Meet 2021 President’s Award winner, Carla Ellis-Whelan
Nine-year WestJetter, Carla Ellis-Whelan, Team Lead, Reservation Support Desk, Contact Centre is one of 16 President’s Award winners who demonstrates that WestJet’s challenger brand and commitment to caring from the heart are not mutually exclusive in her world.
COVID-19 brought incredible challenges to the airline industry and as a result WestJet guests and their travel plans were significantly impacted. As a leader in WestJet’s Contact Centre, Carla showed up every day to support guests’, hear their concerns and maintained an unwavering commitment to seek out solutions that worked. Carla is highly regarded amongst her team for her ability to solve any problem put in front of her, all while keeping empathy and care at the center of every interaction she has.
We sat down with Carla to ask her a few questions about WestJet and what being a President’s Award winner means to her:
Describe WestJet in three words.
Caring, loyal and full of opportunity.
Best travel tip?
Never forget your water bottle and a good lip chap.
What are you most looking forward to in the next year?
The opportunity for some in-person celebrations and the ability to get back on a plane with my husband and kids to see the people we love who are far away!
What does winning a WestJet Group Award mean to you?
Such a sense of pride and utter disbelief. I am extremely humbled to be honoured alongside all current and past winners. It’s a “pinch me” scenario by being chosen for the way I do my job.
What Carla’s leader had to say:
“Carla has genuine care for those around her and is always the first to lend a helping hand without a moment of hesitation,” said Heidi Mackenzie, Director, Contact Centre. “With a kind and compassionate approach and the ability to bring in some humor when appropriate Carla is able to resolve even the trickiest of concerns, allowing our guests to end their call feeling heard and supported.”
