israa Loutfi

My eight years of experience in customer service and sales management, particularly my current role within the British Council, equip me with the insights and knowledge required to excel in the role I am applying to.

Over the years, I have developed several key skills and behaviours which I apply to my everyday work:

• A customer-centric approach
• Sales performance management 
• Data-driven decision making
• Excellent communication and influencing skills
• Top notch people management skills 
• Problem-solving skills
• Critical thinking 
• Financial management
• Excellent systems knowledge: PoweBi, Thematic, CRM, SAP, TCMS, CMS2, Infobip. Etc
• Change management

I have demonstrated my ability to work with key stakeholders across business units and multiple lines of business, consistently earning excellent performance evaluations and positive feedback from them. A few of my significant achievements to showcase how my experience and skills are relevant to this post are:

• Introduced sales targets for exams and teaching centre and generated more than 2 M GBP for TC and approximately 500K GBP for exams annually through various initiatives. This was achieved with continuous sales performance monitoring of the team and by introducing new sales initiatives like sales follow up calls, sales coaching, and maintaining target sheets
• Led on the implementation of an alternative payment solution that generated more than 85k GBP last year helping to reduce customer effort by 75% and provide enhanced customer journey.
• Consistently maintained the NPS (net promoter score) and customer satisfaction scores closer to the exceptional benchmark set for Qatar. This was done in collaborations with exams colleagues and through improving services’ quality. 

Experience
BRITISH COUNCIL - Customer Services and Sales Manager: July 2021 - Current
• Managing and leading a medium size team. Continuously monitoring performance and conducting quality monitoring audits for in-country team and contact centre.
• Introduced sales targets for exams and teaching centre and generated more than 2M GBP for TC and exceeded exams targets through focus on IELTS counselling sales and other activities.
• Reviewed and analyzed data to achieve targets.
• Initiated sales follow up calls to increase sales.
• Reviewed and amended consultation slots for optimal use of resources based on customer behaviour.
• Ensured NPS (net promoter score) and customer satisfaction scores remained above the benchmark set for Qatar.
BRITISH COUNCIL - Customer Services Advisor: March 2018 - June 2021
• Ensured accuracy of data entered across all British Council systems
• Conducted consultations and prepared learning plans
• Maintained and built good customer relationships
• Top performer for 6 months in the last financial year
• Cash handling and reconciliation
• Followed up with customer's complaints and enquiries
• Converted enquiries into sales
• Member of equality diversity and inclusion EDI working group
• Member of Child protection working group
• Lead of staff wellbeing programme
• Managed the launch of IELTS counselling service
• Represented the BC at various events and sessions
ETON TRAINING CENTRE - Customer care and sales manager:
February 2015 - February 2018
• Managed a team of 4 people to reach targets agreed within a specific timeframe through initiatives
• Followed up with previous students to increase sales conversion
• Worked with marketing team to agree on collateral and marketing campaign timeframe
• Allocated staff to contact leads generated from marketing campaigns
• Regular staff performance management
• Assessed the customer service department’s operational performance against set targets.
• Produced accurate sales statistics.
• Conducted customer satisfaction surveys.
BRITISH COUNCIL - Project Manager- International Education Services IES and Alumni Country Lead: January 2020 - March 2020
• Developed and initiated projects, including managing costs, schedule, and performance.
• Drove team success through shared vision and recognition of quality performance.
• Provided management for 20+ internal personnel, contractors, and vendors.
• Decreased project cost by 20%
• Managed and delivered all SIEM activities including Direct Marketing, Exhibitions, Market Briefings, consultancy services, Study Tours and Digital Marketing Campaigns
• Developed close working partnerships with Qatari government, semi-government and private education institutions with the aim of facilitating information gathering and developing market intelligence
• Built capacity among school counsellors
• Responded to StudyUK enquiries
• Represented StudyUK at local events
• Worked closely with other SIEM colleagues in the region to ensure knowledge-sharing, coordination of activities across countries.

1 Qatar University  Bachelors in Science: Industrial and systems engineering 

2- MBA University of Aberdeen- ongoing