Oct 2022 – Present · 3 yrs 7 mos

• Spearheaded the design and execution of strategic commercial initiatives to enhance IHG's global market share in the groups and meetings business, leveraging loyalty and pricing strategies.
• Established a business development team, contributing to significant incremental revenue growth.
• Formulated and implemented a three-year strategic roadmap for all programs, ensuring alignment with IHG's corporate and financial goals.
• Coordinated with Commercial, Revenue, Sales, Loyalty, and Marketing teams to maintain a balanced focus on pricing and loyalty initiatives, ensuring cohesive and effective strategies.
• Key Achievements
• Secured and managed an $800K budget for Business Development Directors, driving $4M in incremental revenue within the first year.

Jun 2018 – Oct 2022 · 4 yrs 4 mos

• Serve as a member of a global think tank that developed and launched the award-winning IHG Business Edge B2B loyalty program, significantly enhancing SME engagement.
• Drove the enrolment of over 100,000 businesses into IHG Business Edge, with 99% of IHG hotels worldwide participating, resulting in substantial revenue growth.
• Developed and adapted IHG's B2B Loyalty Proposition to meet the diverse needs of the MSME sector, including product enhancements and CRM infrastructure improvements.
• Key Achievements
• Achieved three consecutive "Best SME Travel Program" wins at Global Traveler's annual awards.
• Increased IHG's market share of SME business travel in EMEAA from 7% to 22%, significantly outpacing global averages.

Jan 2016 – Jun 2018 · 2 yrs 5 mos

• Two loyalty programs across Europe were supported for commercial growth: IHG Business Rewards and IHG Business Advantage (now defunct).
• Managed technical operations & growth of "IHG Business Advantage" (now IHG Business Edge Pay), IHG's payment solution for SME & travel agency customers.
• Led the European expansion of the IHG Business Rewards programme, implementing strategies to boost program performance and member engagement.
• Developed and delivered comprehensive training programs for customer-facing hotel teams across Europe, enhancing understanding and execution of loyalty programs.

Jun 2014 – Jan 2016 · 1 yr 7 mos

• Supporting Key Account Directors in managing global hotel sales (from RFP launch to ongoing account management) of UK -based business clients with annual hotel spend in excess of $1m.
• Launching new RFPs to all solicited hotels, for either / both Transient and / or Meetings purposes, and managing all communication between client base and hotels.
• Collating and verifying that initial responses are in accordance with client criteria and external deadlines by building effective hotel relationships and managing expectations.
• Facilitating rate negotiations between clients and their solicited IHG hotels (owned, managed and franchised).
• Ensuring that all resulting contracted rates are successfully implemented, allowing the accounts’ hotel spend to be facilitated and tracked.
• Leading quality checking of agreed rates through response to rate audits.
• Being lead point of contact between all parties in the ongoing account management process.
• Supporting brand promotion through internal and external sales and marketing events.
• Creating and analysing key performance reports to highlight trends and opportunities for business growth.
• Providing problem resolution / escalation in response to client experience.
• Involvement in key client discussions such as Quarterly Reviews and bespoke project requirements.

Oct 2013 – Jun 2014 · 8 mos

• One of a team of 10 researchers supporting the revenue growth of the IHG's UK managed hotel portfolio (62 hotels, owned by LRG):
• Proactively converting Transient and MICE hotel generated enquiries into new business opportunities by direct client contact.
• Working to defined targets, such as weekly appointments made for hotel / cluster-based Sales Managers and Directors of Sales / national Key Account Managers.
• Prioritisation of business incentive projects, when required.
• Identifying and re-sourcing leads for IHG Loyalty Programmes such as Business Advantage when appropriate.