Patrick Craven Email & Phone Number

Winston-Salem, Nc, Us

Served as a temporary consultant during a transitional period at the company, overseeing and directing the travel team and managing all travel related to global sporting events and corporate travel operations.- Optimized travel operations and elevated travel experiences by developing and implementing new processes, enhancing organizational efficiency, and implementing new software.- Managed a $2.5 million travel and logistics budget for hundreds of employees, athletes, and independent contractors across multiple global sporting events attracting 8,000-10,000 attendees, each.- Negotiated company-wide agreements with major travel vendors, securing favorable rates and discounts with brands like Enterprise, Southwest Airlines, and Hilton while building strong vendor relationships.- Executed cost-saving strategies that resulted in a 20% reduction in overall event and corporate travel expenses.- Collaborated cross-functionally with executive, finance, and events teams to maintain accurate travel records, generate data-driven reports, and present trends and recommended changes to C-Suite decision-makers.- Established and enforced travel policies and procedures to streamline booking processes and ensure company-wide compliance to the official company travel policy.

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

Managed DirectED's client relations and improved internal business operations/processes to cut costs, grow revenue, streamline operations, and increase productivity.- Achieved 73% increase in educational travel business volume, resulting in an 88% increase in division’s total revenue, despite industry-wide pandemic challenges- Directed day-to-day operations and implemented short- and long-term strategies to achieve business/profitability goals and improve operational efficiency and client experience- Recruited, hired, trained, and led team of 9 Program Managers and Advisors to ensure seamless project management, operational efficiency, and customer relations for ~150 unique study abroad programs annually- Worked cross-functionally across departments to implement new technologies, develop internal processes, and create documentation for best practices- Collaborated closely with executive client leadership to develop comprehensive budgets and strategic plans, including managing the country's #1 study abroad program for Elon University- Led Sales initiatives and attended industry conferences, representing Direct Travel for prospective and new clients- Oversaw proposal and contract development and conducted negotiations with vendors and clients

Winston-Salem, Nc

- Achieved 172% increase in educational travel business volume, resulting in a 126% increase in individual revenue production- Provided comprehensive account management for 15 higher education institutions, representing approximately 85 unique study programs- Onboarded new clients and fostered organic growth by maintaining relationships with executive client leadership and delivering expert comprehensive planning and world-class customer service- Led sales and business development efforts at trade shows, events, and new business pitches- Implemented operational efficiencies and introduced cutting-edge technologies to deliver custom educational travel experiences

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

- Achieved 145% increase in educational travel business volume, resulting in a 107% increase in individual revenue production- Coordinated customized domestic and international travel accommodations, including airfare, hotels, tours/experiences, and ground transportation for 35 unique study abroad programs annually- Offered exemplary customer service to new and existing clients to build lasting relationships and secure new study abroad travel assignments- Fulfilled travel insurance licensing requirements and determined sales team’s product portfolio company-wide

- Identified leads and acquired new clients through cold calling and direct marketing campaigns- Directly increased company's monthly appointment numbers with business owners by 225%- Assisted senior benefits consultants in closing in-person deals for health insurance policies- Passed the NC Health Insurance License exam and was granted a NC Health Insurance License

Performed research on various themes and collections within the museum and wrote short essays on theses which I developed. I also helped with various camps at the museum, giving tours to children and their camp leaders as well as helping them with art projects. As part of the internship I was required to develop a theme for a tour and plan out the various stops which correlated to that theme, which I based upon the connection of Consumerism, affluence, and notions of freedom in interwar and postwar America. I was also required to create a correlation essay and public presentation on a piece of art within the museum and a piece of literature and music from the same time period. In addition to my work in the Education department, I also helped within the Archives department where I helped to catalog photographs owned by the museum to be used by researchers in the future.

Worked as a full time intern in Senator Burr's office in Winston Salem, NC where I assisted constituents by recording their opinions and feelings on pieces of legislation or on Mr. Burr's stances on different issues.

While studying abroad in Perugia, Italy I completed an internship at two local high schools within the city. During this internship I assisted in teaching English classes to students between the ages of 15 and 17 during regularly scheduled morning classes. My responsibilities included the planning of individual lessons and collaboration with Italian teachers to assist them in their lesson plans for the future, as well as time spent in the classroom which allowed Italian students to learn English from a native speaker.

B.A, History, Religious Studies

Activities and Societies: Religious Studies Department, Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), History, Religious Studies

Study Abroad Program