Key Responsibilities:• Organising international and domestic travel packages for participants attending educational expeditions in remote areas of the world, developing strategic policies and programs for expedition travel, handling and overseeing all travel arrangements and operations, managing relationships with travel agencies and vendors, negotiating contracts or rates with travel service providers, providing advise on travel documents, insurance, import/export regulations etc. • Processing T&E reports and handling reimbursements, ensuring compliance in all aspects of travel procedures, driving continuous improvement of travel programs, liaising with overseas ground handlers to develop bespoke transfer packages, attending a number of ACAS HR training courses, presenting regular updates on departments performance and future plans to Senior Managers (Board Meeting).Key Achievements:• Spearheaded the team towards achieving the best ever results for internal travel performance in the company’s history.• Transformed the organisation’s paper based HR system, by introducing a number of HR online reports.• Devised and implemented a travel quoting system.• Promoted to Human Resources and Office Manager in 2015.• Successfully fully packaged a number of university field trips, which resulted in the model being used for the company’s expansion into the fully packaged expedition market from 2015.• Developed a system to produce management information, which enables the tracking of performance for the internal travel department.• Conducted a series of risk assessments at the organisation’s UK office to identify potential areas of weakness in the areas of Security and Health & Safety; highlighting numerous areas of weakness, which were addressed to meet the applicable standards and legislations.

Responsible for conducting risk based audits throughout the retail network and specialist businesses, with the ultimate aim of ensuring a high level of compliance to established procedures, which is currently at the highest recorded level.Producing, for senior management, high quality, comprehensive written reports detailing appropriate recommendations to minimise and prevent re-occurrences. Consistently acknowledged in monthly figures as the most efficient member of the audit team due to excellent time management skills and smart working practices.Successfully managing own budget, resulting in over 40% savings, based against HR limits, which in turn contributes to the overall profit of the business.Leading fraud and theft investigator with a proven track record of reducing cash losses in the network.Liaising with relevant area police forces when necessary resulting in successful prosecutions.Completing security risk assessments at retail stores with the aim of protecting staff and company assets by identifying weaknesses and making corresponding recommendations.Proactively leading and managing new projects. For example; personally responsible for the creation and implementation of a remote audit function which has saved the business time and money without reducing audit quality.Writing audit programmes, policies and associated Company proceduresBuilding mutually beneficial relationships with external suppliers to streamline working practices. One example was identifying and implementing a new process with G4S which resulted in a reduction of in-store theft.Developing and delivering audit training and coaching at all levels up to, and including, senior management, on a one to one basis or group format.Sole responsibility for devising and implementing a training plan for a new member of the audit team.Working towards Wicklander Zulawski interviewing skills qualification.

Promoted to straddle manage two stores. A new concept at this time but successful results led to this being adopted by the business on a national scale.Successfully developed remote management skills which were reflected in store results.Generated £2 million additional sales during tenure.Recruited and built a new successful sales team across both stores. Implemented robust and effective performance management objectives in order to improve staff productivity and maximise profits.Developed a results focused culture.Responsible for driving operational excellence to ensure compliance with established company procedures. No adverse audit visits during tenure. Created numerous local advertising campaigns designed to kindle our customers interests resulting in a dramatic increase in sales: Named as one of the top selling shops in the country for '18-30s' holidays in 2004.Successfully held numerous regional management roles including deputising for Regional Sales Manager.

Promoted to large city centre store which was underperforming.Generated an increase in sales turnover of £1 million whilst in post.Resolved longstanding issues with clients resulting in renewal of business leading to increase in repeat business.Increased employee productivity and aspirations through regular and robust performance management.Developed a results focused culture.Responsible for driving operational excellence to ensure compliance with established company procedures. No adverse audit visits during tenure. Evaluated areas where services could be improved through customer research and feedback resulting in 20% improvement in measured customer service levels.Embarked on a brand improvement scheme within the local market which consisted of a number of promotions including co-hosting a weekly travel based radio phone-in show. This was negotiated at no cost to the business.Successfully straddled managed store with a Foreign Exchange Bureau located within HSBC Bank.

Promoted after only 2 years with the company to store manager.Doubled turnover from £1.5 - £3 million whilst in post.Planned and executed a variety of innovative campaigns to improve the brand profile gaining new customers in the process.Cultivated relationships with existing clients achieving a 50% increase in repeat business.Personally trained and coached a new assistant manager who went on to become one of the most consistently successful managers in the business.Awarded Branch of the Year award in 1994 for outstanding sales performance. Responsible for driving operational excellence to ensure compliance with established company procedures. No adverse audit visits during tenure.