Sandra is a versatile, result driven professional with 26 years of hospitality,

leadership and commercial experience. She gained global experience

throughout various countries, chain, group and independent hotels.

 

Sandra has developed exceptional relationships with clients, peers, owners

and senior leadership to provide sustainable business solutions. She also has extensive experience in managing as well as working alongside smaller and larger teams. Sandra has a track record of developing her team and hotel operational teams into the Revenue Management and Commercial way of thinking.

 

Sandra’s love with hospitality started as a childhood dream. She then studied all areas of the hotel through a hands-on operational approach before specialising in Front office and reservations. As the Revenue Management discipline was born within the hospitality industry she fell in love with that part of the business and since has developed, grown and adapted revenue, strategic and commercial thinking into various styles of hotels.

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Sandra knows the details of the operational side of revenue up to the strategic execution. She is able to see the 360 approach throughout the hotel and their teams.

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Core Competencies

 

Business Analytics – Relationship Managements – Team Leadership – Training Preparation & Delivery – Data Processing – Communication – Strategic Planning – Contract Negotiation – Technological Proficiency – Time Management – Commercial Expertise – Adaptability – Risk Analysis/ Management

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Revenue Manager    Marlin Hotel Dublin     Mar 2019 – Jun 2020

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• Influenced development and execution of overall sales strategy
• Led a team of five staff. Played a central role in recruiting initial management team
• Navigated delayed opening, bouncing back into strong performance for remainder of 2019
• Project managed pre-opening sales and strategic plan (a €55M project)
• Devised and managed budgets and projections
• Oversaw budgeting, forecasting, and pricing
• Analysed ongoing P&L’s
• Achieved 100% of revenue targets (above peer group average)
• Identified, negotiated, and oversaw rollout of €90K investment in technology
• Elevated hotel into top 20 sales in Dublin on bookings.com
• Co-led efforts to elevate hotel into top 25 Dublin hotels on Trip Advisor, 6-months post-launch

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                Group Revenue Manager   O'Callaghan Collection   Jan 2015 – Feb 2019

Includes 4 Dublin Hotels, 1 Hotel in Cambridge, 1 Hotel in Gibraltar, 1 Hotel in the US (now sold)

• Oversaw revenue management across seven businesses (UK, Ireland, Gibraltar, US), €70M annual
rooms revenue
• Part of leadership team, reporting to CEO. Delivered budget presentations to Board
• Led a team of 13 direct reporting staff across multiple sites and 20 staff indirectly
• Shaped strategy to deliver growth across four business (+85% market share, +79% revenue)
• Devised revenue strategy to optimise revenue during five refurbs (€50M investment)
• Defined pricing and revenue strategy to open new UK business (£50M project)
• Oversaw US business, part of wind down for sale
• Sourced and replaced IT system. Rolled out new technology and CRM system
• Project Lead to transition PMS into cloud environment
• Set-up and ran quarterly sales and revenue meetings
• Close cooperation with sales and marketing
• Produced forecasts and budgets, analysed ongoing P&L’s
• Tracked key revenue data. Headed performance analysis
• Compiled reports to analyse market share performance drivers and effectiveness of strategies
• Implemented front office champion to standardise training and develop SOPs

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                             Director of Revenue Management     Starwood Hotels/ The Westin Dublin

                             Jan 2003 – Jan 2015

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• 12 years of revenue management influence (during that time oversaw previous Sheraton Fota and
Sheraton Athlone as well)
• Influenced and implemented revenue strategy (€11M annual rooms revenue for Dublin alone)
• Part of Executive Leadership Committee
• Maximised revenue via effective pricing and inventory management
• Part of project team that rolled out new IT systems
• Promoted to Director of Revenue Management, June 2007. Led a team of 8 staff
• Oversaw revenue management, forecasting and budgeting (€20M annual revenue at peak)
• Transitioned business through two recessions
• Part of team that rolled out new IT systems
• Strong partnership with Sales & Marketing
• Contributed to Six Sigma & Lean project that delivered efficiencies across three businesses and
within Starwood
• Shaped revenue strategy, forecasting and budgeting to open Sheraton Fota (€150M project)
• Shaped revenue strategy, forecasting and budgeting to open Sheraton Athlone
• Pivotal role in leading hotel to win a number of industry awards (internal company once as well as
external)

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Reservations Manager/ Yield   Holiday Inn Dublin Airport    Jul 2002 – Jan 2003

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                                 Reception Manager    The Gresham Dublin   Jun 2001 – Jul 2002

 

 

                                 various    Starwood Hotels & Resots Worldwide. Inc.    Nov 1997 – Jun 2001

 

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July 2000 – June 2001
Heathrow, London, GB Assistant Manager/ Reception
- Assist the Front Office Manager with management and administration of the department by completing any special projects and assignments; Interviewing & appraising staff
- To ensure all Front Office staff complete all shift tasks and attend to guest needs in an effective and efficient manner
- Attend to all Hotel Guest needs in role of Hotel Duty Manager
- Provide supervision by proactive, interactive and reactive leadership allowing each member of the FO team to satisfy our guest needs
- Act as in-house guest’s ambassador
- To coordinate and promote all Starwood programs

Sheraton Abu Dhabi Resort & Towers January 2000 – June 2000
Group & Tour Coordinator Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Establish relationships, handle all “contracting” and correspondence with major international Tour Operators and the Middle East
- Cross selling with the Abu Dhabi Golf club by Sheraton
- Create programs for Tourist and Incentive groups
- Handling and organisation of groups between 10 to 100 rooms (tourists, incentives, delegations)
- Coordinate and enter all incoming reservations form the leisure and group market
- Guest relations and customer assistance

Sheraton Heathrow Hotel Heathrow, London, GB July 1999-Dec 1999
Events Executive/ Group Co-ordinator
- Incorporate events duties like dealing with conference & banqueting enquiries
- To ensure that all group enquiries are dealt with to maximise occupancy, average rate
and room revenue

Shiftleader June 1998–July 1999
- Motivate, assist and support GSA´s during the course of the shift, coordinate shift tasks list & responsibilities, multi departmental coverage- Night Manager, Duty Manager
- Multiskilled in reservation, accounts, concierge and switchboard

Receptionist Nov 1997–Jun 1998
- Reception & cashier duties
- Reservation & group bookings
- Night audit