SERKAN DURSUN
Account Manager - Business Developrment Manager
Istanbul
Summary
Throughout the course of my career, I have perfected my account management and contracts management abilities in the online travel and tourism industry. I am a capable and consistent problem-solver skilled at prioritizing and managing projects with proficiency. In my previous roles, i contributed to maintaining relationships with partners, planning, problem-solving,
data collection, data analys
ing toward team efforts and business improvements. I am progressive minded and in tune with new developments in my field.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
11
11
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Language
Work History
Business Development Manager
Agoda
04.2023 - Current
- Own the growth of inbound bookings across portfolio, working closely with hotel partners
- Become the specialist of inbound consumer trends & market updates and demonstrate to partners.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with key decision-makers at accommodation partners
- Gather local market intelligence and support the development of new products and concepts by sharing feedback and gathering user requirements based on your market
- Own the roll-out of new products and concept to support partners’ growth with global origin bookings
- Develop strategic insights based on qualitative market feedback and quantitative analysis to propel our growth, and leverage analytical and problem-solving skills to identify new opportunities to grow company`s global origin business
- Prepare materials to aid in growing our business during partner meetings
- Respond to partners requests in a timely and effective manner
- Be the go-to person for your country on everything inbound-related
Account Manager
Booking.com
10.2019 - 12.2022
- Responsible for accommodation partners in regards to their business performance
- Taking actions to increase accommodation partners based on market opportunities
- Closely following market trends and convert trends into the ideas
- Optimizing business performance of accommodation partners and helping them to increase their performance
- Helping (educating) to accommodation partners to have them a great experience on booking.com
- Creating / leading projects (regional or team level) in order to help colleagues / company to achieve targets
- Relationship management with existing accommodation partners and direct them to relevant department when it's necessary
- Managing Bodrum (whole region) and Istanbul hotels and following the new opportunities.
Global Connectivity & Chains Optimization Specialist
Metglobal
12.2017 - 10.2019
- Analyzing market trends and giving feedback to the management for strategies
- Taking actions to increase market share in chain hotels and destinations
- Analyzing and optimizing existing XML and switch connectivity hotels to ensure quality of integration
- Identifying issues in existing connectivities and avoiding future issues
- Supervising with operational issues caused by the system and data entry process
- Identifying sales and performance issues and taking actions to reach targets in company's interest
- Relationship management with existing and new chain hotel partners and managing direct connectivity operations and team to apply strategies
- Improvement of partners performance in term of search, conversion, error rate on daily & weekly basis
- Improvement of incoming and outgoing traffic to ensure system stability
- Analyze incoming and outgoing traffic for trends & partners
- Recommend modifications to maximize traffic, customer satisfaction and conversion
- Analyze client technical performance to ensure quality of integration
- Recommend mapping improvements
- Coordination with Sales, Product and IT teams.
Global Connectivity Executive
Metglobal
12.2016 - 12.2017
- Analyzing market trends and giving feedback to the management team of contracting for strategies
- Taking actions to increase market share in chain hotels and destinations
- Analyzing and optimizing existing XML and channel manager connectivity hotels
- Identifying issues in existing connectivities and avoiding future issues
- Dealing with operational issues caused by the system
- Setting up accounts for new hotels and coordinating with IT teams for new accounts / hotels
- Identifying sales and performance issues and taking actions to reach targets in company's interest
- Assuring accurate hotel mapping, updating hotel chain lists regularly with the support of XML team and assuring correct reservation flow
- Relationship management with existing and new chain hotel partners and managing direct connectivity operations and team to apply strategies
- Signing new chain hotel contracts and preparing chains for sales on available channels
- Introducing marketing activities to chain hotels in order to gain additional revenue through kickback, override, marketing support fee etc
- Applying and executing necessary changes with the team in processes and systems to meet business unit's needs in existing and new markets and for applying standard operation procedures.
