Accomplished Talent Joins the Queen City Distillers Vision
Members of the Queen City Distillers leadership team. Back row (left to right): Chris Tessmer, Brandon Geerts, Brian Talbot, Yves Perreard and Peeush Chawla. Front row (left to right): Inas Bassiony, Tatjana Tanasijevic and Chelsey Whittle.
An exceptional blend of global expertise and Saskatchewan talent is coming together behind the province's most ambitious hospitality destination.
REGINA, SK – As Queen City Distillers moves closer to opening, the organization is announcing a new group of leadership appointments across hospitality, entertainment, culinary, beverage, and retail operations. Further strengthening the team behind its future seven-experience destination.
This announcement builds on the momentum established earlier this year with the addition of Trevor Brodie, Senior Director of Hospitality, and Ritu Shah-Burnham, Director of Food & Beverage, who relocated to Regina to help lead the destination's hospitality strategy. They joined Master Brewer & Operations Manager, Robert Walsh and Master Distiller, Kiran Shrestha whose expertise is helping build Queen City Distillers' brewery and distillery operations from the ground up.
Today, Queen City Distillers is announcing the addition of:
Inas Bassiony, Director of Guest Experience & Culture
Chris Tessmer, Director of Entertainment
Brandon Geerts, Director of Sales, Spirits & Retail
Chef Peeush Chawla, Executive Chef
Chef Brian Talbot, Head Chef, Premium Dining
Yves Perreard, Senior Beverage Manager & Wine Director
Tatjana Tanasijevic, Sommelier
Chelsey Whittle, Commercial Sales & Category Manager
These appointments represent more than a collection of individual hires. Together, they form the leadership team responsible for shaping the experiences, standards and culture that will define Queen City Distillers.
At the heart of the destination is hospitality, led by Inas Bassiony, Director of Guest Experience & Culture. With more than 19 years of experience in luxury hospitality, including an 11-year career with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. Bassiony has led hotel operations, guest experience programs and pre-opening initiatives across Egypt, Pakistan, the Maldives and Saudi Arabia. Most recently, she oversaw a portfolio of luxury hospitality assets in Saudi Arabia. She will help shape the service culture, guest journey and hospitality standards that connect all seven Queen City Distillers’ experiences.
Creating the energy behind the destination is Christopher Tessmer, Director of Entertainment. With more than 20 years of experience in talent buying, production management and live event programming. He has helped bring some of Saskatchewan’s most notable concerts, festivals and events to life. His career includes entertainment programming for SaskGaming, production leadership for the 2022 Grey Cup Street Festival, and on the production management team for the 2025 Grey Cup. He will lead the entertainment strategy and live programming that positions Queen City Distillers as a premier destination for music, events and unforgettable nights out.
The culinary program is being led by two accomplished chefs whose careers span some of the hospitality industry's most respected brands and kitchens.
Executive Chef, Peeush Chawla has led culinary teams at luxury resorts and internationally recognized hospitality brands across the Maldives and United Arab Emirates, including W Hotels, Sheraton and Jumeirah properties. Throughout his career, he has overseen multi-concept hospitality operations with culinary teams of 90 chefs, delivering dining experiences across some of the world's most recognized hospitality brands. Now continuing his career in Saskatchewan, Chawla brings a blend of global expertise and local perspective to Queen City Distillers, where he will oversee the culinary vision, menu development and kitchen operations across the destination.
Working alongside him is Head Chef Premium Dining, Brian Talbot. Over a career spanning more than two decades, Talbot has worked in acclaimed kitchens across London, Spain and Saskatchewan, including within the renowned Gordon Ramsay restaurant group. Having built a reputation for excellence in fine dining and culinary leadership, he will shape the cuisine, standards and guest experience behind Queen City Distillers' premium dining concept.
Supporting that vision is an equally ambitious beverage program.
Senior Beverage Manager & Wine Director, Yves Perreard, an Advanced Sommelier brings more than 25 years of international wine and spirit experience spanning Portugal, Greece, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Middle East, the United States and Canada. His passion for food and wine is shaped by a family heritage deeply rooted in culinary arts and winemaking. Perreard has lived, studied, and worked across many of the world's most respected wine regions. Building luxury wine programs, curating rare collections and leading beverage operations for premium hospitality properties. He will lead the development of a beverage program designed to be among the most distinctive in Canada.
Joining him is Sommelier, Tatjana Tanasijevic, a respected Saskatchewan hospitality professional, wine educator and WSET-certified wine specialist. With more than 15 years of hospitality experience spanning beverage leadership, event management and guest experience, she has become a passionate advocate for wine education and engagement within Regina's hospitality community. She will help create memorable wine experiences that connect guests to the destination's beverage program.
Rounding out the team is Brandon Geerts, Director of Sales & Retail. With more than 15 years of leadership experience across liquor retail, wholesale distribution and supply chain operations, Geerts has overseen networks supporting hundreds of retail locations and approximately $350 million in annual throughput. He will lead sales, retail and commercial growth strategies across Queen City Distillers' beverage business, helping expand the reach of the destination's products.
Supporting those efforts is Chelsey Whittle, Commercial Sales & Category Manager. A WSET Level 3 graduate and French Wine Scholar, Whittle has built her career across Western Canada's wine and beverage industry, with experience spanning wine buying, supplier representation, category management and retail leadership. She will help shape a retail beverage program focused on discovery, exclusive offerings and hard-to-find products, creating reasons for customers to keep coming back and exploring what's new.
While their backgrounds are diverse, they share a common belief in what Queen City Distillers can become. Together, the team brings experience from luxury hotels and resorts, major entertainment events, acclaimed kitchens, world-class wine programs and Saskatchewan's hospitality industry. It is this combination of global expertise and local knowledge that will help define the guest experience across the destination.
“The most important investment we're making isn't in construction. It's in people," said Shaun Semple, Owner, Queen City Distillers. "Some members of this team have built careers around the world. Others have spent years helping shape Saskatchewan's hospitality, entertainment and culinary industries. What unites them is a belief in what this destination can become. The fact that leaders of this calibre are choosing to join the journey and make Regina their home tells us we're building something special.”
For Queen City Distillers, the growing leadership team represents an important milestone as the project moves closer to opening. More importantly, it reflects the calibre of talent being drawn to the project. While projects may begin with plans, concepts and renderings, they are ultimately defined by the people who bring them to life.
For more information on Queen City Distillers, contact Ly Pham at lpham@QCDistillers.com.