Meet 
The team

Tran Trong Kien has been known as a pioneer in many adventure tours in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. He ran local tours to fund his medical studies before establishing his own tour operator in 1994. Over the past 25 years of establishment and development, Kien has lead his business to become Thien Minh Group – one of the biggest travel and hospitality groups in the region. Kien is also current chairman of Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board (TAB), Hue Tourism Advisory Board (HTAB), Vietnam Tour Guides Association (VTGA), trustee of Fulbright University Vietnam, Vietnam Tourism Association (VITA), board member of Vietnam Institute of Directors (VIOD), member of the Private Sector Development Research Board (IV Board) of the Advisory Council for Administrative Procedure Reform and ex-member of Asia Commercial Bank (ACB), VP Bank and Vinaland.

Company founder and Director Sandra established SLC at the end of 2002 following a successful 20-year career at Austravel that spanned the UK, Germany and USA. Sandra dreamt of a results-focussed representation agency. Bringing her unrivalled contacts, exceptional sales and marketing knowledge and an unwavering passion for travel to the table, Sandra set about building a strong, sharp and enthusiastic team who could deliver just that.

Contact:
sandra@slcrepresentation.com

“One of the best trips of my life was to Vietnam and Cambodia in 2010. Cycling around Mai Chau was a highlight – I fell off into the rice field about 30 seconds later… I also spent a wonderful afternoon riding around some of the quieter temples of Angkor Wat – I didn’t fall off. From the age of about 8 I wanted to visit Rio de Janeiro – I finally made it in 2018 and it didn’t disappoint.”

Image: Sandra discovering Angkor Wat on horseback

Chris began his career in finance with PwC in Canada and Australia where he became a Canadian CPA, CA. He was previously the CFO for Buffalo Tours and is now the Managing Director for Vamos Tours. He recently joined the board as representative of SLC’s majority shareholder TMG Europe.

Contact:
chris.farwell@slcrepresentation.com

“I got into travel as I’ve always loved travelling and what was shared with me in my travels so I wanted to share that with the rest of the world!”

Image: Chris & Mel at Niagara Falls

Deborah has worked in the travel industry her entire career in roles spanning sales, marketing, business development and account management. As Managing Director she leads on the execution of the business strategy and client relationships. She is passionate about travel and is likely to spend her spare time researching her next holiday, with 2 children currently enjoying a gap year in Australia it is likely to be a trip to see them.

Contact:
deborah@slcrepresentation.com

“Making memories is what inspires me to travel – my best travel memory ever was taking my children on a safari and watching the hippos on the banks of the Chobe river.”

Image: Deborah with a guide at the Blue Mosque, Istanbul

Prior to SLC, Laoise worked as an Account Manager at a specialist travel PR and representation agency, managing high profile accounts including the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, Korean Air, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, Best Western Great Britain and Neilson. As PR Accounts Director, Laoise has responsibility for SLC’s PR accounts overseeing client campaigns from idea to implementation and delivery. When she isn’t meeting journalists or researching the latest travel trends, Laoise is likely to be on her epic quest to find the best coffee in London or flogging vintage dresses in Hackney.

Contact:
laoise@slcrepresentation.com

“It’s a bit of a cliché, but the reason I love travelling is that it gives perspective. Experiencing new places, people and cultures challenge your outlook and that’s always a good thing! One of my best travel memories is skidooing on the Vatnajökull glacier in Iceland, standing in the middle of Europe’s largest glacier certainly put things in perspective!’”

Image: Laoise on the Vatnajökull glacier, Iceland

Elen’s career spans 10 years working both in-house and in agency PR roles, managing broadcast and digital campaigns for clients, before moving into her current UK Market Manager role for Tourism Western Australia. Some of Elen’s earliest memories are of travel, but it wasn’t until Australia bowled her over at 22, that she had her first taste of working in travel and loved how impassioned and everchanging the industry is.

Contact:
elen@slcrepresentation.com

“Some of my earliest memories are of travel, fireflies dancing through the night on Greek Islands and walks through towering landscapes in Scotland. It wasn’t until Australia bowled me over at 22, that I had my first taste of working in travel. Getting to know the stories, structures and people behind these incredible experiences on offer magnified my fascination. I love how impassioned the industry is and that it is always evolving“

Image: Elen swimming with whale sharks on the Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia

Maria joined SLC after graduating with a Tourism and Events Management degree from the University of Westminster. Throughout her years in the company, Maria has been involved in looking after a variety of projects and clients here for PATA and SLC’s Australian client portfolio. Today Maria manages the Onyx Hospitality Group account as well as Creative Travel and she also oversees a small team of employees focused on clients from Asia, Indonesia, Middle East and USA. Apart from travelling, Maria also has a passion for photography and in her spare time she likes to explore new places in and outside of London where she can practice her hobby.

Contact:
maria@slcrepresentation.com

“I grew up in a city in Bulgaria which was not popular for tourist visits from other countries. I was 14 years old when I first met people from another country who spoke a different language. My interest in learning new languages and different cultures around the world quickly grew and soon I became part of a Youth Development Centre where I was assisting with and taking part in various exchange programmes. I continued to develop my passion for travel through university in England with my Tourism and Events Management Degree and later work in the travel industry.”

