I was promoted from National Account Manager to Head of Operations at HTS last month.
It’s a role I’ve been incredibly excited to step into, and if I’m honest, it’s also come with a lot of learning. I’ve spent years building relationships with customers, supporting travel, accommodation and event programmes, and helping create customer-specific solutions.
Moving into a leadership role has given me a different perspective. Over the last few months, I’ve found myself thinking more about people, development, and what good leadership actually looks like.
That made the timing of the recent BTA People & Talent Conference particularly interesting. The event brought together people from across the travel industry to discuss everything from AI and skills development to recruitment, employee wellbeing and talent retention.
There was plenty of valuable content, and what I found reassuring was that, despite all the discussion about technology and change, many of the challenges businesses are facing are the same ones we’re all trying to solve every day – finding good people, helping them develop and creating an environment where they can do their best work.
As someone who has recently moved into a people management role, I have found myself paying particular attention to conversations about development, mentoring, and supporting future talent.
One of the strongest themes throughout the day was that there is no single blueprint for developing people. Everyone learns, communicates, and is motivated differently. And while that sounds obvious, it can be easy to forget when you’re trying to lead a team and balance competing priorities.
What made the conference even more relevant for me was that only a few days earlier, I’d attended a senior leadership session at HTS led by our Managing Director, Nel Flint.
The session brought together both people managers and non-people managers from across the business. It focused on topics such as accountability and the role we all play in shaping culture.
One message in particular that stayed with me – consistency matters. Not just in how we manage performance, but in how we communicate, support each other and show up every day. That’s because it’s often the small things that build trust over time… The way we:
- Give feedback.
- Recognise effort.
- Follow through on commitments.
- Create an environment where people feel supported and able to succeed.
Listening to the discussions at the BTA conference, I realised many of the same themes were emerging. Whether people were talking about recruitment, retention, skills development or employee wellbeing, the conversation repeatedly came back to people.
How do we help individuals grow and create development opportunities? How do we build teams where different personalities, experiences and strengths can thrive?
For me, one of the most valuable parts of moving into this role has been recognising that leadership isn’t about having all the answers. Rather, it comes down to listening, learning, and creating clarity for people so they can perform at their best.
The business travel and events industry is changing quickly, and there will always be new technologies, new challenges and new ways of working to navigate. But if the last few weeks have reinforced anything for me, it’s that investing in people remains one of the most important things any business can do.
At HTS, we’re fortunate to have a culture being built to really support learning and development. My own journey from National Account Manager to Head of Operations is just one example of that. Whether it’s leadership coaching, mentoring, industry events, or simply creating opportunities to grow, there is a real momentum behind helping people develop their skills and confidence.
That’s important for our team, but it’s equally important for our clients.
The stronger our people become, the better support, expertise and guidance we can provide to the organisations we work with every day.
I’m grateful to both the BTA and everyone involved in the conference for sharing their experiences and insights, and equally grateful to be part of a business that continues to invest in its people and create opportunities for them to succeed.
Because while roles, responsibilities and industries may evolve, great people remain at the heart of great businesses – and great client relationships.
About the author
With 21 years’ experience in the hospitality and hotel industry, Lottie brings a deep, practical understanding of hotel operations to her role as Head of Operations at HTS.
Having spent the last two years on the agency side, she applies her insight across customer accounts, translating operational specialisms into personalised customer-focused solutions. Strategic planning is a particular strength, enabling Lottie to support HTS customers with clear, considered approaches that deliver long-term value.
