A day in the life of a Sales & Marketing Director

Hello, my name is Luong Thi My Thanh and I’ve been working for IHG since August 2018. Before that I graduated from the University of Technology with a BA in Administrative Management and Commercial Communication in 2007. After switching between the hospitality industry and real estate, I decided that hospitality was the field for me, and that’s when I joined IHG. I'm currently a Director of Sales & Marketing.

An Early Start
It’s safe to say that when it comes to work I’m a morning person. I’ve never once been late for work in 12 years, and when I arrive at the office now I like to be at least 30 minutes early, so I’ve got time to make a cup of coffee and arrange my flowers. After that quiet start, things get very busy. There’s a team morning briefing at 8:30am followed by a heads of department meeting at 9:00am. On the whole, the morning is the time when I work with my team and plan strategically.

Always Time For Coffee
In the afternoon, I concentrate on working with clients and responding to emails. No matter what time of the day it is, if you bump in to me at work you’ll find out that what I always have with me is a cup of coffee. In terms of time management I always try my best to finish work by 6:00pm but the demands of the job mean that it’s usually more like 7:00pm. Even then, I like to make the most of my time by attending networking events around town whenever I can.

Who likes boring admin?
My favourite parts of the job involve spending time with clients, hunting down new business and drawing up strategic plans. If you asked me what my least favourite aspect is I’d have to point to those boring administrative tasks that simply can’t be avoided.

Diversity Equals Success
If I was offering advice to someone starting out in my job it would start with building a team that’s as diverse as possible. Including people from different backgrounds, with different talents, skills and experience - but a common positive attitude – enables them to create innovation from a standing start and learn from each other. Bringing diverse talents together to pull in the same direction is the key to achieving unbelievable results.

Inspirational Woman
If I ever found myself with 3 hours and no work commitments I’d relax by playing the piano or sharing quality time with my friends. When it comes to inspiration I have to say that I always inspire myself, because self-motivation is the most important motivation of all. That helps me to inspire the people around me as well - ask my friends and colleagues and they’ll tell you that I’m an inspiring woman! I’d like to become an Area Director of Sales and Marketing in the next 5 years. My own Area Director, Mr. Peter Edholm is an inspiration and I’m trying to learn as much as possible from him.

Thanh is only one of the many dedicated, passionate people who make our hotels run as smoothly as they do. If you’d like to join our fantastic team then why wait any longer? Hit the Apply Now button at the top of the page and start your own adventure.