- How long have you been working at Whittlebury Hall?
I have been at Whittlebury Hall just over 2 years now. I started in a maternity cover role as a Sales Manager, predominately looking after a number of corporate accounts and creating new relationships with clients. My role has changed quiet a lot since I started, and my latest role of Head of Event Sales is the 4th role that I have been in since starting.
- Why did you choose a career in the hospitality and meetings industry?
Throughout school I was always the one organising events – from charity events and sporting events to social events such as proms. I would always pride myself on being responsive, efficient and creative. That being said, I went to university to study Sports and Leisure Management. It was the leisure elements of this course that gave me more of an insight into the amazing industry that I am so proud to be part of. I always worked throughout university in the industry and what I love most is that the industry is all about helping people and giving back! Whether that be helping someone find the perfect venue, helping someone ensure their event is a success or simply helping them operationally on the day. It is an industry I never see myself leaving – simply because it is ever-evolving. The sky is the limit, but there simply is no limit in the sky!
- What does a typical day at work look like for you?
The day always starts with a SMILE! A smile goes a long, long way…I normally have around 2-3 meetings a day but my first point of call is to ensure the team are all ok, have everything they need and see if they need any support from me throughout the day. My meetings are always different – but my favourite ones are when presenting to new clients and getting them through the doors at Whittlebury to see their reaction, and secondly, brainstorming – I love brainstorming on how we can do things different, better etc. I like to ensure when I leave the office I have everything tied up so the last hour or so is doing the small admin tasks. I love a good list, which ensures when I am working I am efficient and prioritising workloads.
- What do you love most about working at Whittlebury Hall?
There is SO much that I love – It’s fast paced, varied, exciting, challenging, rewarding and amazing! Working at Whittlebury has really put my experience and knowledge to the test and I love that every day is different. My role has an effect on all areas of the business and I couldn’t be prouder of the impact that this has!
- How did it feel to win the miaList award?
Honestly, I was so, so shocked. For me it was huge recognition for how hard I work – I have always said that I know I am good at what I do, my colleagues and managers know that I am good but for the leading industry association to agree it was just amazing! It was such an honour to find out I have been nominated in the first place and for me this was a massive achievement – it shows that if you work hard, you do get noticed and it’s great for all employees to see. I always like to lead by example.
- What’s the next big goal you hope to achieve?
My next big goal I would say is to grow the land hire business that we see at Whittlebury. We are renowned for camping for Silverstone Events, however set within 700 acres of land we have a huge opportunity to host a variety of specialist events and I can’t wait to get my teeth into this. Planning for 2018 is already underway and we are working on some new events for next year already. Think big!
- Tell us about some of your interests outside of work?
I follow a very simple moto in life -work hard play hard. I absolutely love to travel so we go away a good few times a year – sometimes on city breaks and others we go further afield. In the last 18 months, we have visited 6 countries. I love to travel as I find it fascinating to experience different cultures, try different foods and experience different customer service around the world. I often come back from my travels and find something that we could do, just that little bit better. Family is also at the forefront of everything I do – I am privileged to be part of a large family who mean the world to me and I am forever grateful to my parents, because it is due to them I am a go-getter, hardworking, determined and self-motived individual. I also have an amazing, supportive partner which is essential in the industry and a charming step son. I also enjoy cinema trips, working out, reading and general relaxing activities.