Wednesday, 27 February 2013 17:19
Written by Mitch Kostuch, Group Publisher

GUELPH, Ont. — Despite a massive snow and rain storm that overwhelmed southern Ontario Tuesday, a celebratory dinner honouring Roland Walton, president, Tim Hortons Canada, was held at PJ's Restaurant in the Atrium, Macdonald Stewart Hall at the University of Guelph in Ontario.

Walton is the 2013 Executive-in-Residence at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University and will serve until tomorrow. Each winter semester the school invites a successful and prominent industry executive to its campus to meet with students.

The evening event attracted members of the school’s Industry Advisory Board, faculty members and student leadership, who gathered to hear a passionate and sincere presentation by Walton about his hospitality career and experience at Tim Hortons.

Walton was named president, Tim Hortons Canada, in August 2012 having first joined the company in 1997 as EVP of Operations, leading both Canadian and U.S. In 2008, he was appointed Canadian chief operations officer, a position he held until his promotion. An alumnus of the University of Guelph, graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce in 1978, Walton’s career included positions with Wendy’s Restaurants of Canada, Pizza Hut Canada and Pizza Hut’s U.S. operations (as senior management designate and as central division VP). Walton lives in Oakville, Ont., with his wife, Fulvia, and their three children.