Q&A
MANAGING DIRECTOR, VIRGIN HOLIDAYS Mark Anderson
What was your fi rst job? It was on C&A’s Retail Graduate Management Training scheme.
How did you get into travel? I was headhunted by Virgin Holidays as an indus- try outsider — someone with fresh eyes who’d come in and shake things up in terms of improving the customer experience. I’ve always seen myself as a commercial customer champion and the oppor- tunity to transform our operations and the bottom line simultaneously was very appealing.
What’s the best thing about your job? Watching members of the team fulfi l their poten- tial. As MD, I see unlocking and maximising that potential for the benefi t of our customers as my most important responsibility.
What’s been your smartest professional decision? Realising the only limits in life are ones we put on ourselves. In my fi nal years with C&A I was fortunate to be chosen for a company-sponsored masters programme in retail management. T is opened my eyes to many diff erent opportunities.
What’s been your biggest professional risk? Leaving a fl agship role with BAA at Terminal 3, Heathrow to become a head offi ce-based inter- nal consultant there. It was less hands-on, much more strategic and a big departure. I had to prove I could not only develop a vision, but also then put together a company-wide strategy to deliver it and then sell this to the board and senior management.
What other career would you have liked? I was fortunate to recently visit Mont Rochelle — a wine estate in South Africa — and I admit I felt a pang of envy. T e idea of making my own wine is very appealing — although I’m not sure how much would actually make it to the customer!
What’s the biggest challenge facing the industry? It needs to be more outward-looking. It’s focused on debates and decisions that should have been resolved years ago. T is holds us back as an indus- try and a country. Be its runways or retail, technol- ogy or travel agents, the real loser is the customer. My focus is on how we innovate and add value for customers. We can only do that if we’re looking forward. T is is a complex industry with a lot of
50 ABTA Magazine February 2015 BIOGRAPHY
Mark Anderson has over 20 years’ cumulative experience in the customer arena, including senior management and operational roles in the retail sector and with BAA. He joined Virgin Holidays in 2005 as general manager — service delivery. In 2008, he joined the board as customer director, and in this role assumed responsibility for the company’s retail network, growing the number of outlets from 20 to over 100 in three years. In May 2013, he was appointed sales and customer director and was promoted to managing director within a year, in April 2014.
virginholidays.co.uk
dependencies and factors outside of our control; those factors should be opportunities to progress, not barriers. T at change in mindset can only come from eff ective leadership.
In what ways would you like to see Virgin’s rela- tionship with the trade develop and improve? We’re interested in working with people who want to help us add value for our customers. Any travel agent who shares that vision will fi nd a willing partner with Virgin Holidays.
Why is retail so important to you? It’s one of our four sales channels and has proven popular with customers. Holidays are an experience and customers love the way we make this come alive in our shops. We’ve brought some of what our cus- tomers expect from a Virgin Holiday — fun, colour, vibrancy, unbeatable service — into the research and buying process. I know some friends in the trade have found our high street growth a chal- lenge, but we believe competition is healthy and in the interests of the customer.
How would you describe your management style? I prefer to call it leadership, and it varies depend- ing on circumstance. I think anyone in a leader- ship position should seek to study and constantly improve, rather than be satisfi ed with a single ‘style’.
What areas would you like to see Virgin Holidays move into or further develop? Using content to bring alive what we do is a big priority. Linked to that is how we turbo charge our digital strategy to give our customers the means to view, enjoy and share their holidays, wherever they are and whichever device they’re using. We’re also focused on how we integrate technology further into our high street experience. From a product point of view, we’ll be looking to further strengthen our position in our heartland destinations of Florida and the Caribbean.
Where do you like to go on holiday? I love Cape Town. T ere are an incredible variety of things to do and a fantastic climate. It’s big enough to have a buzz, but small enough to feel intimate.
Where would you most like to visit, and why? T e Galapagos Islands are very tempting, with their amazing natural splendour and wildlife.
countrybycountry.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52