Greg George (greg@followsummer.com)

Greg was born in Lennoxville, Quebec and spent many years working as both an actor and designer for the theatre across Canada before settling in Toronto in 1981. 

Greg has spent over 18 years in corporate and business to business development work specifically in the recruitment/staffing and the marketing/branding/communications industries as both a Director of Strategic Business Development and as Manager of Marketing and Communications. Most recently Greg was the Audiotext Producer, Brand Manager for Cruiseline, one of Canada’s most successful telepersonal services, helping them realign and define their marketing and branding goals (www.cruiseline.ca). Prior to that, he worked as a Canadian-based consultant for a Chicago-based branding and marketing firm, MVTen (www.mvten.com).

In 1985, along with a team of three, he was instrumental in creating one of Toronto’s most successful recruitment and staffing firms, playing a critical role in helping define the organization's overall tone, business approach, and marketing and communications strategy. In 2000, he assumed the role of Manager, Marketing and Communications, leading the company and his team through a successful re-branding and messaging process. 

Greg attended Bishop’s University in Quebec and has received his Certified Personnel Consultant designation from the Association of Canadian Search, Employment and Staffing Services. He has been involved with the Corporate Committee of Casey House (www.caseyhouse.com) since 1997, raising funds for this AIDS Hospice in Toronto, and energetically pursues his voice and singing interests through the Royal Conservatory of Music (www.rcmusic.ca) in Toronto.

He is excited about the incredible opportunities to “follow summer” around the world with his husband, John, and hopes that “our two cats, Utz and Sophia, won’t miss us too much.”

John Mountain (john@followsummer.com) 

John has been Vice President, Regulation at The Investment Funds Institute of Canada, since 1996. In this position, John works with the Institute’s Board of Directors and its President & CEO to define strategic responses to regulatory developments affecting members and investors. He also manages the Institute’s Regulation Department, working with its staff and with numerous member committees and working groups to develop the detail necessary to move the Institute’s regulatory affairs and government relations agenda forward. A frequent speaker at industry conferences, John also appears regularly in front of parliamentary committees and regulatory tribunals advocating on behalf of the Institute’s members.

John grew up in Stratford, Canada, home of the world-famed Stratford Festival of Canada (www.stratfordfestival.ca). John has been awarded his BA, LLB and, most recently, an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business (www.ivey.uwo.ca), is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, and is listed in the Canadian Who’s Who. An active volunteer, he spent seven years, including one year as Chair, on the Board of Directors of Casey House Hospice (www.caseyhouse.com), a palliative care facility for people with HIV/AIDS. He is currently a member (on leave) of the Finance Committee of the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (www.ohtn.on.ca).

Passionate about travel, John cannot believe his good luck in having his long time dream of traveling round the world come true. He is especially pleased that the itinerary that he and Greg, his partner of almost 13 years, devised involves spending 12 months in 3 summers – and no winters. The only part of the trip that causes John any second thoughts is leaving Utz and Sophia, the couple’s cats, behind. However, having been given the choice, they declared that they would rather not spend the year in constant motion and are spending it with their friend Sarah, in Peterborough, Ontario.

Proud to be from a country, Canada, that celebrates diversity, John is thrilled that he and Greg were married on December 31, 2003.

Utz and Sophia

Utz is John and Greg’s 14 year old male cat. He has been with John since January 1990. He was discovered by the Toronto Humane Society (torontohumanesociety.com) as a young kitten living in the St. Clair and Davenport area of Toronto. For almost 14 years he has slept at John’s feet, but claims not to have any trouble sleeping despite his recent move.

Sophia is a recent addition to the family, having arrived as a kitten in June 2003. She had been saved from the streets by an acquaintance of Greg and John’s. She is a strong supporter of Toronto Cat Rescue (www.torontocatrescue.com). She adores her older brother Utz, and, having roamed freely enough in the first three months of life, is quite happy to be spending the year safely ensconced in Peterborough rather than getting on and off of airplanes.