Introducing Catriona MacKay, Miconex Client Success Manager
Catriona Mackay joined Miconex as full time Client Success Manager in 2021. Many of you will already know Catriona, or Cat, as she has been working with Miconex in a freelance capacity since 2015. We took a moment to catch up with Cat and find out more her journey with Miconex so far, and her plans for the future:
“I was involved with Miconex from its very early days in Perth, mainly doing digital marketing, we would be involved in events for the city like the Christmas lights switch on. At that time, Leigh was the City Centre Manager for Perth and Kinross Council and was in charge of organising the events so we’ve known each other for quite some time now. I would do photography and live coverage for these events. It was great fun seeing behind the scenes and meeting up with some of the celebrities and seeing what they are like in real life, of course I would never tell! Events are one of my main passions, I love live gigs and festivals and capturing special moments with people and families. It takes so many people, plus a lot of hard work, to create events and I really feel for events professionals just now, from sound engineers to artists, security and stage set up. The events industry has been hit hard by Covid and there is still so much uncertainty for them.
“It was around this time that Colin, managing director of Miconex, told me about this idea he had for a gift card for Perth. I said ‘that’s a brilliant idea’, the Perth Gift Card launched in 2015 but we really had no idea at that time how successful it would become. Over the years, I’ve been involved in many different aspects of Miconex operations, from customer service and photography to gift card fulfilment and social media.
“My original career was as a chef in the restaurant and hotel trade. I wanted a job where I could work in the mornings and received training from the head chef. I found that I loved it and was never really flustered by the busy kitchen. It suited me. I worked as a chef for 25 years, later working more on the nutrition side, including with the elderly, people with eating disorders and in a school for vulnerable young people.
“The school role was my last as a chef and it was hugely rewarding, building relationships with the kids, making sure they were eating proper food. Whatever your role was at the school, everyone pitched in, and it was like being a part of a big dysfunctional family. Like many people, I was furloughed in June last year, before redundancy and it was then that I took a more permanent role at Miconex on the client success side of the business, making sure our programmes around the UK and Ireland run smoothly.
“The whole concept of supporting local has become so much more important now and I love to hear the stories behind why people buy their gift cards. Someone might ring up who received the gift card as a wedding present, and wants to take her husband out for a meal and to see a show. In my new role as Client Services Manager, I’m enjoying building relationships with clients and working on client success campaigns. Christmas is one of my favourite times of year, so the Great Christmas Quiz was fun to work on. I’m also enjoying our national School Superheroes campaign, where families can nominate anyone that works in a school for an award. Kids have needed more support than ever this year, and the stories we’re hearing are so poignant.
“Because of my time as a chef, I have an affinity for hospitality and hotels. They’ve had an incredibly tough time during the lockdowns, with stock and barrels of drink bought in that had to be discarded, and for their staff too. All businesses have done a fantastic job during the pandemic. They’ve done what they had to do to survive. In Perth, we can see that people are getting out and about again, consumer confidence is returning. It’s a great city with so many independents, like Café Tabou, Tabla and Precious Sparkle. Business owners pour their heart and soul into what they do and I’m privileged to work alongside them and our clients at Miconex.”