Frances OBORN
Kirrawee,New South Wales
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Coordinator Education and Community Engagement Programs
Sydney Botanic Gardens
01.2022 - Current
- Responsible for development, promotion, delivery, and coordination of educational and information programs for community and education sectors
- Schedule Tours and Excursions for Schools, University, Travel Agents, Tourism Operators and Corporate sectors
- Administration tasks – process booking requests, scheduling of educators and guides
- Finance – reconciliation of accounts, produce monthly participation and revenue reports
- Support Learning Leads and ad hoc admin tasks as required
- Provide customer service and collaborate with other departments and agencies.
Visitor Information Officer
NSW NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
01.2015 - 01.2022
- Responsible for delivery of customer experience and visitor services by way of tour guiding National Park’s heritage sites, historic houses and parklands, for both education and leisure programs
- Communicating key messages of caring for the environment, providing updates re park conditions, relaying information to stakeholders, providing feedback and incident reports
- Provision of visitor information and services - assist with annual pass sales and renewals, retail sales, stock controls, visual merchandising, cash handling, account reconciliation, maintain visitor stats, provide reports to supervisor
- Troubleshoot customer enquiries and complaints and respond timely to via telephone and email
- Assisting with training and induction of new employees
- Providing admin and project management support to other teams and departments.
Tour Director
AAT KINGS
01.2016 - 01.2019
- Overall delivery of the tour experiences and on road tour operation, to ensure that the tour runs smoothly, safely, on time and within budget
- Responsible for on the road health and safety procedures, troubleshoot problems, provide duty of care
- Working collaboratively with operations, reservations, sales and marketing teams to deliver the ‘Brochure promise’ and provide superior customer service, aligned with the marketing strategy
- Provide visitor touring information, entertaining commentary, and local insights for tours.
Cruise Director/Customer Experience Manager
SYDNEY HARBOUR TALL SHIPS
01.2012 - 01.2014
- The overall customer experience from wharf arrival, embarkation, safety and induction, lifeboat drill, disembarkation
- Supervise crew customer service delivery during 4-5 cruises per day
- Oversee food and beverage service, assist entertainer set up
- Assist operation and delivery of customer experiences – Mast climb, Ship Tour, Photo Sales
- Adaptation and set up of a variety cruise style and entertainment for sightseeing cruises, corporate events, school excursions, team building, weddings, private parties, wine and canapés, themed events
- Provide soft skills training
- Ensure regulatory certificates and licenses are maintained and updated in data base
- Onboard sales and promoting onboard activities of mast climb, photo sales, drink packages.
Business Development Manager
Buffalo Tours
01.2008 - 01.2011
- Represent Buffalo Tours professionally and with integrity to the Australian Travel Industry in NSW, ACT and SE QLD, at Trade Shows Travel Trade Events
- Development of workable marketing and sales campaigns, offering marketing support to clients from retail Travel Agents, Wholesale Tour Operators, Corporate Agents and Niche Operators
- Provided product training for travel agents through regular training sessions, webinars, client presentations and product information sessions
- Establish strong, loyal relationships with clients and customers through provision of superior customer service, regular communication, and face to face sales calls and resolving booking issues
- Develop and promote unique itineraries and tour content for Tour Operators and Travel Companies including charity challenges ‘Race Across Asia’ for Inspired Adventures and Group Travel for Newcastle Travel Centre.
