Ceri Elaine Davies-
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Personal Profile:
Senior business leader with extensive global luxury customer success, hospitality and operational experience, a
strong cultural awareness and business acumen. A results-oriented, passionate and multi-lingual business
professional that thrives on change, innovation, challenges, solutions and providing excellent customer service, driving
long-term loyalty, revenue, value and sustainable premium propositions.
Key Responsibilities and Achievements:
Commercial and Strategic Approach:
Strong analytical, auditing and planning skills that have been developed through commercial, operational, strategic
and customer service roles. A good business acumen of travel and hospitality strategies, understanding of revenue
management, marketing and sales, using market share and competitor awareness and delivering sales targets.
Change and Business Transformation:
Managed change projects within different work cultures and in multiple languages. Designed and delivered an
enhanced premium loyalty, service and proposition across a global network.
Influencing and Negotiating:
Influenced at all levels through different cultures and groups in applying theory into the workforce, developing
individuals through motivation and support. Negotiated with Trade Unions to maintain 'Best Practice' working
standards to ensure the highest possible premium customer service standards. Designed and delivered First-Class
training courses to manage catering and service/operational suppliers and propositions, enhancing the premium
service of global teams.
CAREER HISTORY AND RESPONSABILITIES at British Airways Plc:
PREMIUM CUSTOMER MANAGER/ CATERING OPERATIONS MANAGER, London
2018 – present
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Driving the long-term relations with over 6K global high-revenue customers via personalized meetings, calls and highprofile events, driving engagement and continuous improvements, managing a team of three mid-level managers.
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Supporting the BA/IAG CEOs and leadership teams to flexibly address customer escalated CR cases and drive long-term
loyalty, revenue and continuous improvement. All driven by insights analysis, direct customer engagement, Executive Club
account management and close collaboration with IAG Loyalty, revenue management and customer relations directly on
the front-line and based at the Concorde/VIP lounges. Budget management of minimum GBP 500K.
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Oversaw the Gatwick/global catering operations and supported Heathrow/global catering operations via catering
unit/airside audits, catering supplier business reviews. Drove sustainability/finance initiatives and punctuality
improvements by means of training/roadshows/workshops and promotional videos during 14-month secondment.
PEFORMANCE MANAGER CATERING SHORT HAUL & GLOBAL OPERATIONS, London
2014 – 2018
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Managed 40 European/9 global catering supplier bases to deliver consistently high customer service, operations, product,
safety, security and revenue results, supporting IAG group catering procurement/finance teams to drive value.
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Regularly audited food and ramp safety standards, inflight retail performance, led meetings and projects to improve food
safety, security and safety compliance and provided operational training. Budget of GBP 3M.
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Led crisis management planning for the department, testing business continuity exercises for the base catering suppliers
at London, and improving supplier relations and communications to manage return-catering for 21 European airports.
2013 – 2014
CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER SWITZERLAND, Switzerland
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Managed Basel, Geneva, and Zurich airports to deliver consistently high customer service, punctuality and revenue
results, deputizing for the Regional Manager Central/Eastern Europe to recruit and provide 24/7 business continuity.
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Improved the premium customer service proposition by delivering an “Achieving Customer Excellence” training for
Switzerland, Fast Track lanes in in Basel, and enhancing the Swiss lounges catering using Customer Insights data/audits.
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Increased the customer service standards by 15%, the lounge scores of the Oneworld lounge from 32% to 50% YTD, and
the GVA lounge 54% to 60%. Developed a Swiss strategy to improve, maintain and raise performance overall. Also
secured GBP 63k in oneworld airline recharges for the GVA lounge 2013 via close cooperation with
finance/procurement/one world. Budget of GBP 2M. Premium service training provided in collaboration with varying
suppliers.
AIRPORT MANAGER GENEVA AND NICE, France
2011 – 2013
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Managed 12 British Airways Customer Service and Operations staff and supplier Aviapartner NCE, a team of 4
BA/supplier managers in GVA and suppliers DNATA and CGS Ltd, to deliver consistently high service, operational and
financial targets. Also successfully integrated the ex-British Midland operations locally.
