ARVIND SHANKAR
Contact Information:- -
A 402, Sicily Park, Sector 12B, Koparkhairane, New Bombay
Career Objective: With an enriching experience in Operations and Client Servicing in the Travel & Media Industry, I aspire to take the challenge and desire to grow more, develop skills and expertise and be part of a growing organization.
Core Competencies:
Great Communication Skills
Commitment to excellence
Career Focused
Ability to work under pressure
Avid Learner
Integrity
Educational Qualification: Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) - 1998
Work experience (Aggregate: ‘17’ years)
Fabled Minds MICE & EVENTS Pvt Ltd: General Manager – Operations & Client Servicing (Aug 2019 – Feb 2020)
1. Understand clients' requirement and map the offer in SYNC with the objective of the offsite/event.
2. Responsible for tour members travel requirements, such as valid passports and visas, and obtaining adequate travel insurance
3. Accompany tours and manage all logistics, sightseeing, conferences, meals, gala dinner & award functions.
4. Conceptualization of collaterals (Customized Notepads, Itinerary booklet, Vertical Standees, Backdrops, Flex, Flags, Badges, Baggage Tags, Labels etc)
5. Rate negotiation & liaising with hotels, transporters, vendors & airlines.
6. Educated clients on travel requirements for international destinations, including visas, vaccinations, passports, and customs.
7. Implementing and Controlling the strategies & plans to execute the conference / offsites efficiently.
8. Seek various kinds of requisite permissions from various ministry & Government offices for conferences & events.
Achievements:
1) Actively instrumental in planning and execution of Corporate Conference, Incentive Tours & Events for Tata Sky, HRI, India First Life Insurance and Netscribes India Pvt Ltd.
Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society Limited: Manager – Events (Feb 2018 – June 2019)
1) Overall in charge Various In-house events and activities, conferences & seminars.
2) Overall conceptualizing, planning and execution of all events including venue coordination, entertainment, artist management, décor, menu and logistics planning for Inbound Outbound Tour Operations and Execution.
3) Conceptualize and finalizing Annual Event Calendar
4) Designing tour programs, itineraries and tour costing for Internal and External Stakeholders.
5) Educated clients on travel requirements for international destinations, including visas, vaccinations, passports, and customs.
6) Rate negotiation & liaising with hotels, logistics, vendors & airline partners.
7) Successfully implemented and controlled the strategies & plans to run the conference / off-sites efficiently.
Achievements: Organized and managed all aspects of special events & Incentive tours.
1) Was successful in implementing and organizing all the events & CSR activities in the calendar year.
2) Successfully executed the Annual Conclave event at Ranthambore in April 2018 for 2500 people and at Kumbhalgarh in April 2019 for 1200 people.
3) Actively involved in pre planning, planning and execution of incentive tours to Ooty and Kodaikanal, Malaysia, Bangkok & Pattaya and Hong Kong for internal employees and advisors.
4) Organized Multi Day Conferences and Shareholder meetings on a periodic basis.
Fusionz Group Services – Freelance Travel Professional (Apr 2017 – Feb 2018)
1) Customizing Holiday Packages for FIT and Corporates
2) Rate negotiation & liaising with hotels, transporters, vendors & airline partners.
3) Design tours program, itinerary, tours costing etc.
Scangroup Limited (A Division of WPP Media) Nairobi, Kenya - Media Manager - Sep 2015 - March 2017:
1) Heading media for all Mindshare clients (Unilever, Safaricom, Kenya Commercial Bank etc).
2) Approvals of all Media plans in the system (TV, Radio, Internet, Outdoor).
3) Liaise with internal team for closing of billings and accounting.
4) Liaise with vendors for timely submission of Invoices.
5) To coordinate with internal teams for smooth functioning of the process.
6) Resolving Billing queries for all medias.
Mindshare Fulcrum (A Division of GroupM Media Pvt Ltd) – Director - Operations – Sep 2010 till July 2015:
1) Leading a 10 member team responsible for the entire operation process of Hindustan Unilever Limited across all mediums.
2) Timely issuance of release orders to all media vendors/channels (TV, Print, Radio & Cinema) and ensure 100% compliancy.
3) Coordination with all TV Channels, Print Media and Radio Channels.
4) Ensuring any cancellation/replacement of a commercial is coordinated with the respective channels.
