Congratulations on your anniversary – you’ve been with Voyageur Group for 25 years! How did you get to your current role as COO?

I actually started with the company 33 years ago – I have known Ian [Cameron, Voyageur CEO] for two-thirds of my life – initially as a naïve Travel Consultant in an actual travel agency shop which Ian owned. I then left for five years working as a holiday rep in Benidorm, and returned 25 years ago to work for Voyageur.

For most of my time here I worked solely on medical repatriations in the travel department, booking flights and stretchers for insured people needing to get home. I have worked through 9/11, the Boxing Day tsunami, the ash cloud incident in Iceland, the Gulf war, Covid-19, and the falling of Afghanistan, where things got fraught. All these awful incidents were a great test of my skills, and the skills of my team. The skills never fade, as recently I supported the travel team over the weekend when the Middle East came under attack and the airspace was closed.

The skills never fade, as recently I supported the travel team over the weekend when the Middle East came under attack and the airspace was closed

Throughout my time I was a Travel Consultant, then Operations Manager, Director, and, during the Covid-19 period, I went back to school and gained a qualification in Human Resources, which those that know me found hilarious. It was a good use of time.
I was made Chief Operating Officer for the Group in November 2022.

You are incredibly involved with decisions for the ITIC events, including putting together agendas, moderating sessions, and location choices. And of course you also compere the karaoke and ITIJ Awards at ITIC Global. Plus you oversee Voyageur24. How do you balance these very different parts of your role?

The roles are very different, and I am pleased that I can switch between these, and turn my hand to whatever is needed. I balance the different parts by relying on the excellent teams we have at Voyageur, and we all work towards a common goal, whatever part of the business I am working on at that time.

I do attribute a lot to my time working overseas because you have to adapt instantly to anything that happens. I think that is why I enjoy ITIC so much, because anything can, and will, happen in the blink of an eye. It is not what happens; it is how you deal with it, and when no-one else knows something has gone wrong, you have won.

It hasn’t been straightforward, though; I remember my first time moderating in Athens, and I was petrified and felt like a fraud. I got through it, the session went great, the audience were warm and laughed with me, and it felt good.

It is funny you mention hosting the karaoke. I actually refused when I was asked – I really didn’t want to do it. Compering the awards is something I have started to do and I really enjoy it, once my first step hits the stage, but it is nerve-wracking, especially as I have made a pact to open each year with a welcome in the local language. So this year, you can expect the opening few sentences to be in Turkish. I may have had some experience in the past with Turkish, so it is less daunting than speaking Italian in Venice!

Recently I have also taken over organising the agendas and looking for speakers, which is a new discipline for me. The agendas are daunting, but with the support of the company and the committee we will have great agendas, and I look forward to offering speaker roles to the industry.

Are there any standout moments from ITIC or the ITIJ Awards that have stuck with you over the years?

There are far too many to mention, but what do you class as standout?  We had pirate ships in Venice, with people jumping across the boats, and a river cruise in Prague ran aground, which was a great end to the night...  There is a rumour that I fell in the canal in Venice, but the truth is, it was in Bristol (but I did fall in, and this was featured on one of the ITIJ sets of UNO cards last year). There is a theme here to do with water!

The awards are always fantastic – seeing companies that have put so much effort in and then being rewarded is great. (Although there was the time an award was dropped on stage and smashed into many pieces in front of everyone... Thankfully the recipient took it in good spirits.)

I think you need to be authentic, because if you are not, people will see through it

ITIC is the place for standout moments, and what stood out this year was the heartbreaking, but right, decision to cancel ITIC Americas in March, due to unprecedented issues in Mexico. The industry stepped in with advice, and real-time assistance, and we genuinely felt supported. The messages of support and offers will not be forgotten. By the time this edition of ITIJ goes out, ITIC Americas edition two will have happened, and it is better late than never.

You’re known for your energy and presence at ITIC – what do you enjoy most about bringing people together in that environment?

Energy and presence, me? I am just myself; it took me a long time to be happy with me, and I am there now. I think you need to be authentic, because if you are not, people will see through it. ITIC is a community, and we all come together a few times a year, and it honestly is great. It is no holiday (although we call it an ITIC holiday) – not only is it hard work, but we are at work, so always on duty. However, as I said before, it really is a team effort. I cannot take credit for this; it is the ITIC team who bring the people together, and do all the hard work. I just turn up and help where I can.

What do you think has been the key to building such strong relationships across the industry?

Authenticity. I think you need to be real, and show who you are, what you offer, and how you can help. Yes, of course, there is a sales element in this, and, like most industries, we are all here for business purposes, but it is how you go about it. It is a competitive market across all sectors of the industry. However, I believe the key is to believe in yourself, the product or service you have to offer, and be an authentic, real person in your delivery.