Getting to Know Your BDM: ACV@Home’s Andrea Arkell

For Andrea Arkell, Key Account Manager, ACV@Home, Ontario and Eastern Canada, it all started with a cruise.

In 2001, her grandparents marked their 50th wedding anniversary by taking the entire family—17 of them, on a cruise.

“That cruise was what sparked my love for travel,” she recalls. “As soon as we got back, I thought, ‘I want to do that. I want to work on a cruise.’”

What followed was an adventurous leap into the world of cruise ships. Andrea responded to what, at the time, looked like a spam email from Carnival Cruise Line. It turned out to be very real. She landed a job as a casino host, walking the floor, chatting with guests at the slot machines, and offering drinks and loyalty cards.

Her first contract was aboard the Carnival Fantasy, sailing between Florida and the Bahamas for six months. It was fun, but she quickly realized she wanted a bit more privacy than a shared cabin. That’s when she pivoted again—teaching herself just enough about Wi-Fi cards – remember those? – to successfully apply as an Internet Cafe Manager with Holland America.

That job came with an officer’s title and her own cabin. She learned how to build computers on dry dock and she spent the next three years working across several major cruise lines, including Holland America, Norwegian, and P&O Cruises, eventually embarking on a world cruise with P&O.

“I was the only North American on the ship, on staff and usually even among the passengers,” she says.

The opportunity to volunteer as a tour escort on excursions meant she experienced the pyramids of Egypt, the markets of Thailand, and countless other unforgettable destinations, all in her early 20s.

Eventually, Andrea returned to land and moved to British Columbia, where she took a job at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus. It was a total shift—from floating casinos and world cruises to the student union office. “My dad drove across the country with me in my little car packed with everything I owned,” she laughs.

After her daughter Anika was born, a move back to Ontario forced another career rethink. Daycare costs nearly canceled out job earnings, and job hunting in university systems proved difficult, as roles weren’t transferable between institutions.

Then came a lucky connection: a friend’s mother owned Uxbridge Travel and at first, Andrea just helped with social media. But soon, her travel background took center stage. “I asked her, ‘How do you sell travel?’” she says. One day a week turned into full-time, and within six months, Andrea had built a client base strong enough to support a full role.

She then went home-based with a host agency, building her own brand, attending local events, and hustling on evenings and weekends to grow her clientele.

“I’d show up at mom markets between Jamboree booths and Tupperware reps with my own travel table.”

That brand investment paid off. For five years, she ran her own home-based business, gaining deep industry insight and sharpening her skills.

Then the pandemic hit.

With the travel industry at a standstill, Andrea, clearly never one to sit idle, went back to school in her 40s. She re-enrolled at the same college she attended at 18, this time for a Medical Office Administration program and later found herself surrounded by a new type of potential client: exhausted healthcare professionals who needed vacations.

A serendipitous encounter on a FAM trip opened the next door. She asked someone about becoming a Business Development Manager (BDM) or Key Account Manager and in May 2023, Andrea joined Air Canada’s sales team. In August 2024, she moved to Air Canada Vacations in her current role.

Today, Andrea uses her wide-ranging experiences to connect deeply with agents.

“I’ve sat on the other side, yelling at the screen when something got cancelled. I know that frustration. This role is really the best of both worlds. I’m still in the travel industry, still connected to agents, but now I get to support them in a different way.”

Now a mom to a teenager (her daughter Anika is 15), Andrea acknowledges the challenge of balance. “Especially when they’re young, it’s hard. It’s not a 9-to-5 industry. It’s a lifestyle,” she says. “But if you love what you do, and you have the right support, it becomes possible.”

Andrea encourages others in the industry, especially those just starting, to chase what excites them, even if they’re unsure. “If you don’t go for it, someone else will. Passion is meant to be used.”

“Don’t doubt yourself,” she says. “If you feel something in your gut, go for it.

You may second-guess every decision you make, but every risk I’ve taken has led to something better.”