Selling Travel: Advanced Techniques and Leadership Skills in Sales

Richard joined Inspiretec in 2017 following the acquisition of his top 20 digital agency ‘Sequence’ which had established a strong pedigree in delivery transactional websites to travel and destination brands.

As Chief Commercial Officer, he is the Executive board member with strategic responsibility for the business growth. Richard leads the sales, marketing and product teams in the UK and North America to deliver business critical services to over 100 organisations in 13 countries.  

In his 25-year career he has worked with blue chip travel organisations like Abercrombie & Kent, dnata Travel, Travelopia & Visit Britain as well as household names such as Microsoft, Disney, Volkswagen, the BBC and the Cabinet Office.

As a creative technologist at heart, he prides himself on delivering products and services that work well and deliver positive customer experiences – he enjoys nothing more than helping customers leverage creative thinking and use the sensitive application of technology to transact, engage and add value.

Caroline Hutchinson brings over 30 years of experience in the travel industry and has spent the past decade at Carrier, where she recently stepped into a Senior Leadership position as Head of Luxury Travel and Private Clients.  

She leads Carrier’s B2C luxury channel inspiring a team of Travel Designers and Private Client Managers to create highly bespoke journeys for some of the world’s most discerning travellers.

Caroline is recognised for her ability to combine commercial insight and change management with a genuine passion for service excellence, Caroline believes that exceptional travel experiences are created by exceptional people.

Nicola joined Blue Bay Travel in 2009 as a Personal Travel Advisor and, over the course of 17 years with the business, progressed through to Head of Sales in September 2020. Blue Bay Travel is a Staffordshire-based Contact Centre specialising in exclusive, contracted offers to the Caribbean and Indian Ocean, alongside selling package holidays and cruises to its 500k loyal audience, and 300k Social following.

As Head of Sales, Nicola leads a team of 20, including Personal Travel Advisors, Sales Team Leaders, and a Sales Performance Manager. Her role focuses on driving revenue growth through a clear sales strategy, leading the team to target, and ensuring maximum efficiency within a fast-paced, high-volume sales environment, while maintaining exceptional customer service. Nicola also works closely with the wider business as part of the Executive Team to identify new opportunities and initiatives, proactively addressing industry and team challenges to continually improve performance.

Prior to joining Blue Bay Travel, Nicola began her career at TUI as an apprentice, where her passion for the travel industry was firmly established.

Seeing her team to achieve, develop, and succeed remains Nicola’s greatest motivation.