Get to Know…Anu!

What better way to kick off a new year than to welcome a new team member? Our team is lucky to call Anu Joshee-Arnal one of us now, and we were super excited to get to know her. Read on below to get to know Anu!

What is your role/what do you do at Vovia?

My role at Vovia is to support the Edmonton team as an Account Manager; working day-to-day with clients and internal teams to ensure all projects are on strategy, on time, and on budget. 

I am passionate about account management because I find myself somewhere in the cross-section of an extreme extrovert and an organizational freak, and I think you have to be a bit of both to do this job!

What do you do in your spare time?

In my spare time on a regular basis I love to cook and bake. Something about making good food and sharing it with people (mostly my boyfriend since we’re stuck at home together) just makes me so happy. 

To balance out the food, I do also love fitness – particularly group fitness classes like barre, spin, yoga, and HIIT. I spent a chunk of time managing a barre studio and I work in exchange for spin classes when I can. I have made so many lifelong friends through the fitness community in Edmonton and truly love being a part of it. 

One other thing I love probably more than any other hobby is traveling. I have been to 27 countries so far and my goal is to make sure I’ve been to as many countries as I am years old – thankfully I’m 26, so I’m ahead of the game! 

What are some of your favourite places you’ve visited on your travels?

I definitely have a soft spot for a few places, but the first one that comes to mind is New Zealand. The whole country is amazing and rich in culture. They are a welcoming, accepting, and peaceful country and I would probably live there if I could! 

I do also love Siem Reap in Cambodia; the whole town is like a market with stalls and string lights lining the streets. The temples are also beautiful – seeing the sunrise at Angkor Wat was a moment I will never forget. Also, beer is only $0.50 there which I can’t complain about!

Tell us something about yourself that would surprise people.

I’m bilingual! My mom is Indian from a village in Punjab, and my dad is French Canadian from a small town in Manitoba. I grew up going through the French immersion system here in Alberta, and I’m so thankful to have French as a second language. It has helped a lot with travel! I also understand a fair amount of Punjabi, but can only count to 16 and ask you if you want a glass of water…

What do you love/what are you most passionate about?

What I love most are my friends and family, but what I am most passionate about is taking care of myself. I am the type of person who always puts others first, but over the last couple of years I have invested in my own mental health and well-being and it has allowed me to grow so much as a person and learn from myself. It has made me able to support others even more than I was able to before.

What is your favorite part about working at Vovia?

So far it’s the people. Everyone has been so welcoming and kind to me and I’m excited for my future with this team!