle, along with Toronto and Calgary. Today, Stephen is proud to call Victoria home, where he and his family settled in 2013. He is general manager of Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour and area director for Atlific Hotels. Stephen’s well-traveled and diverse experience brings a unique perspective to the ABLE Board.

Stephen has been a supporter of ABLE for nearly nine years. He joined the board in 2014, the same year he joined the BC Hotel Association’s (BCHA) board. The Marriott Inner Harbour is a dual member of both ABLE and BCHA. Our organizations work closely with each other, sharing several benefit programs, board members, and member businesses. BCHA will appoint a few members to the ABLE Board each term to maintain our close working relationship. One of the positive outcomes of the pandemic is that our partnerships with associations like BCHA have become stronger and even more effective, benefiting our members and our industry as a whole. Our key to success and recovery after the pandemic is the collaborative efforts of associations like BCHA and ABLE.

While Stephen was appointed to the ABLE Board by the BCHA, he was eager to join because of his background in food and beverage management. He got started in hospitality working in pubs and restaurants through high school and university and has always enjoyed the warmth of the industry. He loves that BC’s liquor industry is focused on people, passion, and innovation. He is the consummate hospitality professional, always striving to exceed the guest experience, and works hard to inspire and instill this in his team.

Stephen’s ABLE Board goals include strengthening and supporting policy and advocacy work, bringing our industry together, encouraging growth and development, and increasing ABLE funding to help members' during a recovery period that includes a labour crisis. 

Throughout his travels, Stephen has gained an appreciation of flavours from all cultures. He enjoys cooking and pairing with a beverage of choice.