Talk to an Inntel expert
Meet Tiffany Casson, one of our fantastic Client Relationship Managers at Inntel. Tiffany is also a champion of neurodiversity in our industry, and a voluntary ambassador for Neurodiversity in Business (NiB), a forum that shares good practice on neurodiversity in recruitment, retention and empowerment.
Tiffany will be the first to tell you she’s not a medical expert on the subject. What she does have is a passion to make the corporate travel and events industry a more inclusive place for neurodivergent people, thanks to her lived experience of neurodiversity at home.
I don’t pretend to have all the answers, I’m not an expert but I can just speak from lived experience. Back in the summer of 2022 I’d been feeling a little bit stuck in routine, my 50th birthday was approaching and I wanted to make a difference, so I decided to channel my energy into something positive. I’d joined NIB as an individual and then asked Inntel’s CEO, Douglas O’Neill, if we could join as an organisation. I wanted to promote the benefits of a neurodiverse workforce and Douglas was so supportive, he made some introductions to people at associations like the BTA and ITM and GBTA and they’ve been incredible. Through them, I’ve taken part in some fantastic panel discussions with amazing people – I have imposter syndrome half the time but I’ve felt like I’ve helped to make a difference and loved every minute! I love having a sense of purpose that isn’t only about my day-to-day role. I’m just trying to help educate really. There’s a long way to go but we are moving in the right direction.
11 years now and it’s flown by!
It’s completely evolved. Technology in travel is key and we’ve matched that with our software products. But the biggest thing for us is that the heart of Inntel is still the people – that’s the difference. That’s why I’ve stayed here for 11 years. It might sound like a cliché, but I call my colleagues and clients my Inntel family. The support they’ve given me, both professionally and personally, has been amazing.
The company has expanded and kept up with trends and technology for the future of business travel, but we’ve not lost our core values. Inntel is all about people, and people that care. I genuinely care for my clients – they’re more than just clients, we know each other really well.
One of the things I like most about Inntel is that if there’s a trend or a change coming, we can react quickly. Of course, there are lines of hierarchy but our senior leadership team is always easily approachable. It doesn’t matter what title you have, it’s just about people talking together. This means it’s easy to implement something different. When customers come to me with something that isn’t the norm in our service, we can adapt and tailor our offering to suit what they need.
Without a doubt, it’s winning the special Chair’s Award at the 2023 Business Travel People Awards! To receive recognition for encouraging a better understanding of neurodiversity was a truly special life moment because it’s a cause that means so much to me. To be up there with all these incredible people in the industry was such an honour. I felt so proud to win something as part of Inntel because they have provided such incredible support, and for others to see and value the efforts we’d made was amazing. Creating change is all about collaboration and bringing people together.
I would say to educate yourself and just be kind. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes – think about how you could help to make things better for them and reach out if you can.
Outside of work I’m basically a full-time dance mum! My two daughters have been going to dance classes since they were toddlers. Now they’re teenagers and both do classes five times a week plus competitions – one of them teaches too. If I could bottle the feeling I get when I watch those girls dance, I’d sell it and be a millionaire! My best role is being a mum.
Actually, I used to be a bit of dancer myself. I did tap dancing classes until I was 17 – I could probably still knock out a little tap dance if I was persuaded! Another thing most people probably don’t know is that when I was 21, I lived in China for a year. As part of my Hospitality Management Degree, I did a year out working at the Crowne Plaza in Shanghai. I learnt to speak Mandarin – I’m not sure I could speak it now though!