5) Maintaining budget tracker to ensure 100% control on release orders issued.
6) Coordinating with client’s creative agency & media library to ensure timely delivery of creative copies to the media owners.
7) Reporting month end spends by 25th of Nth month.
8) Coordinate closely with Media Planning & buying teams to resolve all commercial issues before closure of final spends
9) Managing client and internal media & transaction audits
Akqua MICE Pvt Ltd (A Division of Akquasun Holidays) – Assistant Manager – From July 2009 till Sep 2010:
1) Overall conceptualizing, planning and execution of all events including venue coordination, entertainment, artist management, décor, menu and logistics planning for Inbound Outbound Tour Operations and Execution.
2) Conceptualization of collaterals (Customized Notepads, Itinerary booklet, Vertical Standees, Backdrops, Flex, Flags, Badges, Baggage Tags, Labels etc
3) Rate negotiation & liaising with hotels, transporters, vendors & airlines.
4) Implementing and Controlling the strategies & plans to run the conference / off-sites smoothly.
5) Liaison with Government offices & various ministries for requisite permissions for conferences & events.
Platinum Incentives and Events (P) Ltd – Senior Executive – From April 2007 till April 2009:
1. Understand clients' requirement and map the offer in SYNC with the objective of the offsite/event.
2. Strong Vendor Management skills. Design tours program, itinerary, tours costing etc.
3. Conceptualization of collaterals (Customized Notepads, Itinerary booklet, Vertical Standees, Backdrops, Flex, Flags, Badges, Baggage Tags, Labels etc), designing and printing as well.
4. Rate negotiation & liaising with hotels, transporters, vendors & airlines. Create and reconfigure client databases. Correspond with clients / delegates & organizers.
5. Handling ticketing and transfer during outbound events.
6. Implementing and Controlling the strategies & plans to run the conference / offsites smoothly.
7. Seek various kinds of requisite permissions from various ministry & Government offices for conferences & events. Send across the offer presentation to the client for approval and further discussions.
8. Coordinate Hotel Reservation booking, vendor and Flight booking.
9. Send Thank you letters, Feedback forms, final billing, event Photo CD and video CD & follow up for balance payment.
Achievements: Incharge of implementation and executing of Incentive tours.
1) Actively instrumental in planning and execution of incentive tours for IDFC SSKI, Shriram Transport Finance, FHRAI etc to Singapore, Paris, Shanghai for employees and stake holders.
Godrej Upstream Ltd – Associate – From October 2004 To March 2007:-
1. Provide email support for travel related queries (for an American based travel company – Cendant) (Process – Orbitz and Cheap tickets).
2. Coordinate and liaise with Airlines/ Hotels/ Car rentals to assist customers and to ensure deliverables are met.
3. Educating customer with cancellation policies of the Airlines, Hotels and Car. Assign seats through airline reservation system and educate them with seating arrangements.
4. Provide information related to baggage policies of the airlines. Provide timely resolutions and recommend corrective services to address customer complaints.
Reliance Infostreams Pvt Ltd – Customer Response Executive (NNOC Support Operations) – From September 2002 To October 2004
1. Responsible for ensuring that customer needs are met through providing specific deliverables.
2. Coordinate with different department all over the country for any outage or any planned event and Downloading the same information to Front Office Customer Care Representatives of Reliance India Mobile Subscribers.
3. On Job Training to Front Office executives so that they understand the problem faced by Reliance subscribers and accordingly trouble shoot the customers issue and provide Online Resolution to Customers.
4. Taking escalated calls of Customers and providing them Resolution within the defined SLA’s.
5. Develop and maintain operational processed with effective implementation.
6. Develop and supervise scripts and assure Quality Standards. Develop and implement Customer Call routing and Connectivity Systems in conjunction with Network and Connectivity.
Achievements:
Best CSR award for 3 consecutive quarters for outstanding performance.
Skill Sets:-
Effective Team Player
Team Management
Microsoft Office
Customer Service
Communication Skills
Flexible
Loyal and Discreet
Linguistic Skills: -
Language
Read
Write
Speak
English
Yes
Yes
Yes
Hindi
Yes
Yes
Yes
Marathi
Yes
Yes
Yes
Tamil
No
No
Yes
Hobbies: Avid Traveller, Photography, Music, Food.
References would be provided on request
