Kate Hewecker
Hamburg
Summary
Seasoned operations management professional with over 30 years in budget oversight and labour cost control. Enhanced staff wellbeing and fostered inclusivity while addressing absenteeism and HR challenges. Led teams in diverse environments, consistently maintaining a positive workplace culture and advancing to leadership roles.
Overview
1
1
Language
35
35
years of professional experience
Work History
Operations Leader
American Express GBT
Hamburg, Germany
01.2012 - Current
- Monitored staff performance and developed improvement plans.
- Managed customer service operations, resolving issues promptly to maintain high satisfaction levels.
- Addressed customer complaints to ensure satisfaction and maintain positive relationships. calmly and effectively, resolving issues with timely solutions.
- Worked with leadership to develop and implement action plans to protect company assets and profitability.
- Collaborated with other managers to plan and direct organisational tasks.
- Fostered a positive working environment, encouraging teamwork and addressing any conflicts swiftly.
- Facilitated regular team meetings to communicate objectives, gather feedback, and discuss improvements.
- Led team of 25+ staff, overseeing daily operations and driving performance through targeted coaching.
- Followed all safety protocols and company processes and procedures.
- Organised staff rosters, ensuring adequate coverage during peak times without overstaffing.
- Managed personnel hiring, reviewing CVs, conducting interviews and selecting top-qualified candidates.
- Coordinated with HR to recruit, train, and develop new staff, aligning with company standards.
- Prepared comprehensive reports on departmental performance, presenting findings to senior management.
- Trained over 100 agents on job efficiency and GDS systems. of 100 agents to manage their jobs more efficiently and make them more knowledgeable at the GDS systems.
- Have been part of migration projects to new GDS systems and finishing tools, also testing to ensure all works correctly.
Translator
DTB Entertainment
Hamburg, Germany
02.2011 - 08.2011
- Coordinated with authors to translate literary works, maintaining original tone and style.
- Temporary job for 6 months
Student
Colon Language School
Hamburg, Germany
01.2010 - 03.2011
- Completed an intensive German language course to enhance communication skills.
Senior Regional Sales Manager
Countrywide Financial Services
Bromsgrove, United Kingdom
09.2002 - 12.2009
- I started in direct sales and sold all kinds of finance as a consultant. In 2007 I became a Regional Sales Manager
- Selected, trained and performance-managed staff to handle high workload with ambitious targets.
- Analysed current strategies for strengths and weaknesses and adjusted approaches to maintain sales trajectory.
- Implemented performance metrics to evaluate and improve sales team productivity and effectiveness.
- Managed sales pipeline efficiently, ensuring consistent flow of business and meeting of sales objectives.
- Led sales team towards achieving quarterly targets through strategic planning and effective resource allocation.
- Guided sales team through challenging negotiations, securing deals that met both client and company objectives.
- Facilitated regular team meetings to discuss targets, strategies, and address any issues impacting sales performance.
- Motivated sales staff to continuously improve strategies through competitions and personalised coaching plans.
Airport Station Manager
Servisair
Birmingham and East Midlands Airport, United Kingdom
09.1991 - 07.2002
- After moving through the ranks from the very bottom and after several promotions I became a Station Manager with approximately 300 staff. I managed with the assistance of management team: Check-in Agents, Despatchers, and Loaders.
- Managed organisational resources to meet administrative and operational needs, ensuring adherence to budgetary guidelines and maintaining quality and schedule standards.
- Boosted employee morale and well-being through development of positive practices focused on career development and job satisfaction.
- Organised staff rosters, ensuring adequate coverage across all operational areas while managing workloads.
- Facilitated staff meetings to communicate updates, gather input, and reinforce team objectives, fostering a collaborative working environment.
- Oversaw compliance with transport legislation, maintaining records for inspections and licenses.
- Oversaw HR activities for effective personnel management and compliance with policies, implementing sickness, lateness, and disciplinary procedures with HR support.
- Created an NVQ where we taught the job to university students. This enabled us to recruit staff for the peak of the summer season.
Education
Btech National Diploma - Travel Management
Stratford Upon Avon College
Startford Upon Avon01-1991
GCSEs - High School
Higham Lane School
Nuneaton 01-1988
Skills
- Staff supervision
- Performance management
- Customer service
- Team collaboration
- Process improvement
- Data analysis
- Training development
- Budget management
- Project management
- Operational compliance
- Staff training
- Employee engagement
- Technical troubleshooting
- Team Leadership
Languages
German
Upper Intermediate
B2
Interests
- General wellbeing and fitness
- Gardening
- Hobby cook
Timeline
Operations Leader
American Express GBT
01.2012 - Current
Translator
DTB Entertainment
02.2011 - 08.2011
Student
Colon Language School
01.2010 - 03.2011
Senior Regional Sales Manager
Countrywide Financial Services
09.2002 - 12.2009
Airport Station Manager
Servisair
09.1991 - 07.2002
Btech National Diploma - Travel Management
Stratford Upon Avon College
GCSEs - High School
Higham Lane School