Jill Howard

Senior Management Associate, Spearhead Training, UAE

Jill has over 12 years of customer service experience gained through working for companies, both large and small, in the UK, Turkey, and the UAE. She lived in Bahrain between 1978 and 1985, so with this experience, and the 3 years in Dubai from 2003, she is no stranger to the Middle East culture.

In 1994, Jill gained her London Chamber of Commerce & Industry qualification in Business French and European Studies. Since then she has worked in a variety of ‘client-facing’ and management roles in the following business sectors:

> Banking and Finance
> Real Estate
> Aviation
> Travel & Tourism

Her first major managerial role in the UK was as facilities manager with KPMG, where she worked closely with senior management to ensure the company needs were being met with regard to recruitment, training and continuous development of front line office staff. In addition to this, her responsibilities included service contract management (cleaning, catering, document management, security and maintenance), office relocations and refurbishments, for KPMG offices in the south-east and south-west of England.

Having always had a passion for travel and foreign languages, Jill then moved to Turkey where she took on a key customer service role, working for a specialist tour operator, offering 5 star holidays to the discerning traveller. Her primary goal was to secure repeat business for the company. Her considerable client relations skills helped Jill to maintain the high standards that clients had come to expect, and repeat business was secured from many customers.

Jill returned to the UK in 2003 and took a position as air cabin crew with a UK based airline. This post served to further enhance her interpersonal and customer service skills. When her future husband’s work was to be based in Dubai, the couple relocated there in November 2003.

On her return to the Gulf, Jill worked in the commercial environment of Sales, Business English Skills training, Customer Service and Interpersonal Skills.

Jill’s first job in Dubai was with a real estate company where she was closely involved in the initial set-up, marketing, recruitment, and training of personnel.

At the same time, she continued with her professional development, and in 2005 obtained her CELTA qualification from the University of Wollongong, Dubai.

Upon qualifying she then moved to a major UAE Bank Group as a Business Communications Trainer, where she developed and delivered tailor-made courses for customer service staff, many of whom were UAE nationals. She also worked for International House in Dubai delivering English for Banking Courses for key financial organizations such as Amlak Finance.

As a trainer, Jill displays excellent communication skills, first class planning abilities, and a total commitment to deliver excellence wherever she goes, and with whatever programme she undertakes.

Course feedback from clients and delegates has always been very positive, and Jill has a natural ability to communicate with people from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds. Above all, she firmly believes in making learning a fun, lively, and interesting experience for her delegates. At the same time she is also committed to ensuring that learning outcomes and client objectives are fully achieved in her training.

Jill is trained in First Aid and is a qualified rescue diver. She is also very interested in the preservation of marine life and coral reefs around the UAE.

Jill joined Spearhead Training in 2006. Her major areas of interest are Business English, Customer Service Training, Customer Relationship Management, and Interpersonal Skills.

Listed below are the Spearhead courses Jill is qualified to deliver:

CUSTOMER SERVICE
> Customer Focused Management
> Etiquette For Excellent Customer Service – For Front Line Staff
> Improving Your Telephone Skills – ‘How To Win and Keep Customers’
> Telephone Skills and Customer Care

ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLS
> Office Management and Effective Administration Skills
> Secretarial Skills
> The Perfect PA

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
> Developing Effective Interpersonal and Communication Skills
> Self and Time Management
> Dealing with Difficult People – Assertiveness Skills

MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP
> How To Conduct Effective Meetings
> Supervisory Management Skills
> Teambuilding & Leadership Skills
> Planning and Organizing Skills

BUSINESS WRITING COURSES
> Professional Business Writing Skills - Letters, Reports, E-mails, Faxes and Memos
> Report Writing
> Writing Powerful Business Letters
> Email Etiquette
> Writing Effective Memos
> Writing Minutes of Meetings

ADDITIONAL COURSES THAT JILL CAN RUN AS IN-COMPANY PROGRAMMES, BASED ON HER PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE BEFORE JOINING SPEARHEAD, ARE AS FOLLOWS:
> Foundation English Language
> BEC (Business English Communication) Cambridge University Examination course
> Banking English
> E-learning English Programme Facilitator
> Grooming for Success
> Greetings & Business Formalities
> Front Office Operations

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