Bio

Specialist in international travel, tourism, hospitality and education. With experience in commercial sales and marketing (online, social media & offline), membership organisations / trade associations, events, brand and business development, partnership building and customer engagement. Worked within a mix of start-ups and heritage brands; experiencing a variety of cultures, including family-owned, PE-backed and co-operative structures. Currently, Head of Membership at ABTA - The Travel Association. ABTA has been a trusted travel brand for over 70 years, with more than 3,900 travel brands in membership consisting of 1,300 businesses, providing a wide range of leisure and business travel services with a combined annual UK pre-pandemic turnover of over £39 billion. Board Director at the ITT - Institute of Travel and Tourism and Vice Chair of ITT's Education & Training Committee. Co-founder of the “Future You” initiative in 2008, consisting of ITT Future You (launched in November 2009) and the Future You Foundation (launched in June 2022). With ‘Conference’ annually at WTM London, 'On The Road' events at universities across the UK and ‘Global’ worldwide - organiser, moderator and public speaker. Previously, Commercial Sales Manager at Interhome Group, the holiday home division of Hotelplan Group; one of the leading European holiday home specialists, comprising of the brands Interchalet (in Germany) & Interhome (across Europe). With a portfolio of 50,000+ holiday homes, villas and apartments in 31 countries worldwide, welcoming 1.4m guests annually, with 650 employees across 13 countries and 200 local in-resort offices in 11 European countries. Non Executive Director at wellbeing social enterprise, Talent Courtyard, hosting virtual and live events to support urban professionals’ wellbeing. 2015-2019, was heading up the sales, marketing, PR & events at international luxury fashion and design university Istituto Marangoni London (HQ in Milan, Italy, part of Galileo Global Education), with 4,500+ students from over 100 countries studying in Milan, Florence, London, Paris, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Mumbai & Miami. From 2006-2015, Co-founder and Director of niche tour operator / travel agency 'Perfect Weddings Abroad', until October 2015, sold majority stake in June 2012 to DestinationWeddings.com, part of the Celebration Travel Group, based in Boston, USA.