Astrid Russo

Experience

• 

  Learnship

  Chief Of Staff

  Apr 2024 - Present

  Learnship a goFLUENT company: Provides tailored business language and cross-cultural training solutions that empower global teams and drive communication performance across industries.

  • Strategic partner to the CEO during organizational transformation, restructuring and M&A-readiness activities.
  • Directed enterprise-wide coordination across Operations, Finance, Legal, Product and HR to improve executive decision velocity and governance.
  • Led investor and insolvency-stakeholder communications and managed Virtual Data Room and due-diligence readiness.
  • Spearheaded workforce-optimization programs delivering a 39.7% efficiency improvement while maintaining operational continuity.
  • Supported initiatives that helped move EBITDA from negative to positive through operational performance improvements.
• 

  Learnship

  Global Lead Account Operations

  May 2023 - Apr 2024

  • Led global account operations teams across Sales, Product, Finance and Customer Operations in a fast-scaling international SaaS/EdTech environment.
  • Designed and implemented scalable operational frameworks and workflows to support growth and consistent customer experience.
  • Improved operational efficiency by ~35% through workflow redesign, escalation optimization and process standardization.
  • Built leadership capability through mentoring, coaching and targeted development for international team leads.
  • Improved cross-functional alignment by strengthening reporting, SLAs and escalation routes between departments.
• 

  Learnship

  Deputy Team Lead Account Operations

  Nov 2022 - May 2023

  • Supported global operations leadership on escalation management and cross-functional coordination for client accounts.
  • Managed operational process alignment to reduce resolution times and improve service quality.
  • Acted as escalation point between Customer Operations, Product and Sales for complex account issues and process gaps.
  • Coached and supported frontline team leads to improve consistency and execution across regions.
• 

  Learnship

  Continuous Improvement Manager

  Jul 2022 - Nov 2022

  • Led continuous improvement initiatives focused on operational excellence, KPI implementation and scalability.
  • Designed and rolled out performance frameworks and dashboards to track key metrics and improve accountability.
  • Delivered process optimization projects that increased throughput and reduced manual handoffs.
  • Partnered with cross-functional stakeholders to embed repeatable workflows that supported organizational growth and maturity.

• Intersellers GmbH

  Head Of Customer Service (remote)

  Aug 2021 - Jun 2022

  Intersellers GmbH is a company.

  • Built and scaled customer service operations for a high-growth environment, including team structures and onboarding processes.
  • Designed KPI frameworks and dashboards to monitor service quality and SLA compliance.
  • Established onboarding and knowledge-transfer procedures to improve time-to-productivity for new hires.
  • Partnered with Product, Operations and Sales leadership to align customer experience with business growth objectives.

• Intersellers GmbH

  Account Manager (remote)

  Feb 2021 - Jul 2021

  • Managed key customer accounts and acted as primary client contact for escalations and service requests.
  • Facilitated onboarding and handover processes to reduce churn and accelerate time-to-value.
  • Monitored account health and coordinated cross-functional responses to customer issues and feature requests.
  • Supported improvements to SLAs and reporting to increase transparency and partner satisfaction.

• GrapeAlliance

  Sales Operations & Organisation Manager (remote)

  Feb 2020 - Jan 2021

  GrapeAlliance is a company.

  • Supported sales operations and organizational scaling initiatives to improve commercial execution.
  • Coordinated stakeholders across sales, product and operations to streamline processes and improve handoffs.
  • Implemented process improvements that reduced friction in the sales lifecycle and improved data quality.
  • Contributed to go-to-market planning and operational readiness for new commercial activities.

• Astrid Russo

  Freelancer - Consulting Sales & Marketing

  Feb 2020 - Jul 2020

  Astrid Russo is a company.

  • Provided freelance sales and marketing consultancy to clients including GrapeAlliance (ongoing since Feb 2020).
  • Delivered go‑to‑market and sales enablement strategies tailored to client priorities and market context.
  • Advised on customer acquisition tactics, partner outreach and operational improvements to scale revenue.
  • Managed client engagements end-to-end including discovery, roadmap definition and performance tracking.
• 

  trivago

  Hotel Relations Talent Integration & Development

  Jul 2017 - Feb 2020

  Trivago is a leading global hotel search platform focused on reshaping how travelers search for and compare hotels and alternative accommodations.