Market Executive (U.S. Region)
Metglobal
07.2016 - 12.2016
- Maximizing profit and revenue in existing contracted hotels
- Using all tools available to keep GTS share in total production at the highest level possible
- Preparing and optimizing contracted hotels for sale in line with processes, systems and channels' requirements
- Taking actions and informing market manager where necessary to supply the requested rates, availabilities and payment options to satisfy channels' needs
- Identifying sales and performance problems and providing solutions for such problems
- Managing relationship with internal and external clients and partners in an efficient, professional and positive level
- Applying and executing necessary changes in processes and systems to meet business unit's needs in existing and new markets and for following standard operation procedures
- Getting involved in operation and administrative processes where necessary to support operations and to find solutions for issues
- Completing assigned tasks in SLA deadlines
- Educating hotels on Metglobal's business models, systems and standard operation procedures.
Market Coordinator (EU Region)
Metglobal
03.2016 - 07.2016
- Checking visibility of newly contracted and added profiles and making sure that correct rates and restrictions are reflected on channels
- Checking if existing hotels are shown on Metglobal Websites with correct pictures, content and details and correcting any wrong data or information
- Assuring that newly added hotels are matched and mapped with correct profiles and destinations
- Solving any problems regarding direct connectivity and XML contract reservations and finding solutions for any issues that may occur before, during or after guest's stay
- Completing tasks assigned by managers by deadline in order to support all internal processes
- Checking all tickets in pool and assigning the tickets to relevant person / department.
Data Specialist
Metglobal
05.2015 - 03.2016
- Creating hotel profile
- Updating close/open sales
- Updating rates, allotments, cancellation policy, release date, images coming from hoteliers
- Entering discounts and offers to the system
- Analyzing hotel database system and providing opinions to make it user friendly.
Data Specialist
Yes Hotels
03.2013 - 10.2014
- Being responsible for guest satisfaction from date of reservation to check-out date
- Helping to guests during their accommodations
- Reporting to Asst
- General Manager about all operational cases
- Dealing with operational cases during the shift
- Collaborating with related departments in advance (housekeeping - F&B etc) to avoid any problems
- Preparing reports for the management (occupancy - revenue etc.)
Education
Toursim and Hospitality Management -
Mustafa Kemal University
01.2008 - 04.2012
Tourism and Hospitality Management (Associate Degree) - undefined
Istanbul University
01.2004 - 04.2006
High School (F&B) - undefined
Mehmet Ihsan Mermerci Anatolian Hotelier and Tourism High School
01.2000 - 04.2004
Skills
Microsoft Office Programmes (Advanced)
Sentez Deluxe (Intermediate)
Opera (intermediate)
Tableau (Advanced)
Personal Information
- Place of Birth: İstanbul / Eminönü
- Date of Birth: 10/22/86
- Nationality: T.R.
- Marital Status: Married
Militaryservice
Completed (2015)
References
- Cem Boyacı, Director of Contracting, Metglobal, +90 5335440598
- Burak Sağlıkova, Owner and General Manager, Yes Hotels Group, +90 533 437 33 18
- Dilek Kişioğlu, Sales and Marketing Manager, OCT Organization, +90 533 644 00 84
- Bünyamin Girenes, Owner of Delphin Travel Club, +90 532 595 21 34
Timeline
Business Development Manager
Agoda
04.2023 - Current
Account Manager
Booking.com
10.2019 - 12.2022
Global Connectivity & Chains Optimization Specialist
Metglobal
12.2017 - 10.2019
Global Connectivity Executive
Metglobal
12.2016 - 12.2017
Market Executive (U.S. Region)
Metglobal
07.2016 - 12.2016
Market Coordinator (EU Region)
Metglobal
03.2016 - 07.2016
Data Specialist
Metglobal
05.2015 - 03.2016
Data Specialist
Yes Hotels
03.2013 - 10.2014
Toursim and Hospitality Management -
Mustafa Kemal University
01.2008 - 04.2012
Tourism and Hospitality Management (Associate Degree) - undefined
Istanbul University
01.2004 - 04.2006
High School (F&B) - undefined
Mehmet Ihsan Mermerci Anatolian Hotelier and Tourism High School
01.2000 - 04.2004