Describe yourself in three words
Direct. Determined. Fun.
How would you define marketing?
It's the business equivalent of Derren Brown - getting into your valued customers' minds to understand their inner needs and desires, and providing different ways to communicate and satisfy these.
What would you be if you weren't a brand manager?
A window dresser. I like to think I've got an eye for what looks good.
What advice would you give someone starting their marketing career today?
Never think you know better than your customers. If you do a questionnaire but don't 'like' the results, learn to deal with it. Only a fool ignores the voice of their customers.
What attracted you to your current job?
Being responsible for the two most important weeks of someone's year, where memories are created and treasured forever. You hope that your brand becomes synonymous with those magical moments.
What was your finest hour?
The day the Flo Rida Good Feeling song went to number one after the First Choice 'All Inclusive' TV ad aired. We'll never know whether First Choice gave it its initial fame, but I'd like to claim it anyway.
If you were a brand, what would you be and why?
The realist in me would look at the brand that I interact with the most, and where most of my bank balance seems to be spent - Waitrose. I love its tone of voice. The darer in me would say Red Bull - it has completely moved the boundaries of marketing.
What is your favourite ever marketing campaign?
The nostalgic part of me wants to say the 'Three Stripes' Aquafresh ad. It was such a catchy song, 'Three-in-one protection for the family'. I'm a massive fan of the Guinness 'Tick-follows-tock' campaign; so classy and abstract. Most recently, the brand that seems to get it right every time is John Lewis.
What is your all-time favourite slogan?
It's a toss-up between 'Do the shake n' vac and put the freshness back' and Kellogg's Bran Flakes' 'Tasty, tasty, very very tasty, they're very tasty'.
Do you have a marketing mentor?
I don't have a mentor per se, but Apple's Steve Jobs was a true visionary.
What marketing trend is dominating your job at the moment?
Emotive advertising. Reconnecting with customers on an emotional level rather than through rational messaging.
For TUI UK, having a multi-channel strategy is also key.
If you had three wishes, what would they be?
To have a Clueless-style computer that sorts out your outfits each day; to have predictive text on my laptop (why does that not exist yet?); to overcome my fear of flying - not ideal when you work for a travel company.
What's your favourite holiday destination?
The South of France. It walks that line between rustic and OTT like no other.
What makes you angry?
Society's need to be constantly (or virtually) connected to 'another world'. People seem unable to have a one-to-one conversation any more - talking to at least 10 other people at the same time. It's so rude.
What have been your best and worst freebies?
Best: two tickets to the Olympics opening ceremony; worst: a goodie bag featuring a biro, a plastic sun-visor and some paperclips. Nice.
What headline would you most like to read in Marketing?
'First Choice, the home of all inclusive, voted world's number one travel brand.'