Lalit Fernandez
Chennai
Summary
Results-driven management professional with proven ability to lead teams to success.
Adequate exposure and experience in different geographies and cultures (India, Singapore, Kenya and the GCC). Strong focus on team collaboration, operational efficiency, and achieving measurable outcomes. Adept at strategic planning, process improvement, and fostering culture of accountability and excellence. Known for adaptability and consistently meeting changing organizational needs.
An effective communicator with excellent relationship building & interpersonal skills; posses a flexible, yet detail oriented attitude.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
Manager - Strategic Alliances
Oman United Agencies Travel LLC
Muscat, Sultanate Of Oman
05.2018 - 08.2024
- Achieve budgeted numbers along with respective revenue KPIs
- Manage two teams (Sales & Operations) to deliver on expectations and respective budgets
- Accomplish multiple tasks effectively within established timeframes
- Maintained professional, organized, and safe environment for employees and patrons
- Ensuring customer comfort by understanding their requirements, resolving disputes promptly, maintaining open lines of communication, and ensuring effective service delivery
- Developed a strong company culture focused on employee engagement, collaboration, and continuous learning opportunities.
- Achieved departmental goals by developing and executing strategic plans and performance metrics.
- Optimize employee out-out through effective recruitment, onboarding, and talent development initiatives.
- Managed budgets effectively, ensuring optimal financial performance while investing in necessary resources for business growth.
- Increased market share with strategic business development efforts, expanding into untapped markets.
- Spearheaded transition to remote work during global health crisis, ensuring business continuity and employee safety.
- Fostered partnerships with industry leaders, enhancing company's reputation and creating new business opportunities.
- Evaluated employee performance and conveyed constructive feedback to improve skills.
- Opened, closed locations, introduced off-shore servicing to uphold successful operations strategies and maximize business success.
- Defined clear targets and objectives and communicated to other team members.
- Leveraged data and analytics to make informed decisions and drive business improvements.
- Coordinate with Products/IT teams to deliver enhancements, new products, optimize technologies and improve operational efficiencies
- Led cross-functional teams to achieve project goals, fostering collaboration and innovation
- Developed comprehensive risk management plan, minimizing potential disruptions to business operations.
General Manager
Catalyst Travels Ltd
Nairobi, Kenya
07.2012 - 04.2018
- Managed budget implementation, employee reviews, trainings, contract negotiations, new market penetration to provide financial stability and long-term organizational growth.
- Drove year-over-year business growth by focusing on exiting strengths, improve organic growth, inducting profitable customers, optimizing operational efficiency
- Launched of our re-structured website with new look/feel and Product enhancements
- Automated Credit Limit Management & Receivables tracking mechanism
- Drove the successful execution of large-scale events/promotions while closely managing costs/budgetary constraints associated with event planning/management activities.
- Reduced time to market for new products by optimizing development processes and enhancing cross-functional team collaboration
- Improved operational efficiency by streamlining workflow processes, employee skills mapping and optimizing available technology tools
- Expanded business operations into international markets, navigating regulatory environments and cultural differences for successful entry
- Reduced financial inconsistencies while assessing and verifying billing invoices and expense reports
- Cultivated strategic partnerships with industry leaders, enhancing brand credibility and access to new customer segments.
Associated Vice President (Corporate Travel) – South
Thomas Cook India Limited
Chennai, India
05.2007 - 06.2012
- Accountable for managing the Corporate Travel business for Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad markets
- Supervising 4 direct Managers and 30 skip level employees
- Cultivated strong relationships with key stakeholders, including customers, vendors, regulators, and community leaders to promote collaboration and long-term success.
