Margherita
Russo

Catania,
Italy. Tel.: +39 3701351187 [email protected]

Multilingual
language specialist with expertise in customer service, training
international staff, international tourism and in international
relations. Impeccable communicative and organizational skills coupled
with creativity and independence.

HIGHLIGHTS

•
Impressive
international experience: culture-sensitive, comfortable in all
cultural and linguistic contexts.

•
Demonstrated
ability in troubleshooting problems as well as implementing creative
and effective solutions.

•
A
confident, versatile motivator, results-driven, creative, high
performer, perfectionist.

PROFESSIONAL
EXPERIENCE – CUSTOMER SERVICE

June
Sept 2015 Barcelona, Spain Booking.com
French
speaking Customer Services Executive

►Managed
reservations inquiries by inbound call or email. Topics included
special requests, date changes, cancellations, refunds, damages and
situations of distress. I applied company policies as well as adapted
the best solution according to individual circumstances.

•
First point of contact for partners and customers

•
Implemented solutions to controversies according
to the company’s guidelines

•
Promoted company’s services to customers and
partners.

(As
the contract at Booking was seasonal, in Aug 2015 I attended a
professional training at Hospital
Universitari Sagrat Cor - Grupo Quirónsalud
in Barcelona with a view of joining their Patient Services team in
Palma de Mallorca the following Autumn, but I then declined to join
in order to come back home to Italy for family reasons.)

2011-
2013 Chiang Mai, Thailand Chiang Mai
Lanna Business Services Ltd.

Back
Office Executive

►Transition
management: up-started a new Italian team. Localized and adapted
existing processes for remote business solutions of virtual office
and remote administration tailored to small and medium enterprises.
My main role was to create a page tailored for each customer that
would pop up each time a secretary answered a call for that specific
customer, containing all necessary infrmation and instructions for
the secretary to apply during the call.

•
Trained and supervised new Italian staff and
liaised with German and Thai staff.

•
Converted customers’ demands into easy-to follow
processes for the team.

•
Managed all branch office communication

2009-
2010 Singapore Visa inc.

Customer
Service Senior Executive

►
First point of reference for customer inquiries
and emergency services.

•
Revitalized relationships with Italian banks,
streamlining service levels.

•
Devised original solutions for procedural
deficiencies causing loss of revenue.

2008-
2009 Singapore Ariba Singapore Pte.

Customer
Support Assistant

►
B2B technical support of an IT suite for business
sourcing, activities involved telephone and written communication in
Italian, English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, occasionally in
other languages.

2007-
2008 Gurgaon, India Jet2.com

Multilingual
Customer Service Team Leader

►
Successfully tackled the transition and launch of
a 20+ European team in India. Localized and adapted booking service
processes in Italian, French, German and Spanish. Supervised and
implemented Quality control for staff conducting airline inquiries,
passengers’ services and reservations.

•
Trained and supervised new staff.

•
Liaised with local Indian staff as well as the
British airline.

•
Managed the implementation of the new system.

2004-2007 Europe,
different locations EF
Educational Tours, Travelsphere
Holidays

Tour
Manager

►Escorted
and organized activities for tour groups averaging 50 pax. Most
customers were from the USA, a large part from the UK and a smaller
percentage of Canadians and French tourists. I provided cultural
explanations with anecdotes and entertainment during long bus
transfers. I ensured safety and punctuality, briefing the group about
practical aspects of the trip.

•
Consistently delighted customers

•
50%+ repeated business

•
Efficient crisis management.

2001-2002 Vienna,
Austria United Nations,
Conference Services

Conference
Services Senior Assistant

►
Secured the success of high-level international
conferences. Temporary contract organized by the Vienna Diplomatic
Academy.

2000–2001 Vienna,
Austria United Nations,
office of the Director General

Protocol
Assistant/Security Assistant

►
Facilitated communication between the UN Chief of
Protocol and Chief of Security and local authorities. Temporary
contract organized by the Vienna Diplomatic Academy.

