Allan Lambert, key account manager, British Holidays
Education: three A-levels. BA (Hons) Degree in Accountancy and Leisure Studies, Luton University. Member of the Institute of Travel and Tourism
First travel job: joined the Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT) in 1996 on a temporary basis
Career path: Allan’s path into travel was purely coincidental. Whilst he intended to return to University or work within another industry, he was quickly bitten by the travel bug and decided to stay at the ITT. His number of responsibilities were increased from accounts administration to office management and co-ordination and sales of the Institute’s public and in-company training and education programmes. In 1998 Allan was approached by British Holidays to join as key account manager, responsible for developing the growth of holiday sales through independent travel agents and raise the awareness of the operator within the trade.
Training: Allan’s previous job at the ITT enabled him to attend many training seminars, proving to be invaluable for his present role at British Holidays. Since joining British Holidays, Allan has undergone a series of training programmes. British Holidays invest heavily in its management team, running a number of key sales, management and personal development programmes.
Advice for people wishing to develop a career in travel: “As we are all quick to find out, working in travel is not a Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm industry, so you have to be sure that it’s either a product you believe in or a company you are proud to represent or work for, as is the case for me at British Holidays.