Katja Ahola
About Katja Ahola
Katja Ahola is the Senior Business Development Manager for the Nordic Market at Expedia Group, with extensive experience in account management and business development across various companies in London.
Senior Business Development Manager – Expedia Group
Since 2022, Katja Ahola has been serving as a Senior Business Development Manager for the Nordic Market at Expedia Group, based in London, England. In this role, she oversees business development strategies focused on driving growth in the Nordic region. Her responsibilities include acquiring new partners, expanding product supply, and maximizing revenue opportunities. Katja collaborates with cross-functional teams across various locations to ensure successful onboarding and market adaptation.
Previous Roles and Experience
Katja Ahola has accumulated a diverse range of experience across multiple roles in the travel and tourism industry. She served as Senior Account Manager for EMEA at City Wonders from 2021 to 2022, a Sales Manager at QuMind from 2020 to 2021, and a Business Development Manager for UK & Ireland at Klook from 2018 to 2020. Earlier in her career, she held positions at TripAdvisor as an Account Manager for UK, Ireland & Finland, and Radisson Blu Edwardian as an E-commerce Assistant in Online Travel Sales. She also has experience as a Group Travel Consultant at Scancoming UK and various other roles supporting the travel sector.
Education and Certifications
Katja Ahola's educational background includes a Bachelor's Degree in Tourism and Travel Services Management from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, where she studied from 2009 to 2012. She also attained a 200-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT®) certification from Drishti Beats Registered Yoga School after completing training in Yoga Teacher Training/Yoga Therapy in 2020. Before her higher education, she completed her high school education at Vaskivuori Upper Secondary School in Helsinki, Finland, from 2005 to 2008.
Revenue and Growth Achievements
Throughout her career, Katja Ahola has made significant contributions to revenue and growth in her roles. Notably, she achieved a 201% year-over-year increase in product supply in her assigned territories. During 2018-2019, she managed key and long-tail accounts resulting in a revenue growth of over 360%. Additionally, she exceeded a yearly sales incentive override set by a top supply partner by 25% and successfully negotiated a 5% commission increase by getting them into a Preferred Partner Program in 2019.
Leadership and Team Management
Katja Ahola has demonstrated strong leadership and team management abilities, particularly in her role at Klook where she built and led the UK & Ireland business development team. She was responsible for managing a team of four direct reports and overseeing the 'Attractions & Shows' vertical in Western Europe. Her role involved optimizing activities, managing finance queries, liaising with legal teams to finalize cooperation agreements, and participating in marketing campaigns.