Image: Maria in Sri Lanka

Rob started his travel career at the student/youth specialists STA Travel as a Travel Agent and later progressed to Assistant Manager at the flagship store in London Victoria. From here, Rob advanced into a successful 3-year tenure with adventure tour operator Bamba Experience, managing the UK & European trade accounts before joining SLC reputation. Within SLC, Rob manages our Vietnamese client TMG Hospitality – an expert in hospitality management in Southeast Asia with a portfolio of eleven hotels & resorts, cruises and premium transportation options. Through experience working from front line consumer-facing to B2B relations, Rob brings a wealth of knowledge and a passion for connecting people through travel through business and leisure. When he’s not in the office, Rob likes to take to saddle and cycle to new places, hiking with friends, eating/cooking Asian cuisines and following national service, supporting the Welsh international rugby team at any opportunity!

Contact:
rob@slcrepresentation.com

“To get that sense of achievement and be able to say I trekked at high altitude in Peru with the best reason…it was all to gain experience for work! Whilst the lack of oxygen was tough, I now want to do more, see more and travel all over the world!”

Image: Rob on Rainbow Mountain, Peru

Jo has been working at SLC since 2009. During Jo’s year backpacking in Australia, followed by 2 months in Asia, she knew she had to make travel her day job! Having lived and breathed travel for many years Jo now spends more time dreaming about exotic getaways whilst chasing after two young daughters.

Contact:
joanne@slcrepresentation.com

“I was inspired to work in travel after spending a year backpacking all around Australia on a work visa followed by 2 months backpacking in South East Asia. Once I returned home I knew I had to make travel my day job! “

Image: Jo on the beach in the Maldives

Abbie started SLC in 2015 for her placement year as part of her degree in Tourism Management at University of Surrey. After graduating with a 1st Class Honors degree in 2017 she joined Trailfinders in the European Sales department in Kensington. In January 2018 Abbie returned back to SLC looking after the Australia and PATA accounts, also helping on the Tourism Western Australia Roadshow. Abbie now manages the Australia, New Zealand and Europe clients at SLC. Outside of work Abbie enjoys going to the theatre, catching up with friends and exploring new places whether that’s the latest London rooftop bar or a new European city!

Contact:
abbie@slcrepresentation.com

“My inspiration to work in travel started when I went on holiday with my family to Florida. I had just finished my GCSEs in travel and tourism when I realised I had the travel bug and the passion to study it further and travel to new and exciting places.”

Image: Abbie exploring the Ancient city of Pompeii in Italy

Emma is a creative-minded marketing professional with a diverse range of experience across tourism and advertising. In her previous role at Tangalooma Island Resort Emma worked on tourism campaigns with Air Asia and Malaysian Airlines and coordinated partnership opportunities with Australian TV programs Sunrise, Today Show, Blind Date, Totally Wild and The Great Day Out. Emma currently manages Tourism Western Australia as the Trade Marketing Executive for UK. She has a huge passion for travel and has visited over 24 countries across the world with many more destinations on her bucket list. In addition to her love of travel, Emma loves cats, practicing yoga and listening to podcasts.

Contact:
emma@slcrepresentation.com

“Visiting places like Bali and Moreton Island, Australia, allow you to immerse yourself in nature and see wild animals in their natural habitat. Experiencing pristine natural beauty and up-close animal encounters are some of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had. I was inspired to learn about other cultures, visit stunning natural wonders and meet new and interesting people. Working in tourism has allowed me to engage in a community of like-minded travel lovers and create amazing memories.”

Image: Emma in Nusa Cenigan, Bali, Indonesia

Kim joined SLC in 2016 as a placement student from the University of Surrey. Upon completing her Tourism Management degree, she re-joined SLC with the responsibility of organising and running events on behalf of the Pacific Asia Travel Association. Today she manages our portfolio of Asia hotels across Thailand, Indonesia and Nepal. In her spare time Kim plays stoolball in the Surrey league and competes at county level in the sport, having previously captained the Under 21 Surrey and England team.

Contact:
kim@slcrepresentation.com

“With an ever-growing bucket list of destinations I’ve dreamt of visiting, and the desire to find out what all the hype was behind travelling up the East Coast of Australia, I jumped on the next flight out of London to explore some of the many natural wonders of Australia, including Fraser Island, The Great Barrier Reef and The Blue Mountains. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed!”

Image: Kim in the Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia

Sharon has joined SLC after recently moving to London from New Zealand. In 2017 she completed her Bachelors of Tourism Management with an Event Management specialisation and since then has managed events for universities, as well as community events such as Arts Festivals and Outdoor Cinema pop-ups. Sharon has also had a taste of the Tourism Industry working front line sales for Tourism Bay of Plenty in New Zealand. At SLC, Sharon’s key client is PATA where she looks after the day to day running and their events programme. She also supports Abbie with the Australia and New Zealand clients. In her spare time you will find her ticking off her bucket list items as she explores this side of the world!

Contact:
sharon@slcrepresentation.com

“I was inspired to step out of my comfort zone and visit a destination that was commonly seen as unsafe. During my time in Egypt, I saw amazing structures and learnt about the country’s rich history – all whilst feeling super safe despite what is depicted through the media. This trip has inspired me to encourage others to take the leap and travel to those bucket list destinations.”

Image: Sharon in Cairo

Emily is currently on her placement year from Bournemouth University, studying Tourism Management. As the sales coordinator, Emily’s role involves helping out the Account Executives with many of their clients’ needs, including competitor analysis and composing the monthly newsletter, to events organising with PATA.

With a passion for travel, Emily spent her gap year travelling Australia before starting her university experience. This only made her interest in the industry grow. Having been brought up in Brighton and working as a hospitality supervisor means she has experience in customer service within the industry. In her spare time, Emily enjoys going to the gym and socialising with her friends and family.

Contact:
info@slcrepresentation.com

“With a passion for travelling, I spent my gap year in Australia before starting my university experience. This only made my interest in the industry grow.”

Image: Emily at Manly Beach, Australia