Advisory, Coaching and Training
Build courageous, cohesive and
commercial teams in travel & travel tech
I work to unlock potential in people and commercial teams in the travel industry, moving from intention to action fast. Travel companies in a period of growth or change can look to me for strategic advice and practical tools to turn complexity into clarity and most importantly action and structure, so their teams can build long-term win-win partnerships with their hotel buyers/suppliers.
I love connecting the dots between people and functions, and breaking down siloed ways of working. As a linguist and globetrotter, I’ve always focussed on communication and most importantly understanding other perspectives, which enables a tailored and win-win approach to relationships and partnerships.
The Pilot Principle™ is my integrated approach of building self-leadership, a supportive environment, sharp skills and slick communication, which means everyone can reach Commercial Velocity.
The four training tracks are shown below:
Does this sound like you?
- I wish my team would step up and take ownership
- Communication is key, but when we aren’t doing it well, we don’t see returns
- I want everyone pulling in the same direction; we’re doing what we’ve always done but we need to move with the times
- We need to be much sharper commercially, to gain market share
- We have a strategic direction but the team isn’t closing deals; they don’t seem to be able to persuade the hotels to sign
- Mental health and support needs have changed, so we need to listen and adapt
- I’m brand new to the hotel industry but I believe I have a product that will work, I just need help translating that to hotel partners
I draw on my experience of being a hotel distribution partner and working in a global hotel brand, working across three continents and professional coaching and travel industry qualifications, to level up teams through training, coaching and advisory.
Naturally inquisitive and adaptable, and driven by progress and improvement, I just can’t leave things as I find them. I’m driven to bring in a different perspective and way forward, with a focus on bringing others on the journey and keeping things practical.
I won’t look at your watch and tell you the time. I bring a wealth of practical models, tools and techniques, and will work alongside you as a sounding board until the job’s done.
I believe where you start in life shouldn’t define where you end up or how much fun you have along the way, and I’m on a mission to build more pathways for people to shine. The travel industry doesn’t have a problem with effort, it has a problem with unlocking potential.
The travel and hospitality industries are in a moment of extreme change, with AI and technology becoming easier to access than ever, but with hotel teams overwhelmed by choice and a lack of knowledge. The companies which bridge the gap between their products and the hotel industry’s goals will be the ones that win (not the ones with the flashiest tools). This requires a keen understanding of the hotel landscape, as well as superior communication skills.
Emily has been amazing at helping me overcome self-doubt and lack of confidence.
Whilst there is still work to be done the stepping stones we have done so far have helped both personally and professionally. Each session I am left with an action plan and whilst sometimes old habits sneak back in, Emily comes back with kindness, grace and understanding by asking the right questions and checking in.
This is my first time working with a coach and I would recommend Emily any day.
Hayley, Sales & Marketing Director, NuvHo
Emily led a fantastic training session with our team here at Revinate. She produced a thought-provoking and interactive session on storytelling
in business.
It’s easy to forget how powerful words can be… Emily expertly guided us through a journey of discovery, delving into our own experiences of storytelling, until we came full circle empowered with a whole set of new skills. Very impressive!
If she wasn’t moving back to the UK, I’d love her to come by on a regular basis!”
Will Howes, Managing Director APAC Revinate
Increase the impact employees have in new roles
The 100-day accelerator with a co-pilot in your pocket
- Supports your high-potential employees when they need it most: stepping into a bigger role
- Increases their productivity, impact and strategic thinking
- Enables them to be the best version of themselves: the one you saw in the interview
Twice-weekly 1:1 Support | Asynchronous Feedback | Practical Tools
Co-create a bespoke training plan for your commercial team
Your program could be a combination of:
- Commercial upskilling of your frontline team
- Leadership training for new and embedded managers
- 1:1 coaching for high potential employees
Always designed bespoke to your company needs.
- Get Emily’s help to create the growth environment where your teams are supported to enhance their skills, so you can build a long-term commercial edge
- Identify and foster self-leadership in your team, so they level up as they work together on a purposeful journey
- Improve communication internally and externally, so the whole team pulls together and delivers excellent client or supplier experience
I started my coaching sessions with Emily at the beginning of the year, from our sessions I have enjoyed how Emily listens to what I am talking about and always asks me questions back to allow me to look at things in a different perspective.
From the sessions I have grown both internally with being more confident in myself, stronger manager to my team and allowing to open myself up to learning new ways of dealing with issues/conflict or even how to get the best out of my team and other team members at all levels.
Emily has such a soft kind approach and allows you to be you with no judgement but giving sound options to take away. I have not had a session yet where I have not gone away and implement some new structures to myself and the team and this has made me feel confident on how I deliver and look at the wider business with more clarity as a manager.
Emily has so much knowledge and has shared lots of good Podcasts/Books/reference to review which I have found very interesting and beneficial.
Allison, Senior Groups Contract Manager
Case study
Client: AC Group
Challenge: Busy and stressed people manager needs to delegate more, and think bigger picture
Timeline: 6 months
Examples of work I love from both my corporate career and my own business:
Eccobell: A hotel tech startup leveraging AI to improve guest experience and increase hotel revenue
From their first round of funding, we worked together on their GTM plan, bringing a unique perspective as someone who has negotiated with hotels for my whole career. I helped the team gain an insight into the hotel industry and worked together with the founders to provide the structure and messaging needed to position, and sell to key stakeholders. They now have their first 25 hotels onboard.