- Responsible for positioning Thomas Cook as a disciplined, aggressive and efficient Travel Management Company which operated with transparent policies, competitive pricing, latest technology tools and a highly skilled work force
- Spearheaded the Branch Heads to deliver on various parameters, viz.: Financial Goals: Revenue targets (top and bottom line), preferred airline sales, credit management and collections, cost management, team productivity & deployment, cross sell
- Customer Goals: Client engagement and retention, service deliver, SLA adherence, process audit
- Cost Management: Operational cost reductions / savings, process review and re-designing
- People Goals: Attrition, training & development, feedback and coaching
- Holds the merit of exceeding the revenue targets for the last three years with average growth of 19%
- Successfully achieved high 'Voice of Employee' scores and ensured attrition is below 16%
- Pivotal in retaining large clients in a competitive environment of pricing pressure, slow down in billings, Global tenders and procurement policies
- Efficiently managed the change in Global Distribution Systems (from Galileo to Amadeus) with minimum disruption in services and no impact to clients
- Reduced the DSO (Daily Sales Outstanding) to 39 days through effective client engagement, internal process audit, technology / system enhancements and adopting different payment / settlement mechanisms
- Conceptualized, developed and managed the new business vertical (Thomas Cook Corporate Stay Solutions) in 2011 and achieved revenue budgets in the first year itself.
- Championed talent development programs, promoting employee engagement and retention while enhancing overall workforce capabilities.
Manager Passenger Sales (Southern India)
Singapore Airlines Limited
Chennai, India
05.2003 - 05.2007
- Spearheaded 8 SIA managers across 4 cities (Chennai, Coimbatore, Kochi and Trivandrum) along with 170 Travel Agents in Chennai
- Ensured that profitability of key sectors exceed the passenger revenue targets
- Responsible for positioning www.singaporeair.com as a viable distribution channel to achieve revenue targets quicker
- Liaised with Regional HQ in Singapore / Head Office in BOM, Travel Management Companies, Corporate Accounts, Government Agencies, Industry Bodies, etc
- Negotiated and closed deals with Travel Agents / Corporate Houses in-line with SIA financial guidelines
- Produced and maintained marketing reports / MIS analysis / receivables and credit limits for Agents
- Analyzed the MIS trends and competitors’ activities to continuously strategize marketing & sales activities
- Accountable for setting up targets for Sales Officers and monitored their performance
Education
Bachelors Degree - Physics
Autonomous College of Loyola, University of Madras
Chennai, India01-1983
Skills
- Strategic Planning & Management
- Process Optimization
- Business Development
- Sales & Relationship Management
- Deals & Negotiations
- Profit & Loss Management
- Crisis & Risk Management
- Training & Development
- Verbal & written communication
- Cross-functional team management
- Regulatory Compliance
- Conflict Resolution
Accomplishments
- Launched "Gold Medal" a B2B Travel business enabling tool for Oman based SME Travel companies in 2020
- Signed up more than 200 customers in the 1st year and grew that to 600+ customers by end 2023
- Efficiently managed refunds of unused tickets and sales deposits of Travel Agents when Regency Airways closed down post CoVID, without any legal complications
- Effectively managed different portfolios (Airline Sales as GSA, Gold Medal - B2B tool, Corporate Travel) and achieved budgeted numbers
- Successfully cut over to "Sales Force" and move 100% of Sales management activity on to the platform
- Collaborated with IT team at HO (Dubai), Vendors (Mumbai), in testing, implementing and monitoring several products and enhancements
Languages
English
Tamil
Hindi
Malayalam
Training
- Weight & Balance for Boeing & TriStar Aircrafts, British Airways, Bahrain
- Customer Service & Engagement, British Airways, London
- Yields & Revenue Management, Singapore Airlines, Singapore
- Airline Proration and Financial Management, Singapore Airlines, Singapore
- Basics of Business Administration, Thomas Cook, IIM Ahmadabad
Timeline
Manager - Strategic Alliances
Oman United Agencies Travel LLC
05.2018 - 08.2024
General Manager
Catalyst Travels Ltd
07.2012 - 04.2018
Associated Vice President (Corporate Travel) – South
Thomas Cook India Limited
05.2007 - 06.2012
Manager Passenger Sales (Southern India)
Singapore Airlines Limited
05.2003 - 05.2007
Bachelors Degree - Physics
Autonomous College of Loyola, University of Madras
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