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Deputized for and supported the Western Europe and Central Europe regional area manager and fellow management with
Swiss tender renegotiations and changes, including overseeing the BA/Iberia office move.
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Managed the Geneva Galleries Lounge Project locally to deliver pre-target opening 01 August 2011, minimizing impact on
BA customers and addressing catering and service quality issues, to improve Lounge TCS scores to 57%. Also organized
and hosted premium customer events with senior British Airways management and secured significant Oneworld alliance
partner lounge recharges.
AIRPORT MANAGER NICE AND CORSICA, France
2008 – 2011
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Responsible for 12 British Airways customer service/operations staff and supplier Aviapartner to deliver all targets and
improvements. Negotiated permanent crisis centre locally and led the AOC Emergency Planning Committee.
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Achieved all targets and improved On Time/15mins punctuality by end 2011, increasing customer satisfaction scores and
introducing two extra security screens with NCE airport, and a successful BA/Aviapartner Nice VIP service/training.
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Improved lounge satisfaction scores considerably when scores were below target pre-2008, securing EUR 12,000
BA/BACF refunds via effective lobbying/stakeholder buy-in/budget management and strong quality control initiatives.
AIRPORT MANAGER VIENNA, Austria
2005 – 2007
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Managed 20 BA customer service/operations colleagues, maintaining strong working relations with the local works council
to address business/industry/employee matters during the office move and outsourcing to FRAPORT Austria. This
included the development of my Airport Service Coordinator as Deputy Airport Manager and overseeing the British
Airways office move and leading supplier teams to achieve all operational/customer targets vs previous year.
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Improved ground operations audit compliance procedures for all safety/security matters, volunteering as Airline Operations
Committee Ramp Safety Sub-Committee representative. Oversaw all emergency planning operations locally as Senior
Reporting Official, chairing the AOC Emergency Sub-Committee to improve Vienna airport emergency procedures via the
airport/state authorities, Press Agency and British Embassy relationship management.
2004 – 2006
PA TO THE AREA GENERAL MANAGER EUROPE & AFRICA, London UK
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Executed organizational/management support for the AGM and his 12 direct reports and their teams, coordinating all local
senior management meetings/regional databases/European business/marketing events and BA board meetings.
PA TO THE AGM EUROPE, LATIN AMERICA & THE CARRIBEAN, Germany
2002 – 2004
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Responsible for the AGM inbox/diary and support to the World Sales/Marketing Directors, Area Business Manager and
AGM direct reports. Managed Frankfurt Head Office team and acted as Head of BA Interline Relations Germany.
VIP SERVICE AND EXECUTIVE LOUNGE TEAMLEADER, based Germany
1999 - 2001
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Managed and trained the Frankfurt BA Executive Lounge team, implementing a strategic Special Services improvement
plan (check-in, operations, customer grievances) for VIP customers and led the “Passion for Service” campaign.
HEIDELBERG TOURIST BOARD - TOURIST SPECIALIST, based Germany
INSIGHT PREMIUM COACH TOURS – EUROPEAN TOUR DIRECTOR
GLOBUS TRAVEL S.A. COACH TOURS – EUROPEAN TOUR DIRECTOR
NEILSON SKI OPERATIONS – ALPINE OPERATIONS/SALES, Alpine Region
Winter- - - – 1997
Education: University of Kent, Canterbury, England: European Studies with French and German (BA) Second Class Honours Degree
Skills: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, FLY/PRS reservations, CORUSON/WEBEOC/CLEARVIEW
EP, SABRE, CRM SALESFORCE/NIRVANA, TABLEAU, AEBA loyalty mgmt, BRISK baggage tracing.
Additional Awards and Qualifications: Strategic Leadership, Inclusive Leadership, Competition Law, CIEH
Level 3 Award Supervising Food Safety, Media Training, Audits, Data Protection, IATM.
Languages: Welsh (mother-tongue), French and German (fluent), Italian and Spanish (basic/conversational)
Interests Travel, Hiking, Pilates, Radio Co-Hosting, Mentoring, Volunteering (Trinity Homeless Project
Fundraiser, Bell Farm Christian Centre Project Lead, Surplus To Supper)
