Katie Garrahy, Senior Client Programme Manager, SilverDoor and winner of the ITM ‘One to Watch’ Award in 2023 

What did it mean to you, to win the ITM ‘One to Watch’ Award last year?

It was such a surprise to win and it meant so much to me. Winning the award represented the culmination of a year of a lot of hard work and professional growth, but also a year when I have had to overcome various personal challenges, in particular, feelings of self-doubt, but to walk up on stage and accept the award was amazing. 

Has winning the award helped you in your professional life?

Winning the award has changed a lot of things for me: it has really bolstered my understanding of my strengths and capabilities; it’s given me a new-found confidence which has permeated through my work.

I am more comfortable now about putting myself forwards for things that I might not have done before, taking on new challenges that move me out of my comfort zone. It has also helped me build my network of people and peers in the industry to support me, which has, in turn, presented new business opportunities. I have also been promoted to Senior Client Programme Manager at SilverDoor and I am managing relationships with some of our largest global clients. 

If I hadn’t completed the ITM Mentoring Programme and won this award, I think I would have been a bit intimidated by the role. To sum up, I would say that the process has been transformative in terms of my professional life. 

What have been the highlights of the last eight months since you won the award?

The main highlight has been my promotion to Senior Client Programme Manager. I am working with clients that I previously only dreamt of working with when I was younger, and I am involved in some really innovative projects – for example SilverDoor is rolling out its API to clients which is really gamechanging. 

Another big highlight for me, since winning the award, was SilverDoor’s Partner Engagement Day when I was asked to moderate a panel session with four of our clients, discussing industry trends and key topics in front of an audience of 100 people. Previously I would not have had the confidence to do something like that, and I would have assumed that I would mess it up. But I thought about what my ITM Mentor, Leanne Fowler, would tell me to do. She would say “give it a go.” So I did, and it was a huge success. 

What are you looking forward to in 2024?

I am looking forward to working with our clients this year, and continuing to find new opportunities for my own professional development. What I’ve learned through the ITM Mentoring process is that you never stop learning, there is always room to improve. Everyone has things that they are good at, and areas that they find more challenging. So it’s good to keep working on those areas. I am also looking forward to the ITM Conference in April and re-engaging with everyone in the business travel community at the various networking opportunities, as well as getting more insights into different aspects of our industry in the conference sessions. And of course, I am looking forward to this year’s ITM Achievement Awards, as it’s such a great way to celebrate the accomplishments over the last year of individuals and teams in our industry. 

What would you say to anyone thinking of entering the ITM Achievement Awards this year? 

I would say 100% do it! Often the fear of failure stops people putting themselves forwards. But I would urge you to enter. It’s also a good way to look back on the last year and document everything that you have done. It might come as a surprise to see what you have achieved, because when you are working day to day, and living in the moment, you don’t appreciate the big picture of everything that you have accomplished. I didn’t think I would win, but I did. My advice is that you should definitely give it a go; you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain! 

The ITM Achivement Awards 2024 takes place Friday 21 June. You can view all of our award categories and nominate here.