PROFESSIONAL
EXPERIENCE - OTHER

2016-present Catania,
Italy L.I.Services

English/Italian
language teacher

►EFL
language teacher ► Teaching Italian/English to both individual and
groups of adults. Working with students with specific vocational
needs, preparing work presentations, fluency and grammar lessons,
etc. Creating material as well as following a set curriculum.

•
Organizing language activities.

•
Creating tailor-made activities and assignments
for all Italian language courses

•
Creating tailor-made supplementary material for
English courses

•
Classroom management.

•
Blended Learning Assistance

1991-present (remote) Freelance

Professional
Translator English-Italian.

►Legal
documents, marketing text translation, website localization,
subtitling and voice-over. I work with agencies and clients from all
over Italy and the world. I also provide language services to many of
the companies I have worked at abroad.

2010-2011 Singapore Scuola
Italiana di Singapore

Italian
language teacher

►Planned
and delivered Italian lessons for adults and children. Students
included children of diplomats and Italian expatriates in Singapore,
as well as local staff employed by Italian companies in Singapore.
Most of my students, both adults and children, were affiliated with
the “Scuola Italiana”.

•
Organizing language activities.

•
Creating tailor-made activities.

•
Classroom management.

2003-2004 Qingdao,
China International House
Qingdao

English
language teacher

►I
taught individual and small group courses to various levels, the
students generally needed language skills for culture, business,
fluency and grammar, etc. My students normally came from Asia, China,
Korea and Japan.

1998-
2001 Vienna, Austria Mind and More
(affiliate of The Open University)

Business
Italian language teacher at various
companies, including Telekom Austria, Wagon Lits, BankAustria

►Planned
and delivered Italian lessons for adult in-company courses. I taught
both individual and groups with various language levels and company
positions. These courses were aimed at language needs which included;
being able to communicate with Italian colleagues, participating in
Austrian/Italian training courses, socializing with Italian
customers/colleagues and relocation to Italy.

•
Creating tailor-made activities.

•
Classroom management.

ACADEMIC
PROFILE

2012
(March) Brisbane, Australia NAATI Certification for Professional
Translator English>Italian

2003
(May) Bangkok, Thailand ECC (Thailand) Cambridge CELTA grade B

1999
– 2000 Vienna, Austria Vienna Diplomatic Academy MAIS/Master of
Advanced International

Studies

1998
– 1999 Vienna, Austria Vienna Diplomatic Academy M.A./Diploma in
International Relations

1992
– 2002 Catania, Italy University of Catania Laurea/Political
Science.110/110 Cum Laude

1988
– 1991 Purchase NY SUNY - State University of New York BA Social
Science and the Arts,

Cum
Laude

LANGUAGES

Mother-tongue
Italian

English
C2

French
C1

Spanish
B2

German
B2

Portuguese,
Russian, Greek B1

Thai,
Hindi A2

Hungarian,
Japanese, Mandarin and Arabic A1.2

LEADERSHIP,
COMMUNITY, SELF-DEVELOPEMENT

2011-2013
Volunteer at Bali Spirit Festival, Ubud, Indonesia & Yoga Mala
Chiang Mai, Thailand

2010-2014
Yoga teacher for disabilities, SAVH Singapore/Northern School for the
blind Chiang Mai, TH

2005
Tsunami relief volunteer for NGO Secours Populaire, Kuraburi,
Thailand

2004
AIDS awareness volunteer for NGO Humana People to People, Denmark

2003-
2004 Freelance Yoga and Pilates instructor

2002-
2003 Travels around the world (especially Asia and the Pacific)

2000
Traineeship Delegation EU Commission to the International
Organizations, UN Division

1999
Internship, UN Department of Political Affairs, Europe and Americas
Division.

1997
Volunteer and Italian teacher for NGO SOS Children Village
Wienerwald, Austria

1998-1991
Italian tutor for student association at SUNY State University of New
York