Arabic Marketing Manager

Wagdy IBRAHIM

PERSONAL DETAILS

Nationality:

Egyptian & British

Marital Status:

Married

Language Skills:

Arabic (native) & English (fluent)

Permanent location:

Dubai, UAE

Phone:

Mobile: +971-**-***-**-**

Email:

*******.*****@*****.***

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Bedir Tour: 9th May – 24th October, 2016

Senior Director of Sales & Marketing – Middle East & GCC Countries

Job responsibilities were similar to that at IHolidays.

• IHolidays: 01st September, 2015 – 30th April, 2016

Director of Sales & Marketing – Middle East & GCC Countries

IHolidays is an inbound tour operator which was established in 2013. It specializes in organizing tailor-made holiday & leisure packages, VIP treatments, MICE, Medical & Health Tourism, and all kinds of travel related matters. It has a separate ticketing department covering all domestic flights. My responsibilities are similar to that of Karnak Travel & La Luz Tour.

• La Luz Tour: 01st May, 2013 – 31st January, 2014

Director of Sales & Marketing – Middle East & GCC Countries

La Luz Tour main feeder market is Egypt, with very limited operation in North Africa. The agency had no business contacts in the Gulf region, but aimed at penetrating into this lucrative market relying on my long experience & extensive market knowledge. Job responsibilities included intensive sales & marketing activities within the region, attending the ATM travel fair in Dubai, mailing campaigns, preparing monthly statistics showing market growth by country in terms of revenue & no. of travellers, and direct sales calls to major travel agencies & tour operators throughout the region.

• Karnak Travel: 04th October, 2010 – 01st April, 2013

Director of Sales & Marketing – Middle East & GCC Countries

Karnak Travel main feeder market is Levant countries, with limited representations in North Africa. The agency aimed at penetrating into the Gulf region relying on my long experience, solid market knowledge, and vast contacts in this market. Job responsibilities included: Supervising a team of 5 persons handling all reservations from the Gulf region, promoting the agency & its services within the GCC countries, attending the ATM travel fair in Dubai, promoting Medical/Health Tourism & MICE segments, preparing monthly/yearly statistics showing market growth by country in terms of revenue/no. of travellers, mailing campaigns to travel professionals & handling MICE requests. At the start of my job, the agency had only three tour operators from Saudi Arabia on their list. By the end of 2012, this number went up to 47 tour operators. The total revenue for 2010 from the Gulf region was US$1.2 m. At the end of 2012, this figure rose to US$6.3 m, an increase of over 400% (2012 versus 2010).

• Mardan Palace Hotel: 17th June, 2009 – 15th July, 2010

Director of Sales & Marketing – In Charge of the Sales & Marketing Department

Job responsibilities included: Running the Sales & Marketing Department & Banquet Sales managing 15 staff members including: Leisure Travel, Corporate segment (which I introduced in the department) to target major corporate companies based in Istanbul, Ankara & Izmir, Marketing & PR activities & Group Sales. Preparing the yearly budget, marketing plan, finalizing business contracts, and rate structures as per each segment. Also, prepared Job Descriptions for all department staff, conducted staff appraisals, and assigned individual yearly targets for each staff member.

• Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul – Member of LHW: 1st November, 2000 – 31st May, 2009

Director of Sales – Middle East & GCC Countries

The hotel brand was not known well enough in the Middle East (no Kempinski properties were present in the region at that time except Kempinski Nile Hotel in Cairo, Egypt). This required intensive sales & marketing activities to create such an awareness to initiate demand for the hotel. Job responsibilities covered: Promoting the hotel & its facilities within the entire region covering more than 15 countries. At the start, guests from only three Arab countries (Bahrain, Egypt & Lebanon) used the hotel. Through continuous sales & marketing activities, within the first year, guests from the whole region began to stay at the hotel. I was responsible for sales & marketing, advertising, all collateral materials printed in Arabic, and special events organized within the region (Turkish Nights/Cultural Week) in Dubai, Riyadh, Beirut & Tunis. At the end of 2001, the entire revenue from the Middle East region was less than US$1m gross. However, at the end of 2008, 26% of the accommodation budget (which was €33m at that time) came only from this region. As Director of Sales, I was required to perform & take full responsibility of Duty Management on regular basis.

• Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts: June, 1999 – 31st October, 2000

Regional Sales Manager – Based in Saudi Arabia

I was based in Riyadh to actively promote three Le Meridien properties in Dubai, and one property in Abu Dhabi within Saudi Arabia. I was involved in promoting Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort during the pre & post opening in Dubai. I maintained good contact with various travel agencies, tour operators & corporate companies across the country in Riyadh, Jeddah & Al Khobar/Dammam. My yearly target was to increase sales by 20% versus the previous year. I achieved 38.50%.

• Eresin Hotel Topkapı: March, 1998 – 31st January, 1999

Sales & Marketing Manager

I was fully responsible for promoting the hotel, and its facilities within the Middle East region including the GCC countries. I established good contacts with various local travel agencies, corporate companies, Arab embassies in Ankara & consulates in Istanbul, as well as various contacts within the Middle East region.

• Plaza Tourism: March, 1997 – February, 1998

Sales & Marketing Manager

I was fully responsible for promoting the agency’s services & facilities within the Middle East region (mainly the GCC countries) which included hotel reservations, airport transfers, city tours and special guided tours for VIP guests, and Arab families.

• Swissotel Istanbul the Bosphorus – Member of LHW: 15th February, 1993 – 31st January, 1997

Sales Executive

The Hotel brand was not widely known in the Middle East at that time (only Swissotel Al Salam in Cairo). I was fully responsible for promoting the hotel and its facilities within the Middle East region including the GCC countries. At that time, I started to establish good contact with many top travel agencies in the region, local companies, major holdings, Arab embassies in Ankara & consulates in Istanbul.

EDUCATION

Ealing College for Higher Education – London, UK: HCIMA Diploma.

PERSONAL SKILLS

Throughout my career, I have held several positions of high level of responsibility. I like challenges, and I can work under pressure. I am an organized person. I have excellent communication skills which I have acquired over a period of time through dealing with hotel guests, customers and many travel professionals within the industry. I am a reliable, responsible, and honest person with integrity and loyalty both to my employers & customers. I am self motivated, and I enjoy team work. Also, I am quite capable of working independently to show my own initiative which I thrive on doing so.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Sales & Marketing

• Expert in the Middle East region, and the Gulf countries

• Professional knowledge of the Travel & Hospitality industries

• Good knowledge of both corporate as well as leisure segments

• MICE and event arrangements

• Event management

• Planned, organized and implemented successful events. Invited top VIPs from various corporate as well as privately owned establishments for a ÇPK hotel presentation followed by lunch at Burj Al Arab. A Turkish Night with traditional Turkish cuisine at the Montgomery Golf Club in Dubai, UAE. A Turkish Cultural Week with a sit down dinner for 300 pax, and traditional Turkish folklore show on the opening night at Abou Nawas Hotel in Tunis, Tunisia. A Cocktail Prolonge for travel trade professionals at the Phoenicia Hotel in Beirut, Lebanon.

• Handling guests/customers complaints

• Training skills

• Office administration

• Computer skills

• Leadership skills

• Yield Management

• Regional experience

• Guest relations skills

COURSES ATTENDED

Sales Development Workshop (Part 1 & Part 2), Putting People First, Microsoft Power Point, Selling the Kempinski Way, Sales as a Lifestyle, Strategic Marketing, Advanced Sales Training.

PERSONAL INTERESTS

Reading, swimming & travelling.

REFERENCES

References are available upon request.

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