  • Designed and delivered a full onboarding process and training content for new hires to accelerate ramp-up.
  • Coordinated and led onboarding training sessions and ongoing learning across employee lifecycle topics.
  • Conducted monthly analyses of strengths and weaknesses for ~30 team members to tailor development plans.
  • Served as integration specialist and stakeholder communicator to ensure consistent talent development and retention.
  • Established strategic training settings to support continuous skill development across operations teams.
• 

  trivago

  Hotel Relations - Global Development Operations

  Sep 2015 - Jul 2017

  • Owned Sales Leads Management Intelligence and lead distribution processes to maximize response and conversion.
  • Ensured strong cross-functional collaboration across Recruiting, CRM, Training and Global Operations.
  • Monitored performance and response metrics, troubleshooting issues and communicating with stakeholders.
  • Led new project development, mission definition and roadmapping for process implementations.
  • Recruited, interviewed and selected Project Managers; managed and developed junior project management staff.
• 

  trivago

  Hotel Relations - Performance Maximizer

  Nov 2014 - Sep 2015

  • Established and deployed Sales Teams across multiple countries and regions to scale revenue coverage.
  • Managed a direct team of ~15 sales professionals; conducted recruiting, interviewing and selection to grow the team.
  • Built business cases and led product acquisition pitches to onboard new commercial offerings.
  • Account-managed DACH region partners and set up communication funnels and performance troubleshooting.
  • Designed and delivered sales training to develop team skills and ramp performance.
• 

  trivago

  Strategic Project Development - Hotel Sales

  May 2014 - Nov 2014

  • Led strategic project development to scale a Sales department, including team deployment and operational playbooks.
  • Defined KPIs, targets and performance-control mechanisms to measure and drive commercial outcomes.
  • Performed market segmentation and account assignment to improve coverage and efficiency.
  • Coached and managed a sales team (≈15) on sales tools, processes and commercial strategy.
  • Set global priorities, communication funnels and troubleshooting frameworks to maintain execution discipline.
• 

  Booking.com

  Account Manager

  May 2012 - May 2014

  Founded in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com has grown from a small Dutch startup to one of the world’s leading digital travel companies.

  • Owned partner relationships with hotels in Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia, responsible for acquisition and revenue growth.
  • Regularly visited partner hotels to provide support, drive adoption and meet target KPIs.
  • Developed market‑specific online strategies and monitored performance to maximize revenue.
  • Coached and oversaw Junior Account Managers on performance, targets and development.
  • Led internal projects to improve partner tools and processes while consistently reaching targets.

• Hotel Im Wasserturm

  Reservations & Revenue Manager

  Oct 2011 - May 2012

  Hotel Im Wasserturm is a company.

  • Managed reservations and front-office revenue functions with direct managerial responsibility for multiple staff.
  • Owned rate calculation, rate restructuring and active market analysis to optimize pricing strategy.
  • Prepared quarterly forecasts aligned with annual room budgets and managed allotments and group bookings.
  • Led operational system optimizations and collaborated with Sales to deliver a 15% revenue maximization against target.
  • Hired and developed team members and improved cross-departmental sales processes.

• H'Otello

  Reservations Manager

  Sep 2010 - Oct 2011

  H'Otello is a company.

  • Managed reservations operations, allotments and group room blocks to optimize occupancy and revenue.
  • Executed rate management and forecasting to align with commercial targets.
  • Improved reservation system usage and processes to increase efficiency and reduce booking errors.
  • Collaborated with sales and revenue teams to coordinate distribution and yield management.
• 

  NH Hotel Group

  Assistant Front Desk Manager

  May 2009 - Sep 2010

  Minor Hotels (including NH Hotel Group) is a global hospitality group operating over 540 hotels and resorts across multiple brands, focused on quality guest experiences and international presence.

  • Supervised front-desk operations and supported the Front Office Manager in daily operational delivery.
  • Managed staffing, shift scheduling and training for front-office associates to ensure service consistency.
  • Implemented guest-service initiatives aimed at improving satisfaction and operational flow.
  • Handled guest escalations and coordinated with other departments to resolve service issues quickly.
• 

  Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts

  Guest Relation Supervisor

  Sep 2008 - May 2009

  Banyan Group is an independent, global hospitality company known for design-led experiences, sustainability and a portfolio of hotels and resorts focused on wellbeing and responsible stewardship.

  • Managed guest relations operations delivering high levels of guest satisfaction and service recovery.
  • Coordinated onboarding and training for guest-facing staff to embed Banyan’s service culture and standards.
  • Resolved complex guest issues and served as point of contact between guests and hotel leadership.
  • Supported cross-functional initiatives (F&B, Spa, Sales) to improve guest experience and loyalty.
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  Hilton Worldwide

  Assistant Night Manager

  Mar 2008 - Sep 2008

  Since 1919 Hilton has been a leading global hospitality company operating a broad portfolio of hotel brands worldwide.

  • Supervised night‑time hotel operations ensuring guest safety, service continuity and quality control.
  • Conducted night audits, managed shift handovers and produced operational reports for morning leadership.
  • Handled guest escalations, late‑arrival check‑ins and emergency coordination with security and maintenance.
  • Trained night-shift staff on procedures and standards to maintain consistent guest experience overnight.
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  Hilton Worldwide

  Front Desk Agent Night

  Jul 2007 - Mar 2008

  • Delivered front-desk guest service during night shifts including check‑ins/outs and reservation management.
  • Performed night-audit tasks, accuracy checks and end-of-day financial reconciliations.
  • Responded to guest enquiries and resolved issues or escalated to management as required.
  • Supported upsell opportunities and ensured accurate billing and room-status updates.