Sue Wilkinson, regional director of marketing, Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts Europe West
Education: seven O’ levels, Higher National Diploma in hotel management
Training: mostly on the job including courses on sales and marketing, presentation skills, time management and telephone techniques.
First travel job: working in front office operations at the Bloomsbury Crest Hotel.
Career path: Sue moved into regional sales with Consort Hotels, then to the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington in the corporate and meeting sales department. She joined Bass Hotels and Resorts in 1991 as sales manager at the Holiday Inn in Mayfair, London. After four years she was appointed sales manager at the Crowne Plaza London-Heathrow and later promoted to UK area sales director in autumn 1996. She is now director of marketing for Crowne Plaza hotels and resorts Europe west and is responsible for the marketing activity for 24 Crowne Plaza hotels in 11 countries.
Advice for people wishing to develop a career in travel: “Enjoy what you do and you will gain great job satisfaction and reward from it. Grab opportunities for training where you can. After all, what other industry gives you the chance to be creative, express personality, gain a great deal of on-the-job training, provide guest service, meet different people and travel?”