ABOUT ANN LAYTON:
Ann Layton is one of Canada’s leading communications consultants specializing in travel and tourism public relations and the Founder of Siren Communications. With more than 25 years of experience working with blue-chip clients around the world, she has built an international career spanning communications, hospitality and tourism.
Before founding Siren Communications, Ann served as Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, bringing strategic communications leadership to one of the world’s most recognized hospitality brands. Her connection to the industry, however, began long before the executive suite, when she worked as a waitress at Jasper Park Lodge. She is also a former Wardair flight attendant, holds an MSc Economics from the London School of Economics, and is fluent in French and Spanish.
Throughout her career, Ann has earned recognition both in Canada and internationally. She was named Green Hotelier of the Year by the International Hotel Association in Paris, served on the Communications Committee of the World Travel & Tourism Council in London and became the first-ever Chair of the Media Relations Committee of the Canadian Tourism Commission. She is also a recipient of the prestigious ‘Best in Show’ Award at the HSMAI Adrian Awards in New York.
Her professional journey has been defined by an ability to move confidently between worlds, from aviation and academia to corporate leadership and entrepreneurship. Along the way, she has navigated spaces where women were not always equally represented and encountered moments when others underestimated what she was capable of. Rather than allowing those perceptions to define her, Ann continued to build a career grounded in expertise, independence and an unwavering belief in her own direction.
That independence ultimately led her to entrepreneurship and the creation of Siren Communications, where she has been able to apply decades of global experience while shaping a professional life on her own terms. Her career reflects a willingness to challenge conventional expectations of what success should look like while remaining deeply connected to an industry that has taken her around the world.
Today, Ann’s story is as much about perspective as it is professional achievement. Behind the titles, international accolades and entrepreneurial success is a woman whose experiences have shaped strong convictions about integrity, relationships, equality, financial independence and the freedom to determine your own path. Her journey is a powerful reminder that being underestimated does not determine where you end up, sometimes, it becomes part of what propels you forward.
Q&A WITH ANN LAYTON:
What is your most valuable possession and why?
A red deck chair on the dock of my little cottage, as long as my dog and my husband are beside me.
What are your top 3 life lessons and how have they changed your life for the better (in other words, how have you implemented them to better your life)?
First: A few decades ago, I was diagnosed with a fatal illness and given 6 months to live. All the things I thought would matter to me, my career, my philanthropic work, my financial success, provided precisely zero consolation at this time. I realized that all that matters is the people you love, and the people who love you. That’s it. I went into surgery with a collage of photos of my loved ones on the hospital table by my bed, and it’s the first thing I saw when I came to. I survived, and never forgot that lesson.
Second: Corporations are not set up to care for you or your feelings. They are there to make money. So don’t expect to be nurtured or cared for by your job. Careers can be gratifying but they don’t replace friends and family.
Third: Conduct yourself honourably and keep your word, even when it’s hard. When in doubt about an ethical decision, ask yourself what the right thing to do is. Deep down you know. If you follow this simple rule your reputation will reflect it and success will follow.
Corporations are not set up to care for you or your feelings. They are there to make money. So don’t expect to be nurtured or cared for by your job.
What is the most valuable advice you’ve received and how did it set you up to win?
I had the most wonderful mentor and boss when I was VP Public Affairs at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. Robert DeMone was President, Chairman and CEO and he was not my buddy, in ten years we never so much as had lunch together. But he was clear headed and circumspect and taught me to always take a step back from even the most brilliant ideas and assess them from a business point of view. Everything I presented to him he made better by simply providing calm, clear insights. I have tried to do the same for people I have mentored over the years.
What is the worst advice you’ve received and how did it impact you?
When I was an undergraduate and working full-time as a flight attendant to pay my way through school, a TA advised me that perhaps International Relations was “not for people like me”. I am not sure what he meant- blonde? A girl? A flight attendant? It made me insecure for about 30 seconds and then motivated me to prove myself. I went to the professor, renowned academic Janice Stein, to advocate for myself. She transferred me to a different TA and I went on to earn a MSc Economics in International Relations from London School of Economics in the UK.
What is the one mistake you regret in life, and why?
I don’t waste much time on regrets but if I had one it would be to go back in time and hire a really good financial planner/accountant when I started Siren Communications. I did it on a wing and a prayer with a used blackberry and a laptop. We could have benefited from someone keeping a closer eye on overheads.
When you face a challenge, what’s your method to move past it?
I have weathered many storms with the gift of unassailable optimism. I try to think the problem through, seek a solution, and remain secure in the knowledge things will eventually work out. And they have.
How do you create a work-life balance?
I don’t think you do, really. I have managed by being always on to some extent. I have never had a desktop computer, always a laptop. I work from my phone in cabs, on planes, in hotel rooms. I once wrote an entire business proposal on the streetcar in Miami. I work at all hours. This ability has, however, allowed me to spend much of my professional life working remotely in beautiful settings, long before working remotely was a thing. It also helps that I have the world’s most supportive husband.
Conduct yourself honourably and keep your word, even when it’s hard. When in doubt about an ethical decision, ask yourself what the right thing to do is.
