About Me

A committed, focused and well organised professional with a practical approach to work, I work well within fast paced, dynamic environments and am able to focus under pressure. I have a wide range of experience both nationally and internationally

Languages Spoken

Experience & Qualifications

General Experience

Work Experience:
June 2009 – December 2011:
Position: Product Manager
Company: Thomas Cook Sport
Main tasks:
• Negotiate contracts with hotels, transportation companies, agents and event organizers on an international level, ensuring the best deals are obtained for various sporting event that our company is involved with.
• The development, implementation and management of a traffic and accommodation management plan for groups travelling to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
• Build strong relationships with suppliers as well as potential suppliers should they require future contracts and allocations
• Responsible for product costing and data loading, ensuring supplier inventory is loaded efficiently and liaising closely with other departments to ensure the product is displayed and distributed accurately and communicating product activities to the business
• Create, plan and manage the travel products using competitor analysis and customer research to identify new and existing product development opportunities
• Based on sales figures and other feedback, forecast their products’ successes
• Assist with product sales when required handling enquiries promptly, providing quality customer service, constructing detailed itineraries and ensuring all documents are accurate
• Liaise with all departments involved (marketing, sales, operations) to ensure the highest product quality and customer service



September 2007 – June 2009:
Position: Project Manager
Company: ATP, The Advanced Travel Partner / AJAX Travel & Events
Main tasks:
• Negotiate contracts with airlines, hotels, transportation companies, agents and football clubs on an international level, ensuring the best deals are obtained for AFC Ajax for each European Cup match, friendly match and training camp.
• A-Z project manager for AFC-Ajax. This includes all international travel arrangements as mentioned above and all duties involving security, meals, press conferences, Ajax Business Associates programs, sponsor programs and supporter arrangements.
• The development, implementation and management of plans to ensure transportation requirements for matches, trainings, special events (press conferences and meetings between the home and away teams for example), meetings and excursions are met for AFC Ajax VIP’s, players, sponsors and media.
• Negotiate contracts with hotels, transportation companies, agents and event organizers on an international level, ensuring the best deals are obtained for various sporting event that our company is involved with (marathons, outdoor adventurous events, motorsport and various other events).
• A-Z Project Manager for 350 athletes involved in the New York Marathon 2008. This means all travel, accommodation, training, social program and race element responsibilities.
• The development, implementation and management of a traffic and accommodation management plan for 350 athletes travelling to the New York Marathon in 2008.
• Fully preparing and organising training programmes for business relations, investing in health programs for their employees.
• Assisting colleagues within various departments with various tasks when needed. Two examples: back office manager during EURO 2008 and on site accommodation manager for Heineken during the Champions League Final 2008
September 2005 – July 2007:
Position: Accommodation Manager
Company: A1 GP Travel & Accommodation Services (Byrom PLC)
Main tasks:
• Negotiate contracts with hotels and transportation companies on an international level, ensuring the best deals are obtained for each A1 GP event.
• Account management for 10 – 15 teams (including VIP’s, drivers, mechanics and sponsors) per race
• Travel and Accommodation responsibilities - arranging accommodation and transportation for the A1 organisation and teams. This involves dealing with around 400 hotel rooms every two weeks, looking after VIP’s and organisation of all transportation.
• Leading up to the event requires that all specific requirements are met, this involves ensuring that all accommodation and transportation is correctly organised and all last minute changes, problems, special requests and finances are dealt with appropriately.
Byrom PLC also works as FIFA Accommodation office and during the 2006 FIFA World Cup I was assistant accommodation manager in Stuttgart looking after / dealing with the FIFA Family, VIP guests and teams playing in Stuttgart.
November 2001 – June 2005:
Position: PR / Marketing / Communications / Event Management
Company: Make-A-Wish Foundation the Netherlands
Main tasks:
• Responsible for the launch and on-going communications strategy in order to promote this non profit organization.
• Finding creative solutions to raise funds for this charity (sponsors, National and Regional fundraising events).
• Increase the awareness of the Make-A-Wish foundation within the Dutch society and build up a positive reputation. This includes organising creative events as well as introducing new, well known ambassadors and creating a TV-programme about the Make-A-Wish children.
• Constantly staying in touch with National and Regional press.
• Editorial responsibilities for the Make-A-Wish magazine and other promotional material.
• Writing articles for various magazines and other media outlets.
• Fully preparing and organising training programmes for volunteers all over the country.
September 2000 – October 2001
Role: Office Manager (assistant first 3 months)
Company: Amsterdam Canal Cruises
Main tasks:
• Supervised, managed and trained 10 captains and 25 guides.
• Ensuring that all canal cruises left on scheduled times, this involved constant planning, organising and keeping up to date with bookings.
• Communicating with various travel agents to make sure the booked cruises lived up to their expectations
• Received cash and check receipts, maintained ledger book and computer record of bank deposits
• Answered phones, greeted and assisted visitors and handled general administrative duties, such as filing, faxing, copying and mailing

Qualifications & Training

Education:
1996 – 2000 Bachelor of Leisure Management
Hogeschool Rotterdam, Netherlands

Courses followed a.o Event Management, Marketing, Communication, PR,
Organization Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology, Conference Management.

Other Information

Interests & Hobbies

Interests:
• Travelling internationally and meeting people from all over the world; I enjoy learning about (new) cultures
• Sporting events all over the world, particularly the Olympic Games, football, Speed Skating, swimming and motor sports
• Concerts, films, music events and festivals

Miscellaneous Information

Languages:
I have a wide range of language skills. Next to Dutch as my native language, I am fluent in both English and German and have a basic grasp of Spanish.

Other Experience:
• VIP Hostess during the EURO 2000, Netherlands (VIP hostess work at Airport, Stadium – including royal family – and FIFA hotel)
• VIP Hostess FIFA under 20 World Cup 2005, Netherlands (VIP hostess work at airport, Stadium and Team hotels)
• Sporting Events Company Haarlem, Netherlands: all-round employee for sporting events company (each summer from 1996 – 2000).