Skills and Expertise
Highly experienced professional leader and creative thinker with an extensive understanding of the tourism, visitor attraction, regeneration, events, heritage and wider culture sectors.
A comprehensive portfolio of experience with 30 years experience in tourism, economic development, regeneration, event management, marketing, commercial visitor attractions and local government sectors.
Able to operate at either a strategic or operational level with strong project management, communication, influencing and negotiation skills and the capability to identify and develop commercial opportunities.
Deliverer of change and innovation in the field of destination management and experienced conference speaker and guest lecturer.
Career Journey
Head of Historic Properties Kent – English Heritage, July 2018 to Present
Historic Properties Director South East – English Heritage, April 2014 to July 2018.
General Manager Dover Castle – English Heritage, February 2012 to April 2014.
Head of Tourism, Royal Borough of Greenwich, September 2008 to November 2011
Tourism Manager, Canterbury City Council, October 2003 to September 2008
Voluntary Roles
Chair of Trustees, Kent Mining Heritage Foundation (2023-Present)
Chair of Trustee Board, Thanet Scouts (2023 – Present)
Canterbury World Heritage Site, Chair of Management Committee (2018-2024)
Tourism Management Institute (TMI) President (2013-15)
Tourism Management Institute (TMI) Vice-President (2012-13)
Tourism Management Institute (TMI) Head of Policy and Advocacy (2010-12).
Director of Tourism South East (2006-8)
Visit Kent Board Member (2006-8)
Career Highlights
- Leading a multidisciplinary team to achieve high standards in visitor experience and customer engagement alongside a robust approach to visitor and staff survey
- Overseeing a range of commercial income streams to ensure my team achieves monthly key performance indicators and annual income targets.
- Delivering Under Siege, a large scale multifaceted investment project at Dover Castle, ahead of schedule and on budget.
- Managing a range of other successful large scale capital projects from conception through to completion at key sites across the south east including Battle Abbey, Portchester Castle, Richborough Roman Fort and Walmer Castle.
- Establishing a Board of Trustees at the Kent Mining Heritage Foundation and steering rhetorical organisation through its transition to a self-funding body.
- Steering my team at English Heritage through the transition from government body to independent charity.
- Developing a new strategic plan for the visitor economy in Greenwich and steering the organisation through the early stages of outsourcing to a private / public partnership.
- Project managing the successful Stage 1 finish (Canterbury) of the 2007 Tour de France, bringing together stakeholders from a multitude of disciplines.