Mark Stephens

I'm a very experienced (25 years) Account Manager/Business Development Manager with a background in Travel, Hospitality and Corporate Accommodation (serviced apartments and hotels). I'm best suited to a role with a mix of client relationship management and business development.

I've worked internationally, including 7 years based in Hong Kong and 3 in Wellington, New Zealand 

Client Services Director, Dwellworks Living, Bristol Nov 2022 – present

• Account Management of existing client accounts relating to corporate housing requirements. Current clients include Goldman Sachs via Cartus, Weichert Corporate Housing, NEI Relocations, Aires, Cornerstone, Voerman/Eurohome and K2 
• Work closely with operational leaders and operations team to communicate delivery expectations to and from clients
• Visit client offices or conduct regular virtual meetings to maintain relationship with client contacts
• Represent Dwellworks at in-region prospect meetings and regional industry events
• Act as direct contact for client’s requests for market information, pricing and service delivery explanations 
• Partner with Dwellworks supply chain and operations team to ensure adequate supplier coverage, smart solutions and service support
• Lead escalation action and response; assist operations with service recovery initiatives
• Participate in problem solving with operations teams to address the needs of the client and guest

Key Accounts and Groups Reservations Manager, edyn group, Bristol Jan-Nov 2022

• Manage a team of 11 reservation executives to service reservation enquiries for a basket of key accounts and ad-hoc group booking requests
• Work closely with Sales, Account and operational teams to deliver support for key accounts, groups and relocation clients. From pre-enquiry through to retention and relationship building activities
• Work closely with account managers to ensure in-depth understanding of each account, the strategy for it and support the reservations team in building relationships with key stakeholders.
• Coach and assist the reservations team to provide solutions to client enquiries and booking requests 
• Assist with on-boarding new key account clients to provide bespoke booking services
• Support the Sales and Commercial teams in Relationship building activities wherever required

Business Development Manager, Minor Hotels, Wellington, New Zealand, August 2019-October 2021

• Proactively maintaining, increasing and servicing corporate accounts. 
• Prospecting for new business, via telemarketing or face to face meetings as required, conduct famils / site inspections and undertake additional sales, public relations and marketing duties. 
• Recording all sales activities in CRM 
• Evaluating sales and marketing results and adjusting and re-forecasting as required. 
• Deliver training and product updates to travel management consultant teams
• Monitoring competitor activities and maintaining specialist knowledge of accommodation industry. 
• Preparing reports for management on a scheduled and ad hoc basis. 

Sales and Marketing Manager, International House Bristol January 2017 – November 2018

• Promote the school to overseas & UK based education agents through workshops, partner office visits and online marketing
• International travel to marketing conferences, schools, agents and workshops including Europe, South America & Asia 
• Negotiate and issue new agency contracts
• Devise sales & marketing strategies and deliver an annual sales & marketing plan 
• Negotiate group booking requests, monitor group service delivery through to invoice/follow up stage 
• Revised point-of-sale material and supervised the re-write of the adult and junior school brochures
• Manage client complaints to agreed service levels 

Senior Business Development Manager, SilverDoor Serviced Apartments, April 2016 – January 2017

• Propose and implement strategies to target new leads including use of telesales, networking events, trade shows and social media
• Approach “lapsed” clients and encourage repeat booking
• Maintain an up to date client profile for each new client
• Meet with new clients to present the benefits of serviced apartments and introduce SilverDoor
• Account manage new accounts for a period of 6 months
• Compile formal and informal RFP’s / client proposals for specific projects
• Report on a weekly basis to the commercial director with proposed and agreed actions

Client Relationship Manager, ESA Serviced Apartments, Newbury, April 2015 – April 2016

• Responsible for a client portfolio with annual turnover of >£4 million
• Proactively manage all relationships with clients booking on a commissionable basis, including apartment/hotel booking agents, travel management companies and relocation agencies to achieve agreed sales targets 
• Review & recommend a rate and commission strategy for agency business
• Devise and implement a strategy for each account, including review meetings, pricing and commission strategies, organise and manage client events
• Manage client complaint escalations via phone, email and face-to-face
• Attend client apartment viewings / show arounds

Account Manager, SACO Serviced Apartments, Bristol, Jan 2007 – Feb 2015

• Proactively build strong relationships with existing corporate & leisure clients (both via agencies & directly) to maximise revenue and profitability and meet set team & individual revenue targets
• Accounts managed included BG Group, Oakwood, SilverDoor, Go Native, Rolls Royce via AMEX
• Devise & implement strategies for each assigned account to reflect client needs & maximise client spend 
• Hold regular review meetings with assigned accounts to maintain relationships & identify/maximise any new opportunities to increase account spend
• Negotiate and present booking procedures & terms and conditions 
• Attend exhibitions, conferences, networking events to promote SACO Apartments and prospect for new business
• Conduct apartment viewings, plan and host client events when required
• Conduct training for reservation teams on best practice and customer relations 
• Manage client complaints – either directly or supporting reservations & operations teams     

Operations Manager, Kuoni Destination Management, Hong Kong, Dec 2003 – Nov 2006

Main duties       

• Manage a team of 7 operations staff to confirm wholesale travel services for corporate, incentive and leisure bookings
• Responsible for recruitment of new operations executives                 
• Negotiate with Kuoni European office network to confirm hotel and ground services within quoted rates
• Ensure confirmed travel services were in line with client expectations
• Attend regional client sales meetings (Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila) to support sales managers with MICE & group tour proposals
• Continually look for opportunities to introduce new products and services to maximize profitability 
• Supervise team members to ensure Kuoni corporate guidelines were followed with regard to presentation of Kuoni products and services to clients
• Suggest innovative travel products to match or exceed client expectations and requests and market these through the Kuoni sales network 

Assistant Operations Manager, Miki Travel, London / Hong Kong, Sep 1994 – Dec 2003

Main duties

• Supervise a team of 5, responsible for booking services and hotels throughout Europe for Japanese leisure and incentive groups
• Supervise quotation and operation to ensure accurate and timely response to quotation requests from all Asian markets 
• Monitor and negotiate cost and quality of hotels and services booked 
• Assisting and educating sales managers to maximise yield from secured business 

BA(Hons) IIi Business Studies with Tourism