An International Women's Day Q&A with Emma Russell of the Alfa Leisureplex Group
“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” – Michelle Obama
On the 8th March every year, the world celebrates all of the wonderful women that live within it. International Women’s Day is a globally recognised day with gender equality at its core. It has been celebrated for over 100 years. The day is now observed across most of the world and, in 27 countries, it is an official holiday.
Many organisations choose to recognise International Women’s Day. At the Alfa Leisureplex Group we firmly believe that public recognition of gender equality from companies across all industries can be valuable for drawing attention and encouraging action as part of a wider global project. Everyone has the power to promote change by recognising International Women’s Day.
Alfa Leisureplex Group is the UK’s only Employee Owned Travel Group and possesses a strong culture of employee ownership, with focus placed on positively engaging its workforce. To commemorate International Women’s Day here at Alfa Travel, and to show our commitment to supporting all the amazing women that work at ALG, we caught up with our Managing Director Emma Russell and asked her a few questions about what it means to be part of the Travel Industry in 2022.
Name: Emma Russell
Position: Managing Director
Q - What does your average day consist of?
Every day is completely different! From working with the board on the strategic direction of the company, to financing the business and reviewing the results, planning next years holiday programme, talking to our customers and employees or just helping out where needed. Last year this even included serving guests in the restaurants of the hotels!
Q - Why the Travel and Coaching Industry?
The travel and coach industry is a special place. It’s a great feeling to deliver a great holiday experience and see what it means to the guests. The UK has some fantastic destinations and our holidays really showcase the best of what we have to offer on our shores. It’s also rewarding to be able to take people away and support our UK coastal towns and economies after a really difficult two years.
Q - What do you think makes a good leader?
You can’t lead without a good team and it’s certainly a team effort at ALG. We all work together and the success follows. You need to listen, develop your team and have a little bit of fun whilst you’re doing it. You also need to love what you do, as this really shows through in what you can achieve.
Q - What’s the best thing about working at the Alfa Leisureplex Group?
The best thing about working for the Alfa Leisureplex Group is definitely the people I work with. Being an employee owned business, we’ve really excelled and fostered a great team spirit where everyone pulls together to support each other and the business. I really enjoy getting out to our hotels, working with the teams there and getting time to spend with our drivers. We foster a culture where everyone can have their say and that’s how we get some really good ideas to move the business forward.
Q - What advice would you give to people interested in working in the Coach and Travel Industry?
If you enjoy working with people, it’s a great industry to be in. There are lots of varied roles across the business and lots of opportunity to develop and progress if you want a career in the industry and we have lots of examples of employee owners in our business who have developed their careers and worked for the business for many years. From roles in reservations, transport, product, marketing, human resources, hotel management and hospitality, there are a variety of roles to suit everyone.
Q - Is there anything else you would like to add?
On International Women’s Day, I think it’s important to say that none of us should feel constrained because of our gender. There are plenty of opportunities and there are lots of women, as well as men, in senior roles across the travel industry. Set your sights on what you want to achieve, have a plan on how to get there and work hard and don’t give up.
Alfa Travel’s handpicked collection of holidays to the UK and Ireland include excursions and seasonal offers. Working with our very own 3 AA Star Leisureplex Hotels and carefully selected partner hotels, our unique range of tours take in some of the ‘must-see’ destinations from the world -famous to those magical ‘hidden gems’. Our experience and heritage means we are truly trusted by our customers who book with us again and again, and as an employee owned business that’s something that makes us very proud!
Make memories that will last a lifetime, book a break with Alfa Travel today!
