Director of DMC UK + Benelux (General Manager)

About Kuoni Tumlare

At Kuoni Tumlare, we design and deliver exceptional travel experiences through a comprehensive portfolio of destination management solutions. With over 100 years of expertise, we serve a global network of partners by offering series tours, educational trips, MICE events, guaranteed departure tours, and more. Our marketplace strategy is at the forefront of digital transformation, ensuring a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving travel landscape

About the Role

We're Hiring: General Manager / Director – DMC UK & Benelux (Leisure & MICE)

We are on an exciting growth journey and in a period of expansion and development. The role would suit a visionary and entrepreneurial person who can drive us to our goal of being the leading DMC for UK + Benelux.

Reporting to the COO and working closely with other Leadership Team members you will drive the company strategy across functions and have full P&L responsibility for your area.

The position expects a sustainable balance between strategic thinking and operational capability and entrepreneurship.  Travel is required as is networking outside working hours

Key Responsibilities

• Leading directly 6 Managers who report directly to you, with a total team size 70 underneath. Spread across: Hotel Procurement & Hotel Reservation, Operations, Destination Management (Product & Quotation), Customer Service, Direct Sales (i.e. domestic, markets where we don’t have a Sales structure), MICE (dominantly Incentive & Meeting & Events)

• Leverage your strong internal relationships with HR, Finance, IT and support offices and work collaboratively with departments across Europe

• Manage and drive relationships with direct clients, suppliers, sales offices, tourism organizations and travel associations

Operations (Destination Management & Customer Service)

• Responsibility for the operational excellence in destination and for the service quality delivered by the local office

• Secure optimal spread of tasks in the local office and streamlining of work processes and routines

• Overall responsibility for service level agreements with sales

• Monitoring Operations KPI’s in terms of speed, fulfilment quality and deadline

• Overall responsible for customer service setup during office hours

• Communicate with clients, representing the destination, meet & greet of key customers and clients

• Fully aware of complaint issues and ratio (KPI’s) and take measures to avoid any complaints

Procurement Hotel & Product development

• Responsible to applying the company’s market-leading hotel & Destination service procurement strategy (right product, right price, right collaboration)

• Align Sales’ expectation (demand side) with destination trends (supply side) to maintain a competitive product portfolio

• Ensure sufficient hotel inventories for all source markets requirements and in line with seasonal needs

• Ensure rate competitiveness & sufficient hotel & Destination service portfolio (in line with market rates and demand and set KPI targets) and give corrective measures

• Monitor market trends and product innovation and reflect in product development in close cooperation with the Sales & Destination Management team

• Ensure destination and product knowledge will be transferred to all stakeholders (Sales / Hotels Reservation / Operations)

• Ensure your area offers special / exclusive agreements with key suppliers

• Provide realistic additional revenue targets such preferred partnership agreements with individual partners, National Tourist offices or Regional offices overrides, commissions and rebates

• Ensure all business activities and employees comply with relevant financial, legislative, legal demands and ethical standards of the organisation

• Control and monitor contracting deadlines

Management (HR / Finance / others)

• Manage and build up a high performing team and regularly hold meetings to ensure a strong office team spirit with open communication and exchange

• Define strong MBO who support the overall company strategy and values

• Ensure staff trainings, development of key talents and mentoring your team

• Reward outstanding performance and hold a fair and balanced salary policy in line with financial budget

• Workload control, vacation planning and assigning accountabilities

• Increase team effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orientating, training, coaching, counselling and disciplining team members, communicating values, strategies and objectives

• Budgeting (monthly) Managing business pipeline and regular forecasting in close cooperation with Finance is required

• Constantly control overall profitability GOP and Operating Profit of the destination via internal Business Intelligence System (BIS)

To Succeed in the Role, You Should Have:

• Total experience of 15+ years in travel industry is ideal. With a minimum 5-7 years of experience in a senior management position (ideally in a hospitality or international travel industry, including Asia, Japan, and European & USA market) or DMC background

• Well connected to the UK and preferabley Benelux travel trade (Travel Agency, NTO (i.e. Visit Britain), Tourism region, Hotels, excursion and attractions)

• Sales skills or experience dealing with customers (agencies or corporate companies)

• Strong communication skills (written / spoken) in English at business level

• Proven ability to work effectively for one of the largest travel company in the world, achieving objectives through personal leadership

• Experience in business transformation, integrations and change management

• Effectively build relationship at senior levels (LT) and manage external as well internal resources

• Strong delivery focus and a proven track record of implementing workable solutions

• Experience in managing large international teams effectively with the ability to inspire, energize and motivate

• IT proficiency including good working knowledge of Microsoft Office (focus on data analysis in Excel and management reporting in PowerPoint)

What We Offer:

• Global Brand: Opportunity to work in an international environment spread across 33 countries and growing.

• Stability: 100 Years at the top of our field and still pushing into new territory

• Progression: We reward high performers and look to promote key talent internally

• Learning and Development opportunities for growth and Upskilling

• A Supportive Management Culture and autonomous working environment

• Company Wide Bonus Scheme

• Dedicated Employee Engagement Activities

• Flexible & Hybrid Working

• Annual Awards and Recognition for high Performers

• Friendly and Collaborative work environment