Abby Penston brings a wealth of experience from her dynamic career in the travel and business sectors, where her strategic leadership, negotiation skills, and resilience have set her apart. She has a proven track record of driving company growth, transforming businesses into independent, competitive entities, and increasing revenue through powerful partnerships and strategic collaboration.

Abby has worked closely with 57 SME business owners, ensuring their supply chains were robust and well-connected. Her ability to negotiate large-scale contracts—including securing £1 billion in contracts—allowed these SMEs to remain competitive within a collective buying group. Through this approach, she has enabled smaller organisations to punch above their weight in the marketplace.

Her expertise extends to partnering with organisations within the travel industry, where she has strengthened company offerings while simultaneously building her own brand. Abby's leadership has propelled businesses to award-winning status, as she fosters strong alliances that enhance service capabilities and elevate brand recognition.

Throughout her career, Abby has excelled at taking companies from dependency to independence, strategically positioning them to grow revenue and expand market share. By asking critical growth-focused questions, she guides business leaders through transformative strategies:

• Is your company poised to achieve full independence and stand out in a competitive market?

• How can you leverage industry partnerships to strengthen your brand and increase revenue?

• Are your supply chain and service offerings positioned to meet both current demand and future growth?

• What strategic investments are you making to ensure your business thrives beyond its immediate challenges?

Abby’s hands-on approach, combined with her industry knowledge, has earned her multiple awards, including the ITM Resilience Award and the Focus Travel Partnerships Special Chairman's Award, recognising her exceptional contributions during the global pandemic and her commitment to helping businesses navigate through unprecedented challenges.

Throughout her career, Abby has honed her conflict management skills, turning challenging situations into opportunities for growth and improvement. In her roles as Managing Director and as Director of Business Travel, she resolved conflicts arising from varied stakeholder interests, intense market pressures and complex operational challenges. During the pandemic, Abby successfully mediated between TMCs, suppliers, and clients to align interests and maintain productive relationships, ensuring that all parties were able to work collaboratively despite the immense stress and uncertainty.

As the former CEO of The Focus Travel Partnership, Abby demonstrated exceptional skills in strategy development, guiding 57 independent Travel Management Companies through a rapidly changing and highly unpredictable business environment. She spearheaded initiatives to redefine business models, identify new revenue streams, and implement digital transformation strategies to ensure business continuity and long-term growth. Abby’s strategic approach is always focused on balancing immediate needs with future opportunities, allowing businesses to adapt quickly while maintaining a clear vision for sustainable success.

Abby Penston’s career is marked not only by her personal achievements but also by her ability to build and empower award-winning teams. Her management style is widely recognised among her peers as one that focuses on identifying talent and nurturing it to its fullest potential. Abby’s leadership is rooted in the belief that empowered, supported teams drive business success, and this philosophy has had a profound impact on the organisations she leads.

By fostering an environment of trust, support, and development, Abby ensures that each team member not only excels individually but also contributes significantly to the company’s overall output and success. Her approach involves:

• Identifying and nurturing talent: Abby has a keen eye for spotting potential in her team members and providing them with the tools, resources, and opportunities they need to grow.

• Empowerment through trust and autonomy: Abby encourages her teams to take ownership of their roles and make strategic decisions, creating a culture where individuals feel empowered to innovate and contribute at the highest level.

• Supportive leadership: Abby's coaching extends beyond traditional management; she provides constant mentorship and development opportunities, allowing her teams to thrive in dynamic and high-pressure environments.

This management style has led to a consistent increase in business output and overall performance, as her teams are equipped to tackle challenges with confidence and creativity. The success of Abby's approach is further demonstrated by the awards her teams have earned, underlining the fact that empowered teams are not just productive, but capable of achieving extraordinary results.

By creating an organisational culture focused on collaboration, development, and recognition, Abby has established a leadership model that directly influences business growth, ensuring her teams are not just talented but actively driving the company towards excellence.

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Abby Penston’s leadership style is rooted in the power of relationships, especially during high-stress situations. Her ability to listen, consult, and collaborate has become a defining characteristic of her success. One of Abby’s core strengths is her capacity to recognise when individuals are under pressure, and rather than allowing stress to overwhelm them, she reaches out with support and guidance. This ensures not only the individual’s well-being but also the health and resilience of the organisation as a whole.

In high-pressure moments, Abby employs these key approaches:

• Listening: Abby understands that listening carefully—especially when stress is high—can make the difference between someone feeling overwhelmed or empowered. By truly hearing the concerns of her team and partners, she helps them find clarity in challenging situations.

• Consulting: Abby’s leadership is also consultative; she doesn’t simply give orders. Instead, she creates an open space where ideas can be shared, and solutions can be built collaboratively. This creates a sense of ownership within the team and boosts morale, even in crisis scenarios.

• Collaboration: Abby knows that the best outcomes often arise from teamwork. During stressful periods, she focuses on bringing the right people together, ensuring that everyone’s skills and expertise are harnessed for collective success.

One of her most notable accomplishments was leading 57 Travel Management Companies (TMCs) through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which tested the resilience of the entire travel industry. In this time of crisis, Abby’s leadership shone. She implemented crisis management frameworks, developed cost-saving measures, and fostered knowledge-sharing among industry members, ensuring not only survival but the future growth of the organisations under her guidance.

Abby’s ability to remain calm, decisive, and compassionate under pressure has made her a respected leader. She reaches her team and partners through active listening, providing the right support when needed most, and cultivating an atmosphere of collaboration that drives progress—even in the most challenging of times.

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Abby Penston is an accomplished business leader and speaker with over 20 years of experience across the travel and engineering sectors. As a passionate advocate for effective leadership and diversity in the workplace, Abby is available to speak at events on a variety of engaging topics.

Key Speaking Topics Include:

• Leadership Skills: Abby shares insights on developing effective leadership qualities that drive team performance and organisational success.

• Managing Complex Teams: With her extensive experience, Abby discusses strategies for leading diverse and complex teams, focusing on fostering collaboration and communication.

• Navigating Different Demographics: Abby addresses the importance of understanding and managing the varying demographics within the workforce, highlighting how to leverage these differences for business advantage.

• Socio-Economic Differences in the Workplace: She explores the impact of socio-economic diversity on team dynamics and performance, offering practical solutions to benefit from these differences.

• Women in Leadership Roles: As a proponent of female empowerment, Abby shares her journey and the unique challenges faced by women in leadership positions, providing inspiration and actionable advice for aspiring leaders.

• Non-Traditional Path to CEO: Abby’s own non-traditional route to becoming a CEO provides valuable lessons on resilience, adaptability, and the importance of diverse experiences in shaping effective leaders.

By sharing her wealth of knowledge and experience, Abby Penston inspires and equips audiences to embrace diversity, enhance their leadership skills, and navigate the complexities of today’s business environment.