Coaching commercial leaders in travel from c-level to middle manager roles, in pivotal career transitions
I work with ambitious, driven individuals who might secretly be concerned they aren’t making the most of their potential. I take a 360 approach to my human clients, supporting them with mindset as well as practical commercial and communications skills. On a personal level, we work to understand and communicate their purpose, their unique strengths and their value to an organisation or a partner. This has led to promotions, new roles, and new entrepreneurial ventures. Professionally, I train them with tools and techniques to have more impact on their businesses, and act as a sounding board to support them through transitions like stepping up into ‘head of’ roles.
Creating the SEAK DOSM capability framework at IHG Hotels & Resorts
Hotel commercial leadership is at an inflection point, and most brands are stuck in the 90s. I led a cross-functional project to define the capabilities and behaviours needed in the commercial leaders of the future, and designed the assessment framework to test this in our existing teams. This was designed to be expanded for use in interviews, and career development conversations.
Spotting the gaps in sales/sourcing processes and mindset at Hotelbeds
I love breaking down silos across organisations, and led a cross-functional project at Hotelbeds to challenge perceptions about the largest APAC client (a well-known OTA). Facilitating engaging workshops (in English and Spanish) with over 150 colleagues in Europe and Americas led to opening up 3000+ hotels for sale to the client’s VIP channel, which resulted in increased revenue and strengthened trust between functions.
Creating a playbook to increase direct bookings at IHG Hotels & Resorts
I devised a tool to benchmark marketing investment and digital performance of IHG hotels, using data analysis to spot opportunities and form insights to increase digital direct contribution. From this, I created a roadmap for high-occupancy/high-OTA HIEX hotels, managing change and involving all stakeholders. One hotel increased from 19% to 27% direct bookings in one month.
Strategic account management and negotiation at Hotelbeds
I defined strategic approach to exceed the target of signing 25+ strategic and exclusive hotel agreements in Singapore (a high-occupancy and highly online destination), leveraging key relationships to sign at scale, adapting to the needs of our partners by thinking creatively. A also coached my team on this bespoke approach and pitching skills, managing the project from beginning to end.
Working 1:1 with Emily has been genuinely transformative for me. She created the space to step back from the day-to-day noise and really focus on what I wanted to achieve, both personally and professionally. Her coaching helped me set clear, measurable goals and gave me the confidence to move towards them with structure and purpose.
Emily challenged me to look at my blind spots and to reframe obstacles as opportunities. She guided me through understanding how decision-makers think, and how to align my approach with what actually matters to them. That shift in perspective has been critical in sharpening my conversations and building stronger relationships.
On a personal level, Emily’s support has been just as impactful. She helped me work through moments of self-doubt and imposter syndrome, encouraging resilience, balance, and a better sense of leadership. She pushed me to delegate more, to communicate more effectively, and to grow into the version of myself that both I and those around me need.
The impact has been both practical and personal. I’m clearer on my path, more confident in my decisions, and more resilient when challenges arise. Emily hasn’t just helped me achieve goals, she’s helped me believe in my ability to grow and scale with purpose.
Daniel Ojeme, Founder & CEO, Eccobell
Who I like to work with
Travel startups: To guide them in understanding their market fit, how to speak the language of their hotel partners, and give them practical tools and techniques to scale without burning out
Scale ups and entry to new markets: To support their teams in managing change, and to distill their culture. As companies grow and become more complex their teams need to specialise in their skillset, and here’s where I can bring my knowledge of sales excellence and account management to gain the commercial edge.
Established companies: To strategically understand their position in the market, understand where they need to gain share and build win-win partnerships more creatively. At the same time, to have a scaled view of their team’s skills and how to level up the whole commercial team efficiently.
Commercial Leaders: Who need a sounding board from someone with 15 years’ experience in the industry, a big bag of tricks and a knack for kind accountability.
Thriving teams are productive teams.
In March 2025, I surveyed 51 people in the travel industry to understand how they feel about their careers, and 53% are not happy where they currently are.
By analysing what these people want from their careers, and integrating observations from client work and personal experience, I’ve mapped out the five key stages on our Runway To Happiness.
And there is a distinct point where people begin to feel truly satisfied with their career trajectory.
You can read more about the Runway to Happiness and The Thriving Threshold here.
If you know that your team needs a bit of extra help to get there, get in touch.
Download your copy of Emily’s whitepaper here.
Emily conducted a specialist piece of research, in which 51 commercial professionals in the travel industry shared their career experiences; the challenges they face, their aspirations, and what they’d like to improve upon.
As a career coach and commercial trainer serving this space, she is thrilled to share with you the analysis of the data and her opinion on what we can ALL do to improve.
I especially wanted to tell you how impactful your sessions have been. Each lesson felt like a genuine step forward. They gave me clarity, confidence, and a much clearer vision of my future and my place in the workplace.
The impact they’ve had on both my professional and personal life has been truly significant.
Roxandra Olaru, Senior Groups Sales & Operations Specialist, AC Group