London, England, United Kingdom
With a career spanning airline operations, customer care, operational control, hospitality, and international resort management, I specialise in leading high-performing teams through complex, fast-paced environments where customer experience, operational excellence, and commercial performance must work hand in hand. Currently working within Virgin Atlantic’s Operations Control Centre (OCC), I have extensive experience leading operational performance, disruption management, customer care strategy, and continuous improvement initiatives across airline operations. I’m passionate about building engaged, empowered teams and creating operational environments where collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement thrive. Throughout my career, I’ve led cross-functional initiatives, influenced senior stakeholders, and implemented process improvements that enhance both customer outcomes and operational efficiency. Before transitioning into aviation, I spent over a decade in international hospitality and resort operations management across Europe, leading large multi-functional teams, managing commercial performance, and overseeing customer experience delivery across luxury resort environments. This experience built the people leadership, resilience, and operational agility that continue to shape my leadership style today.
Currently leading operational performance and continuous improvement initiatives within Virgin Atlantic’s Operations and OCC function. The role was established following the successful leadership of a strategic punctuality improvement programme that delivered significant operational performance gains and contributed to Virgin Atlantic receiving Cirium’s “Most Improved OTP” recognition in 2025. Responsible for driving cross-functional operational improvement, enhancing decision-making, embedding lean methodologies, and creating governance structures that improve accountability, efficiency, and customer outcomes across the operation.
Led the 24/7 Customer Care team within the Operations Control Centre (OCC), supporting both Virgin Atlantic Airways and Virgin Atlantic Holidays during day-to-day operations and disruption management. Responsible for developing a highly engaged, empowered, and high-performing team capable of making critical real-time operational decisions in a fast-paced environment. Worked closely with senior stakeholders across customer, operations, and commercial functions to ensure customer experience remained central to operational and strategic decision-making, while balancing commercial and regulatory considerations. Drove operational excellence across the customer journey, from network and schedule planning through to disruption recovery and evolving operational events. Used operational insight and performance metrics to influence decision-making, identify improvement opportunities, reduce financial exposure, and enhance customer outcomes. Maintained strong governance and regulatory compliance across UK CAA, US DOT, and European consumer legislation, ensuring customer rights obligations were consistently met while protecting operational integrity and commercial performance.
Based within the Operations Control Centre (OCC), led customer care decision-making during day-to-day operations and periods of disruption, ensuring alignment with Virgin Atlantic’s IROP (Irregular Operations) customer principles and global consumer rights regulations. Acted as the primary point of contact for the Duty Director and senior stakeholders across the business, providing clear operational direction and leading real-time decisions during complex operational events. Delivered effective customer and stakeholder communications across multiple channels, including website updates, SMS/email messaging, airport communications, and Joint Venture partner coordination. Drove continuous improvement initiatives focused on enhancing customer experience during disruption, while supporting and developing a knowledgeable, motivated, and high-performing team. Worked closely with wider Care teams to identify proactive recovery opportunities following major disruption events and high-impact service issues. Held accountability for consumer rights and welfare compliance under EC261 and US 14CFR regulations, ensuring operational decisions during delays, cancellations, incidents, and overbookings were legally compliant, customer-focused, and commercially balanced. Also served as the out-of-hours escalation point for complex customer issues across the business, making critical decisions to support customers during their airport and inflight journeys.
Managed large-scale resort operations across three beach hotels — Lakitira, Lakitira Suites, and Helona — working alongside the Resort Manager while continuing responsibilities as Viva Spa Operations Manager. Led and developed a multi-functional team of up to 100 staff across six departments including Childcare, Watersports, Spa, Tennis, Diving, and Customer Services & Activities, ensuring smooth day-to-day operations and consistently high guest satisfaction. Responsible for maintaining health and safety standards across the resort, overseeing operational administration, and coordinating guest transfers and logistics. Acted as a key escalation point for guest queries and service recovery, resolving issues efficiently to deliver a positive customer experience. Directly managed the Customer Services & Activities department, overseeing the resort activity programme including mountain biking and guest activities, ensuring a high-quality and engaging experience aligned with brand standards and operational excellence.
Led spa operations across nine European resort destinations, including beach resorts in Kos, Limnos, and Corsica, and ski resorts in Tignes, Méribel, Courchevel 1850, Les Deux Alpes, and St Anton. Responsible for the operational performance, commercial success, and brand development of the VIVA Spa portfolio, overseeing budgets, revenue generation, cost control, recruitment, training, supplier management, and resort logistics across multiple international locations. Managed the implementation of new spa destinations, including operational setup, staffing structures, budgeting, systems development, and spa design/layout planning. Provided leadership and operational support to Spa Managers, ensuring consistent delivery of high service standards and brand experience across all resorts. Led recruitment and development of high-performing spa teams for both summer and winter seasons, while delivering training programmes to strengthen product knowledge, operational consistency, and customer service excellence. Drove significant improvements to the VIVA Spa brand through enhanced training initiatives, strengthened administrative systems, improved supplier partnerships, and targeted marketing activity designed to increase guest engagement, spa utilisation, and revenue performance.
Progressed through multiple promotions from Beauty Therapist to Salon Manager across seasonal resort operations, demonstrating strong leadership, commercial performance, and customer service excellence within high-volume hospitality environments. Managed the day-to-day operation of spa facilities within 4-star resort hotels accommodating up to 700 guests, leading teams of up to seven staff and ensuring consistently high standards of service delivery and guest satisfaction. Responsible for driving spa revenue through effective marketing and promotional activity, consistently achieving and exceeding retail and treatment sales targets. Recognised for delivering the highest recorded retail sales performance across multiple resort spa locations. Worked closely with senior management to improve operational reporting processes and implement new administrative methods across the business. Delivered high-quality spa treatments while also supporting wider resort operations through duty management responsibilities and airport transfer coordination.