My career started as a marketing executive in book and magazine publishing with Tim Waterstone at W.H. Smith Distributors before moving to Switzerland as European marketing manager for Berlitz Publications. Further marketing management roles at The Economist Intelligence Unit and a City of London printer were followed by research and account planning positions at two leading City PR firms before I became a full time management consultant in the 1990s, focusing on performance and productivity improvement programmes in the public utilities sector, helping to shape nationalised companies to become competitive entities in the newly privatised marketplace. Such diversity of work in these interesting sectors helped me acquire a full range of skills covering the communications, marketing and commercial needs of a company. This ranges from sales to business development, management, public relations, event organisation, marketing and communications. I also freelanced as a journalist for several magazines during the 1980/90’s writing about marketing and personal finance subjects.For the past eighteen years I have worked in the global duty-free/travel-retail industry and developed a strong portfolio of contacts across brand-owners, airport operators, buyers, agents and trade association members. This has enabled me to develop a keen understanding of all aspects of this industry and how each element fits together.SpecialtiesInternational Sales & business development, In-depth Duty Free & Travel Retail industry knowledge, market research, communications, commercial planning and execution, PR, feature and report writing , strong people management skills.