Travel Industry
I've worked in the travel and hospitality industry for a number of years, in a variety of different roles, but for travel-specific experience related to marketing and promotion this began in 2016.
Since then, I have worked for several travel brands, either as an advisor or consultant, but often as a dedicated Marketing Manager or in Head of Marketing or similar leadership. These brands have been varied and wonderful experiences, ranging from small start-ups and established SMEs up to corporate conglomerates or VC-backed ventures.
The brands I have worked for or been associated with have been in the domestic or international STR (holiday letting, short-term rental, or vacation rental) space, with some smaller regional brand work, but often pan-UK, European, and even North American (US & Canada) market experience.
I've worked for - and in one case set up - a few brands in the glamping industry, which has a lot of crossover but where the focus has also been on sustainability.
I've been lucky enough to attend some amazing industry events in this industry, which has taken me to Portgual, Spain, Italy, and Berlin, as well as many key industry events up and down the UK.
Real Estate / Estate Agents
Whilst working for a particular travel company, they also had a commercial and resenditial estate agency, and long-term residential letting agency, which was first established back in 1833, before branching out into holiday rental. The agency was successful but had no direct marketing, so I was given the responsibility to provide the vision and creativity for all marketing efforts for the agency and their franchises over a wide-ranging regional split.
This industry comes with its own set of diverse and specific regulatory rules, so it gave me a unique perspective on the other side of the housing market, and in different accommodation outcomes.
Manufacturing
With several years of hands-on experience working for a business that manufactured their own products, I’ve developed a strong foundation in production processes, quality control, and operational efficiency. I've worked closely with cross-functional teams to provide key feedback on market demand, where supply is required, reduce waste, and implement lean manufacturing principles. From a technical and marketing-based perspective, I had learned and developed enough knowledge to help with troubleshooting efforts and ensuring compliance with safety and industry standards.
This experience has sharpened my problem-solving skills and deepened my commitment to continuous improvement in fast-paced, high-demand FMCGs, as well as more professional or industrial unit sales.
Power Generation
Whilst manufacturing is a broader topic, power generation was one of the niche industries that gave me my first experiences of higher managerial Sales & Marketing. Anything from hobbyist or recreational power equipment, all the way up to industrial and commercial power requirements, have been part of the scope of my experience in the power industry, all the way from the manufacturer of these items, through to both B2C & B2B sales via distributor networks. It also gave me exposure to working with large-scale brands and global companies. I've worked in collaboration with the branding of some of the world's biggest manufacturers and distributors, who have very exacting requirements when it comes to brand guidelines and product creation.
These include the likes of Hyundai, Honda Power, BE Pressure, and JCB.
FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods)
Having worked to gain a reputation for quality power generation equipment and manufacturing, in 2014, the company I was working for bought out the domestic home equipment license from Poundstretchers for the Hyundai and white-label brand. Whilst Poundstretchers were using this license purely for indoor small equipment like fan heaters and bed-frames, they were not using the license at all for garden machinery, and this is what we wanted.
Having secured the license buy-out, we sought to manufacture a whole range of garden machinery lines including petrol and corded electric and battery-powered lawnmowers, cultivators, hedgetrimmers, garden pond pumps, and a large range of equipment that is still available today nearly 10 years later, of course with ongoing modernisations.
Our entry into the FMCG market came with experience selling items on shopping channels like QVC, large orders of fulfilment with Amazon, and setting up our own online stores with Amazon and eBay, as well as direct sales and in-store purchasing.
