Joanna Jagger

Joanna Jagger is a passionate advocate for equity in the recreation, tourism, and hospitality sectors. She is the Founder and Executive Director of WORTH Association, a non-profit organization committed to elevating, educating, and engaging women across these industries. WORTH has delivered over 30 transformative programs and events, including Yes Shef, the Leadership Summit, Empower Her, WORTH Academy and Sea Suite. Since 2018, WORTH has awarded more than $65,000 in scholarships to support emerging leaders.  

Joanna previously served as a Convenor and Instructor in the School of Tourism Management at Capilano University, where she led research initiatives such as a gender equity audit toolkit for organizations and a policy brief focused on equity for Vancouver Island. Her work in diversity, equity, and inclusion has earned significant recognition, including honours from the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards (Community Champion), Business in Vancouver’s Top 500 Most Influential Business Leaders in B.C., and the International Hospitality Institute’s Top 100 Most Inspirational Leaders in Global Hospitality and Travel. 

With a background in leadership roles across sales, catering, and human resources, Joanna has worked with top-tier hospitality brands including Marriott International, Shangri-La Hotels, Sequoia Company of Restaurants, and Joe Fortes Seafood & Chophouse. She is a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) and founder of Adanac HR Services, offering strategic HR consulting to organizations across sectors. 

Joanna serves as a board member of BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo), representing the Vancouver Convention Centre and BC Place. She holds a Provincial Instructor’s Diploma from Vancouver Community College and a Master’s in Leadership from Royal Roads University.