Education
HSC -
Marketing Diploma -
Certificates And Professional Development
- Senior First Aid Certificate
- RSA GPH
- Current Driver’s Licence
- Class 1, L RDR # 3837 YC
- National Police Certificate
- Working with Children Certificate
- Current Passport
- Watarrka National Park Tour Safety Certificate
- NSW GOV WORKPLACE TRAINING, Code of Ethics and Conduct, https://learning.environment.nsw.gov.au/course/view.php?id=1166, Security Awareness, https://learning.environment.nsw.gov.au/course/view.php?id=835, Workplace bullying, https://learning.environment.nsw.gov.au/course/view.php?id=358, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Awareness Program, https://learning.environment.nsw.gov.au/course/view.php?id=1619, Microsoft Excel 2016: Applying Functions within Formulas, https://learning.environment.nsw.gov.au/course/view.php?id=3165, Microsoft Excel 2013: Charts and Graphs, https://learning.environment.nsw.gov.au/course/view.php?id=3115, Difficult People: Why They Act That Way and How to Deal with Them, https://learning.environment.nsw.gov.au/course/view.php?id=3067, Improving Your Memory Skills, https://learning.environment.nsw.gov.au/course/view.php?id=3069, Solving Problems: Framing the Problem, https://learning.environment.nsw.gov.au/course/view.php?id=3071, Successful Presentations, https://learning.environment.nsw.gov.au/course/view.php?id=3064
- SAP for finances
- Project Management
Professional Skills And Strengths
- Advanced communication and interpersonal skills
- Intermediate to advanced administration, computer, and technology skills
- Advanced relationship building skills
- Extensive knowledge of the Travel and Tourism industry in Australia
- Confident public speaker and presenter, with the ability to engage and entertain audiences with passion and enthusiasm
- Able to develop and deliver compelling customer experiences
- Superior negotiation and conflict resolution abilities
Arts And Entertainment Experience
- 25 years’ experience professional performer on stage and screen
- Film and Television Acting
- Feature roles – Small Screen - Blue Sky, All Saints, Home and Away
- Feature role – TVC Dettol Hand Sanitiser
- Stunt extra (driver) – Movie Superman Returns
- Background Artist – regular on Murder Call, Water Rats, Wild side
- Full Bio available on request
- Professional Comedienne Magician
- One woman shows written and performed internationally
- Professional Comedienne and Circus Clown
Travel Management Experience
- Guides Australia – Tour Guide
- Globus and Cosmos Tours - Australia East Coast and Outback tours
- AKORN – Shore Excursions Guide - Sydney City and Surrounds, Northern Beaches, Taronga Zoo
- AAT Kings – Tour Director - ‘The tastes of South East Australia’, Sydney to Adelaide via Canberra and Melbourne, Great Ocean Road, Kangaroo Island and Barossa Valley
- Grand Circle Travel - Tour Manager - Australia East Coast and Outback, Alice Springs Yulara Uluru, New Zealand, Fiji
- Scenic Tours - Tour Director - New Zealand, Central Australia and Outback, European River Cruising, Central Europe, Russia River Cruising
- Sundowners Travel – Tour Manager - Trans-Siberian, Trans Mongolian, Trans Manchurian, Silk Road, Central Asia rail adventures
- Entertain Oz – Events Tour Manager - National Events Australia for performers, Sydney City, Hunter Valley, Brisbane, Melbourne, Blackall, Birdsville, Alice Springs, Uluru, White Cliffs, International Events: England, Scotland, France, Ireland Comedy Festivals
- CTC Cruises – Shore Tours Manager 1988 - 1992 - South Pacific – Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Coral Sea - Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand - Bay of Islands, North Island, South Island, Milford Sound, SE Asia - Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore Hong Kong, Japan, South America – Panama Canal, Dutch New Hebrides, Curacao, Europe – Canary Islands, Portugal, France, UK
Career Overview
Dedicated Destination Specialist with focus on sustainable tourism and the conservation of natural, cultural and heritage sites. Commitment to customer service and providing extraordinary, memorable experiences for tourism clients that are safe and enjoyable. Deliver quality tourism engagement experiences and educational programs, site interpretation and story telling. Proven background in operational tourism with sales and marketing experience. Strong business acumen with professional managerial experience. Determination to achieve positive outcomes for the business and community.
Timeline
Coordinator Education and Community Engagement Programs
Sydney Botanic Gardens
01.2022 - Current
Tour Director
AAT KINGS
01.2016 - 01.2019
Visitor Information Officer
NSW NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
01.2015 - 01.2022
Cruise Director/Customer Experience Manager
SYDNEY HARBOUR TALL SHIPS
01.2012 - 01.2014
Business Development Manager
Buffalo Tours
01.2008 - 01.2011
HSC -
Marketing Diploma -
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