Employee Spotlight – Natasha Housley
Our latest Employee Spotlight features Natasha Housley, our Travel Supervisor, who has been with FOD Mobility Group since August 2022.
Natasha oversees our wider travel team who are responsible for managing business travel requests on behalf of different Mobilleo clients. She takes charge of booking flights, hotels, and other travel services to ensure smooth and enjoyable experiences for the businesses we work with. She also plays a vital role in negotiating contracted rates with suppliers, aiming to save our clients’ money and fostering strong relationships within the travel industry.
Outside of work, Natasha enjoys baking, a hobby she learned from her mother and great grandmother, and she often shares her delicious bakes with colleagues! She finds motivation in staying up to date on the latest trends in the travel industry, attending conferences and web seminars to explore opportunities for business growth. Read more for our full interview with Natasha that goes into the amazing work that our travel team does.
Describe your current role and how long you’ve worked at FOD.
I’m Natasha and I work as a travel supervisor in the travel team at FOD Mobility Group where I work on our Mobilleo product. I’ve worked at FOD Mobility Group since August last year.
Tell us more about your current role and responsibilities.
As a travel supervisor, I oversee the travel team who manage business travel for different clients on Mobilleo. I handle the booking of flights, hotels, and other travel services, ensuring that our clients’ needs are met, and their travel experiences are smooth and enjoyable. I also negotiate contracted rates with suppliers to help clients save money and build strong relationships with our partners in the travel industry. I also recently completed my GDS training, which was a significant achievement for me.
What do you enjoy the most about your job?
I really like that no day is the same, when you book travel for many different clients, you never know what is coming your way. I also love the team I have; We’re like a family, bouncing off each other and we’re there to support each other when it’s needed. I’m looking forward to what the future holds for us.
What have been your highlights during your time at FOD?
Where do I start, there’s been so many. 😊 Working with such an amazing group of people, the events we’ve been running in the office like Pancake Day, our Macmillan coffee morning, the Easter Egg competitions, Movember, and many more to come. The main highlight coming up is the dragon boat race we’re taking part in to raise money for a good cause.
What’s the most exciting project you’re working on at the moment?
Negotiating contracted rates at hotels for clients we look after and trying to help them save money where they can. This may sound boring to some people, but I love it, I love the buzz of it and how it helps you engage with a hotel more and build the relationship between us and them. I have also just completed my GDS training which was a big achievement also.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your field?
If you feel passionate about it, give it a go. I started my travel career within an airline and loved every minute of what I did. The knowledge I have built up over the years has now got me to where I am today. Just be yourself, don’t be scared, take the plunge I don’t think you will regret it. 😊
What’s your favourite way to spend a day off?
Spending it with family and friends. I’m one of those people that can never sit still so we’re always out and about or I’ll be cleaning the house.
Are there any stereotypes about your career? How do they differ from reality?
Having been told so many times in previous jobs that all I do all day is book taxis or flights day in day out, there is more to the job than people think. Unless you work in the travel sector and understand the concept, I feel that people will not fully understand what the job entails. We may book travel daily but the job itself is more complex than people know. Our priority is to ensure our customers are happy with the service we deliver.
How do you motivate yourself in your career?
I like keeping up with what’s going on in the travel industry. It’s great to have the opportunity to attend conferences and web seminars related to other businesses and how things could benefit us as a company in the long run. Looking to see if there is anything that could help the business grow even bigger than it already is.
What are your hobbies and how did you get into them?
Baking – many people know I love to bake. You will generally find me in the kitchen on a Sunday baking some tasty treats to take into work on the Monday. Baking is something I’ve always loved. My mum taught me how to bake at a young age and gave me some tips that were passed on from my great nanna. I still have the old style Be-Ro recipe books at home. My favourite thing to make is a lemon drizzle cake, it seems to go down well in the office anyway. 😊
What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?
Waking up to a big smile from my daughter, I know if she has a smile on her face it’s going to be a good day.
How has your role evolved since you started working at FOD?
I have only been with FOD since August 2022, but I feel like I have been with the company forever. I was made to feel so welcome by everyone, including Justin our CEO. The company is helping me to develop my knowledge by giving me the opportunity to sign up for courses that will help me to develop my career within FOD in the coming years.
Share a random fact about yourself.
I love to clean; I think it’s because I love the smell of bleach!
What are your top three favourite songs of all time?
Summer of 69 – Bryan Adams
Take a Chance on Me – ABBA
Rhythm Is a Dancer – Snap!
What did you want to be when you grew up and why?
I always wanted to be a zookeeper, who knows why! It’s funny though as my daughter told me recently that she also wants to be a zookeeper when she gets older – like mother like daughter.