Tom Morris has been with Wasaya Airways LP for well over 10 years.
Prior to his appointment with Wasaya Airways, he served his community of
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (Big Trout Lake) as a Band Councillor,
member of the Board of Directors for Petakaywin Development Corporation,
Community Tourism Coordinator, and as the Band Economic Development
Officer for 11 years.
His professional experience and superior decision making skills
were honed on the Board of Directors of Nishnawbe-Aski Development Fund
(Thunder Bay), the Aboriginal Capital Corporation (ACC-NADF) Board of
Directors, and as Secretary Treasurer of this same board. He has also
served on the Board of Directors of the Independent First Nations
Alliance (IFNA) Engineers (Sioux Lookout), the Petakaywin Development
Corporation, the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Education Authority, the Northern
Native Tourism Association (NONTA, Thunder Bay), and has been involved
as a working group member with the Shibogama Winter Roads Study.
With his wealth of knowledge and experience Tom was chosen as a
management trainee under former President/CEO Tom Kamenawatamin. He
completed three years in this position, working diligently to further
hone his management and already present leadership skills. Shortly
thereafter, Tom was named the new head of Northern Ontario's
largest airline. He has held his current position as President/CEO for
the last 7 years. He has been instrumental in a number of structural and
operational changes throughout his tenure including the restructuring of
the Wasaya Corporation (parent company) into the Wasaya Group Inc (WGI).
Additionally he has successfully led the company through expansions in
passenger services with the acquisition of the northern routes from
Bearskin Airlines in 2003. Charter and freight services are continuing
to grow as well. Wasaya Airways LP certainly has a bright future ahead.
Tom's other positions with Wasaya Airways include Executive
Vice-President, Vice-President, a senior management trainee gaining
experience in all operational areas, and 3 years as a Wasaya Airways and
Corporation Resource Worker, responsible for liaison with the
North-western Ontario First Nations and customers.
Further to his professional accreditations, Tom has managed the
ever changing company profile and increasingly competitive aviation
industry with typical humility and grace. He is an exceptionally
approachable Senior Manager; a rare find among such high-ranking CEOs.
Tom maintains an "open door policy" and encourages the same
from all his senior and departmental managers. There is no pretension
within the administrative offices where Tom Morris is present. He holds
a high regard for open, and honest discussion among his employee base.
The working environment is a participatory one, a place where any
employee, despite position feels as though they are making a real
difference and contributing to the overall success of the company.
Turn-over, therefore, is rare. He makes himself available to all staff
and customers whenever possible. Tom is a regular presence in the
communities Wasaya Airways LP serves, with an ear to the ground and a
vision for the future. He places the same degree of importance on
employee and customer feedback as he does on the closing moments of a
million dollar deal. On a recent trip to the company's Red Lake
base, Mr. Morris provided the following to his employees: "We are
nothing without you. Three things make a company successful: Good
management; good product; and good customer service. You are all doing a
good job promoting this company ... thank you."
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Head Office
300 Anemki Place, Suite B
Thunder Bay, ON
P7J IH9
Tel. (807) 473-1200
www.wasaya.com
Tom Morris, President and Chief Executive Officer, Wasaya Airways
LP
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