About Me

I’m sure you’ve got the jist of what this blog is about having read my intro page, but I thought I’d also give a little info about me on the off chance you may be interested!

Career to Date

Having studied Travel & Tourism at A level, I was desperate to pursue a career in the Travel Industry. I got in touch with Abercrombie & Kent in Cheltenham, and subsequently went to work for them in their Operations team. I was desperate to backpack around Australia, therefore got a second job in a local restaurant and disappeared for 10 months where I travelled around Oz via Fiji.

When I returned to the UK, I wanted to work globally, so went to work for Cartus, a multinational relocation company in Swindon, before I was approached for an in house role in London for Pearson, a FTSE100 Education business, within their Global Mobility Team. I’d been desperate to do a stint in London, having had a bit of an affinity with it since I was a child therefore it was a bit of a dream come true.

Since then, I worked my way up, most recently over the past 4 years having held a couple of Director level roles both heading up the Global Mobility Team, and as a Director of Total Reward before taking the decision to leave/take a break from the corporate world.

The roles I’ve had have always been linked to the world and had an international theme, whether it was moving expatriates (including the journalists from the FT) all over the world to finalising travel itineraries for A&K’s affluent clients. A real mixed bag! I’ll likely be back in the job market come October, depending on whether I decide to pursue my own business further so watch this space…!

A note on education….

I’ve had a great deal of success in my career, but one question I’m always asked is “what University did you go to” or “what did you study at “University”. The answer is nothing, and I urge anyone making this assumption when talking about capability and personal achievements to think before asking either of these questions.

I chose not to go to University, as quite frankly, I knew it wouldn’t suit me. I didn’t want a career where a degree was mandatory, and I personally have always learned far better through doing (that and the fact I was desperate to get out into the big wide world of work). University is not the measure of success or intelligence, but a springboard – what you achieve is down to you, and the effort you put in. I’m hugely passionate about this topic, therefore wanted to make this point in this blog.

Hobbies

  • Travel – if you hadn’t guessed it by now, Travel is my number 1 passion and something I strive to do as much as I feasibly can. I’m currently on 41 countries, and will hit 50 by the end of 2019.
  • Fitness/OCR – I find exercise such a positive influence mentally, that it’s something I always find time for. I train with the most awesome PT (shout out to Jenz) three times a week. I love to paddle board, surf (badly), hike and generally be outdoors and active. OCR for those who haven’t heard of it is Obstacle Course racing – you can read more about my 2019 challenge on my other page.
  • Food – A massive foodie – I absolutely love eating, and I’m a pretty good cook too when time permits. Travel and food compliment each other so well so I spend a fair bit of time trying to recreate dishes I’ve come across when overseas.
  • Wine – Whilst drinking it is exceptionally enjoyable, I have a genuine interest in wine, particularly English wine (I can hear you gasp from here – yes, England does produce excellent wine). When I can find the time, you’ll find me visiting various vineyards around the South of England.
  • Live Music – I’m a massive fan of live music and musical theatre… I’ve been to a ton of gigs, however haven’t had chance to count them yet….