Fulda, Hesse, Germany
Selling exclusive travel experiences with passion to the crème de la crème of the travel trade in Europe is my speciality. I have successfully launched and positioned high-end tourism and hospitality products throughout my whole working life and pioneered luxury hotel sales to the emerging markets in Eastern Europe, Russia and the CIS. This unique combination of pan-European experience, expertise and focus lends credibility and endorsement to my clients’ sales message and opens the doors to the proverbial needles in the travel industry haystack, from the VIP travel designer in Almaty to the luxury travel concierge in Zürich. My other USP is public speaking. Whether addressing an international congress, running a customer delight workshop for car dealers or for bankers (in English, German or Russian), conducting training seminars on upselling or customer retention, or serving on ITB’s luxury travel panel, it is my enthusiasm, passion and energy which lead to consistently high customer feedback scores.
- Opening up and developing a new sales area - Positioning and establishing the Ritz-Carlton brand in Northern and Eastern Europe - Marketing research and solicitation of new customers in all relevant market segments - Complete planning and implementation of all marketing promotions in the territory - Managing company key leisure accounts in German speaking Europe - Production of the company's first Russian-language newsletter - Developing marketing strategy to launch sister brand Bvlgari Hotels in the Russian market
- Opening and managing the first non-US International Sales Office with responsibility for market development in Germany, Switzerland and Austria - Initiating and leading all sales and marketing activities (including organising sales missions, road-shows and educational trips for travel trade partners and journalists) - Establishing the off-line Ritz-Carlton brand personality in German speaking Europe (winning the prestigious German awards from the travel magazines 'Globo', and 'Holiday' and making service quality synonymous with the brand) - Acting as company spokesperson and media contact in the territory - Creating the first German language communication tools for the travel industry (Ritz-Carlton News, Ritz-Tipz)
- Leading the German representation office of the American hotel company and managing the company's General Sales Agents in Spain and Italy - Growing the customer base and turnover from German speaking Europe, Italy and Spain and managing and conducting joint marketing promotions in these countries - Soliciting group business, with a particular focus on the MICE segment - Handling all contract negotiation - Planning the territory marketing strategy for the Mexican partner company Hoteles Camino Real.
- Strengthening relationships with the travel industry (corporate and leisure) in Great Britain, Spain and Italy and organising travel industry events - Developing both existing accounts and soliciting new customers in the territory - Planning and organising educational tours to key hotels in USA and Asia - Conducting telesales training for the employees of the European reservations centre