Europe’s largest pan-european provider of wireless internet access.

Switzerland’s leading telecoms company with a workforce of 19,795 full-time employees, turnover 11.3 billion, offering services and products for mobile fixed and IP-based voice and data communications. As an innovative multi-service company Swisscom has leveraged its profound telecoms expertise to offer high-speed Internet-based services to guests and clients of the hospitality industry across Europe and North America.

Since January 2004 I have been responsible for servicing 20 key accounts monthly as a Regional Account Manager. This includes maintaining key accounts throughout Yorkshire, Lancashire and down to the Midlands.

These included the Q Hotels Group, Barcelo Hotel Group (including their Flagship hotel, The Majestic), Cedar Court Group of Hotels, Park Inn Group and Queens Moat House .


Key Skills:
• Communication skills both verbal and written.
• Negotiation abilities to coordinate customer requirements.
• Interpersonal skills to operate in both a proactive independent capacity and as a team member to maximise the group opportunities for the UK market by sharing best practice.
Developing key relationships and building of confidence and trust in product

- 2 -

Key Achievements:

• Achieving respect of peers across the UK Area managers
• Retention and large performance increases of some key difficult sites which had previously suboptimal relationships with Swisscom
• Brought on board first opportunity to deploy 5* Grade II listed, £18 million redevelopment hotel, with full service, including new MNS facility and IPTV through dedicated service to small private hotel group and excellent personal relationship with Group MD>
• Approached to supply large city centre hotel in Birmingham due to previous working history with GM in previous location.
• Developed number of large hotels into Conference Grade locations with personal responsibility to install lease lines and create opportunity to develop conference business with new technology and expertise.
• Maintained quarterly growth in my area of 10% plus averaging to 210K Euros/Quarter over the 20 key sites.

Responsibilities:

Training of hotel staff
o Liaison with all relevant staff in hotel from reception to General Manager
o Facilitation and provision of the service through Access Voucher generation using the extranet
o Regular updates with hotel management on sales of wifi access.
o Promoting Swisscom Product set to key personnel in the hotel – General Manager to Reception
o Training of staff on Swisscom systems
o Regular market/sales updates to the hotel, face to face meetings.
o Maintaining a quarterly growth in my area of 10% plus quarter on quarter.

Conference support including:
o Planning and quotations using the conference tool for larger events and systems for checking on site stability prior / during an event to assist the Sales support team.
o Dealing direct with the Hotel clients’ e.g. British Academy of Management, Pearson International and UCISA in tailoring the service to their needs and up selling wherever possible.
o Opening new avenues of revenue with corporate clients of the hotel.
o Customer liaison with both hotels and their clients. IT service issue resolution through trouble shooting and liaison with head office in Geneva to ensure service wherever possible.
o Initiation of contract discussions and renewals.
o Weekly reporting on all findings and updating of details on company CRM tool after each meeting.

I held a number of interim positions due to the change in circumstances in my personal life and prior to being able to take on a more involved role.

I took a career break to bring up my daughter.

Following my marriage, I took time off away from work to concentrate on renovating/developing a large farm house in the country.

Initially employed as Customer Services Administrator, the company was in the early stages of set up and my role developed to that of Market Researcher.

Responsibilities

• Liaise with Marketing Manager and Managing Director on market requirements.
• Present findings and requirements from market place to assist with product development
• Identify opportunities in market

Key Skills

• Approached and made own contacts within upper end of the market to identify their product needs and what was required within the market place.
• Built up relationships with contacts in retail field.
• Encouraging feedback from Interior Designers, working with them to identify gaps in market. and interpret them with design team.

Achievements

• Compiled a questionnaire for interior designers and produced reports of the results
• Developed relationships with Product Designer for Zoffany Wallpapers and worked with production team to create one off designs for design company.
• Gained positive feedback from competitor ceramic tile companies to identify gaps in market.

Later promoted through various levels to the capacity of Office Manager, as well as retaining my position as PA to a Director

Responsibilities

• In the capacity of PA, I worked closely with my Director and handled all his correspondence. I had a great deal of client contact and handled any queries in the absence of my Director.

• Booking of client advertisements, overseeing the production of artwork, liaison/briefing with graphic designers. I made all travel and accommodation arrangements and diary appointments and was familiar with all aspects of dealing with the media.
• Liaison/booking photographic requirements for PR shoots.

• Creation and sending out of Press releases, identifying target media using PR planner, follow up, compiling press cuttings, producing regular reports for clients with editorial coverage.

Key Skills

• Management of office and all secretarial personnel
• Communicating with team members and co-ordination of projects
• Working to tight deadlines
• Assisting in planning of media campaigns
• Production of proposals

Key Achievements

• Built up very good relationships with clients and media contacts
• Worked on Eurotunnel Project and all aspects of promoting event including promotion event at Leeds Station.

This company was involved in the organisation and running of trade exhibitions throughout the United Kingdom predominantly Meatex at the NEC and a large furniture show at NEC - Woodmex. My role developed during my time with the company where I took an active role in the selling of exhibition space and dealing with exhibitor enquiries. I was also given the responsibility of organising a small exhibition on my own.

Responsibilities

• Selling exhibition space
• Liaising with exhibitors on needs for their exhibition stands
• Taking orders for stand requirements, plant hire, furniture hire etc.
• Updating systems on bookings
• Liaison with contractors, placing client orders

Key Achievements

• Developed key relationships with regular clients
• Worked closely with contractors on all aspects of stand requirements
• Promoted to organise small exhibition at Harrogate Conference Centre for Hazleton Laboratories, handled all sales and after sales as well as attending on site for duration of successful event.

After leaving Harrogate College in June 1985, I spent two months working in a temporary capacity for an import/export company in Paris. This was to gain experience in a commercial environment and to improve my command of the French language.