Management Team

Joe Poulin has been the President and CEO of Luxury Retreats since he founded the company in 1999. Mr. Poulin has taken his start-up – which originally listed just four properties, had no employees and was located in his bedroom – and turned it into one of the world’s largest villa rental specialists. His entrepreneurial rise and achievements have been chronicled in the media and his vision and success have made him one of the most respected leaders in the industry.

Darlene George joined Luxury Retreats in 2008. Ms. George brings 20+ years of executive human resources leadership experience spanning five industries; including hospitality, grocery retail, aerospace, cable and telecommunications. Her experience has involved building local and international companies, while also having operated her own human resources consulting practice. Since joining Luxury Retreats, Ms. George has also held the post of VP, Product Management & Market Development for two years, wherein she was responsible for redefining Luxury Retreats overall product strategy, market development, corporate branding and standards.

As VP, Sales & Marketing, Mr. Bottone is responsible for Luxury Retreats’ global sales, marketing strategy, and customer service (aka Concierge) initiatives. Mr. Bottone brings over 15 years of management expertise including recent experience as VP Marketing, North America at Monster Worldwide and VP Marketing, Product Management at Workopolis.

As VP, Information Technology, Mr. Julien holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and an MBA in Finance, coupled with extensive engineering and operations experience within the high tech industry. His most recent leadership includes VP of Operations, VP of Research & Development, and COO roles with organizations such as MedConnex, Mobivox, Electronic Arts, and UbiSoft. In these capacities, Mr. Julien has been responsible for growth within the functional areas of IT operations, R&D, product development, QA, project management, and general administration.

As Director of Finance, Mr. Laguë comes to Luxury Retreats with over 15 years of senior management and executive experience in Finance and Administration. He has extensive experience in the full cycle of accounting, as well as in strategic planning in support of business growth. During his years of management experience, Mr. Laguë has successfully managed numerous acquisitions, sales, and mergers, and developed business plans and budgets in various business development projects in industries such as publishing, distribution and retail.

Michael Spanier joined Luxury Retreats as General Counsel following a 9 year career at the Montreal law firm of Heenan Blaikie. Mr. Spanier has acted as corporate counsel for film and television producers, financiers, licensers and distributors, as well as various professional sports organizations and individual athletes. Mr. Spanier is experienced in the analysis, drafting and negotiation of commercial agreements and brings his extensive business-focused legal background to the Luxury Retreats team.

Ben Tuff joined Luxury Retreats in 2000, and is the second-longest serving member of the Luxury Retreats team. Prior to his current role as General Manager of Luxury Retreat’s South American luxury apartment sector: ApartmentsBA (www.apartmentsba.com), he has served as Director of Sales & Service, Director of Marketing, Sales Manager and Villa Specialist. In his current capacity, Mr. Tuff is responsible for the overall strategic development and growth of the luxury apartment channel.