Martin Murray Email & Phone Number

Horsham, Gb

East Grinstead, West Sussex & Goudhurst, Kent

Lead, motivate and provide strategic direction to a high-performing team of 15 employees within this organisation representing caravan and motorhome users in the UK and Ireland. Oversee development and management of tour operating products under Club’s own brand and Alan Rogers Travel subsidiary while coordinating group tours & FIT products for both short-haul and long-haul destinations across the globe.Engaged with key stakeholders and decision-makers to analyse business trends and future strategy for incorporation into forecast / budgeting cycles.Assume full P&L accountability for each product line while monitoring and minimising expenditure in line with budgets of up to £5 million.Key Achievements:• Launched and expanded Club’s in-house worldwide holiday product, turning it profitable by year two and consistently achieving NPS of 52-62.• Transformed Escorted European tours from a previously neglected area into a thriving, profitable product line through enhancements in product offering, competitive pricing, and marketing.• Enhanced operational efficiency, process consistency, and staff proficiency.• Project managed implementation and administration of Anteeo TMS system across Alan Rogers Travel products.• Adopted a motivational leadership style to empower high-performing teams across multiple departments. Increased staff engagement through effective leadership, empowerment and development, culminating in improvements in operational processes, sales growth, and financial results.• Defined and enforced legal and compliance measures across all tour operations, maintaining stringent adherence to regulatory standards including ABTA, ATOL, Package Travel Regulations (PTR’s) and GDPR (data protection), critical during regulatory shifts and market challenges.• Navigated complex operational challenges; seamlessly led team adaptation during COVID-19, refining sales processes and maintaining business continuity during a challenging commercial backdrop.

Bracknell

Scoped and project managed implementation and launch of new ancillary products in line with budgets of up to £4 million across the group for this leading provider of global transportation solutions. Guide cross-functional project teams of 15-20 staff, ensuring effective collaboration between departments across the UK and Europe.Research and development of new ideas to progress into implementation phase. Identification of and negotiation with suppliers, to obtain optimum products & services.Key Achievements:• Turned around delayed Travel Partner service project; reorganised and engaged previously disenfranchised team to deliver service in time for peak summer season, overcoming previous setbacks.• Championed inter-departmental working, facilitating better communication and project alignment across key departments throughout the UK and Europe.

Crawley & Dorking

Led product development and management for the Virgin Holidays escorted touring brands of Bales Worldwide & Worldwide Journeys, identifying market opportunities and gaps, and implementing strategic product solutions. Initially focusing on all regions of the world for the Worldwide Journeys brand, the role later moved to working on both the Bales & Worldwide Journeys brands, focusing on the product areas of Southern Africa, North America and the Polar regions.Drove promotional strategies and identified sales opportunities, managing relationships with Destination Management Companies (DMC's), effectively managing tour yields and revenue.Managed budgets of up to £3 million, setting forecasts and margin strategies to achieve significant growth in volume and profit margins.Key Achievements• Realised 134% increase in passenger volumes over two years, coupled with a 5% increase in per passenger margins after introducing North America tours into the Worldwide Journeys brand.• Improved visibility and analysis of volumes, margins, and sales channel mixes by enhancing commercial reporting mechanisms.• Enhanced operational efficiency and customer booking experiences by directing transition of Worldwide Journeys and Bales products onto Travelbox tour operating system.• Successful introduction of Southern Africa product to the Worldwide Journeys brand.

Crawley

Coordinated Product and Commercial department, including 30 staff during transition to the new Travelbox tour operating system.Identfied, defined and tested business requirements to enhance system functionality.Managed and prioritised stream’s development initiatives, negotiating across the business to ensure priority and delivery of those initiatives.Key Achievements • Successful deployment of all brands and product regions onto system.• Grew key product sales by launching a Search Result prioritisation system tailored to customer requirements.• Enhanced revenue management structure by developing and implementing a fast, effective pricing system, enabling rapid adaptation of price points and margins.

Crawley

Assessed and selected potential new opportunities, leading cross-functional teams to develop and implement business cases. Product & Revenue managed the new products during initial post-launch period, before integrating them into the day to day business operations.Managed negotiations and relationships with external suppliers, ensuring agility and responsiveness in a fast-changing market.Key Achievements • Led Virgin Holidays’ entry into the Adventure Travel market in 2005, defining and executing a successful launch strategy.• Reviewed Preferred Hotels range, resulting in development and launch of the ‘Virgin Holidays Favourite’ branding and criteria.• Re-launched Travel City Direct, reassessing previous product structure and customer base to implement a revitalised product range within a two-month deadline.

Crawley

Responsible for the North America programme on an interim basis managing a team of 2 product executives. Identified and introduced new product for Virgin Holidays 2009 USA & Canada product offering.Monitored and drove sales volumes in a successful 2008 through competitive pricing to ensure the company was ahead of the market, whilst achieving margin targets. Key Achievement:• Steered and educated the marketing department to produce an enhanced marketing strategy for our Ski product for the 2008/9 season.

Crawley

Developed and managed the USA & Canada portfolio, pricing & producing the USA & Canada brochure, as the company merged and refined its East & West coast USA product ranges. Communicated with suppliers and internal departments, ensuring holidays delivered high quality and experience levels.Key Achievements• Developed and managed the introduction of the Deep South region, to both attract new customers and provide new options for existing customers.• Introduced and established releationship with Cunard to sell Trans-Atlantic cruises, trained contact centre staff, quickly making Virgin Holidays one of Cunards best performing customers.

Crawley

Monitored product & sales performance and identified under-performing areas.Created, priced and implemented promotions and offers to drive improvements in the sales performance, generating additional revenue and achieving key targets and overrides.Key Achievement• Managed a small team charged with generating cash-flow in the immediate aftermath of September 11th attacks in New York. Produced & priced special offers under urgent and fast-paced timescales, tempting customers to resume travelling, driving key income & cashflow.

Bachelor Of Arts (Ba), Accounting And Finance

Activities and Societies: Rugby Union team, University 5-a-side Football competition, Film SocietyMajored in Accounting and Finance.

Studied Mathematics, Physics And Economics At A Level

Activities and Societies: Played Rugby Union for the college's 1st XV