30 Under 30: Meet Claire Blake
Claire Blake, senior product manager for Tui, tells Madeleine Barber about the proudest moments of her career to date and the advice that’s got her to where she is now
With parents who collectively spent more than four decades working for Tui, taking a role at the operator’s head office during a summer break from university seemed natural for Claire Blake (29). Almost 10 years later Claire has risen through the ranks at Tui, from its after-travel contact centre to the product department, and now leads a team of six as senior product manager.
But working for Tui is “more than a family connection”, she says. “Holidays were the highlight of my childhood and travel has always been something I’ve had a passion for.”
Day to day, Claire and her team are responsible for managing the air capacity and hotels portfolio for the operator’s destinations to ensure Tui customers have a good amount of choice and flexibility. This means they often have to pre-empt trends in the market to plan effective strategies.
“What I love about my job so much is that it’s always moving and evolving, no two days are the same and you don’t know what to expect – it keeps you on your toes,” she says.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
One moment that stands out as one of Claire’s proudest is launching both Sharm El Sheikh and Tunisia simultaneously. She explains how the challenge helped her develop her skillset: “No team had ever had to juggle this before, and juggling the priorities wasn’t easy, but once the destinations started to sell it taught me lessons about creating a collaborative environment, and it was good for building relationships quickly across the business.”
Claire is also one of 11 volunteers to manage the Tui commercial apprenticeships scheme and has helped the operator double its apprentice intake. She says this is another of her proudest achievements along with being included in the TTG 30 Under 30 class of 2020 after following the initiative for many years.
“I grew up at Tui, my view is a Tui view, so for me [being a part of TTG’s 30 Under 30] is about broadening my horizons, getting different perspectives, learning from the best and taking advice.”
One piece of advice that Claire has kept in mind for as long as she can remember is to not let fear hold her back, which she says most likely originally came from her mother. She says she’s often been told to “do things that scare you and step out of your comfort zone”.
“Although those moments are daunting they’re the ones that help you grow the most,” she adds.
CHALLENGES AND GROWTH
Recently, Claire has had to step out of her comfort zone – and out of the Tui office – to work from home during the Covid-19 pandemic. She says it’s been a challenge replacing face-to-face conversations with video calls but quickly takes a positive spin on the situation, explaining that the added flexibility will change the way we work forever – in a good way.
It’s this positive thinking that means Claire’s future in travel looks bright. But where does she see herself in five years? “I see myself as someone who has built up a strong network and as someone who is well respected having made positive improvements to benefit both customers and the team,” she says.
Having recently achieved a Lean Green Belt qualification for completing process and improvement training, Claire is now focusing on her passion for making improvements to ensure her workplace is as efficient as possible.
Following her passion is something Claire doesn’t underestimate when it comes to aiding career growth. In fact, it’s her key piece of advice for young people seeking a job in travel.
“Be passionate, because if you’re passionate it goes a long way,” she says. “Take as many opportunities as you can, seek constructive feedback and take it onboard – use it to learn and grow.”
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