What “women” hangups have you been a victim to, that you feel sets women up to fail in their professional career?
I have been extraordinarily lucky in that I have been surrounded by very good men almost every step of the way. Great clients, great bosses, great employees. Having said that, I don’t think that the traditional corporate world is set up to accommodate women. The demands of senior level jobs and taking care of a family are still not aligned. I have all the admiration in the world for the few women I know who have done it. I am glad I was able to use what I learned in that corner office setting – which in fairness was very good to me – and apply it to starting my own company where I could truly control my own destiny.
Are you affected by the Confidence Gap, where studies show that women require confidence as well as competence to succeed in the workplace environment, whereas their male counterparts don’t?
Confidence is required in many walks of life, not just in the workplace. I am confident, for example, that I can provide solid advice and counsel to my clients in the tourism sector. I would most certainly suffer from a Confidence Gap if asked about my opinions on nuclear physics. So, while I am in my lane, my confidence remains high. If you are going to charge money for your services, you need to be pretty sure you are the smartest person in that room, male or female.
What does equality mean to you and is it important?
Equality means women’s voices are heard—in the courtroom, in politics, in the media. Women are still underrepresented on boards. It is of such critical importance that I do not believe many of the challenges we face today as a society can be resolved until this is addressed.
In your experience, what types of male allyship do you feel women need to foster at home and at work, to encourage an equitable ecosystem?
Some men still feel threatened by women who make more money than them. It is a final frontier on the road to equality. Or, its ok if you make more money than a man, but not ok to talk about it. Yet we are in a country where 50% of new entrepreneurial companies are being started by woman and run successfully by women. There is a cognitive dissonance there.
If you are going to charge money for your services, you need to be pretty sure you are the smartest person in that room, male or female.
What would you tell your 18-year-old self, looking back over your life’s experiences?
You are about to leave Canada with $200 in your pocket. You will get into Big Trouble more than once. You will find yourself in strange parts of the world with nothing but your wits and a lot of luck. You will meet amazing people when you least expect it. You will have wildly inappropriate relationships with the wrong men and cry a few tears but eventually they will become amusing footnotes to your story. Later you will find yourself as the only woman in the classroom and the boardroom.
There will be many times when men in positions of power underestimate you, you are just a blonde girl from a farm after all, and you will decide that “no” is a good place to start negotiations. And somehow you just never lose faith that things will work out. I am not sure where that bravery comes from, but it takes us to now and now is great. So, go for it. Leave home. Leave security. Leave common sense. Make messy mistakes. But through it all keep your eyes on financial independence because that is freedom.
What advice would you give to women to help them step into their power?
Money is real and there is a direct line between controlling your own financial destiny and freedom. Don’t wait for someone to support you because even if you succeed it will come at a cost.
Can you share one resource (book, course, mastermind/masterclass, etc.) that you feel all women need to have?
No one book, but the action of reading is, in itself, nurturing. Recent studies have shown that reading fiction makes you smarter. It also means you are carving out time in your day for curiosity, to learn new things, and open your world to new voices.
What mantra do you live by and how has it impacted your life?
Always err on the side of generous; people care more about what you do for them personally than professionally.
Which therapies/modalities have helped to shape your healing and empowerment journey that you think would be helpful for other women?
For me it has been swimming, which is a form of meditation. It is a quiet sport where you cannot shut out all the noise of the world and experience the sheer joy of movement. You can swim almost anywhere in the world, I have swam everywhere from rooftop pools in Hanoi to historic baths in Budapest. I always feel 100% better getting out of the pool or lake or ocean than I did getting in.
Equality means women’s voices are heard—in the courtroom, in politics, in the media.
ABOUT SIREN COMMUNICATIONS:
For over 20 years, Siren Communications has provided public relations solutions for tourism clients seeking to improve their market share. Internationally focused and multilingual, the agency represents luxury clients around the world and points to a track record of measurable results with prestigious brands in the travel industry.
Siren is a partnership of senior communications professionals, with team members bringing experience across travel, fashion, food and beverage, beauty and wellness. This combination of expertise allows the agency to work within travel and tourism while drawing on experience across complementary lifestyle sectors.
The agency’s services span Strategic Consultancy, Media & Influencer Relations, Content Creation, Digital Marketing, and Crisis & Reputation Management. Its strategic work includes hotel launches, property and destination repositioning, and customized plans designed around a client’s strengths and objectives.
Storytelling and media relations are also central to Siren’s work. The agency develops news releases, targeted pitches and editorial content, with media reach extending beyond travel into fashion, food and beverage, business and lifestyle. Siren also works with travel influencers and evaluates opportunities using metrics and agreed-upon deliverables.
Its digital capabilities include content creation and amplification across social media, as well as customized digital marketing plans designed to drive business. Siren uses a customized dashboard to track results and adjust campaigns in real time. The agency also specializes in crisis and reputation management specific to the tourism industry.
At the helm is Founder, Ann Layton, a communications consultant specializing in travel and tourism public relations with more than 25 years of experience working with blue-chip clients around the world. Before founding Siren Communications, Ann served as Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, bringing extensive hospitality and communications experience to the company she leads today.
To contact or learn more about Ann Layton: Website, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
