SK Chase Blog

Get to know the team at SK Chase and the roles we play, including the founders, Kaye & Stephanie.

Kaye Taylor, Chair
Stephanie Wilson, Managing Director
Heather Rae, Marketing Manager
Kate Ward, Finance Manager
Daniela Eichberger, Sales & Training Manager
Jan Banks, Service Support Manager
Ben Warren, Service Delivery Manager
Catharine Horn, Service Delivery & Accounts Administrator
Jonathan McElroy, Client Services Manager
Linda Laurens, Client Training Manager

Kaye Taylor
Kaye is the co-founder of SK Chase. In the role as Chair Kaye focuses on the future and vision for SK Chase.

Random things about Kaye…

• I love to dance freestyle in my living-room.
• I love mountains (looking at them or skiing down them – not climbing them).
• My first kiss was with Adam Cocking, aged 12 (same class) in the playground at school in Broadclyst (Devon). School was never the same after that.
• Born in 1970, I was an 80′s girl through and through – and sadly I’ve got the photos to prove it.
• I love business – and am proud to be part of SK Chase.

Stephanie Wilson
Steph is the co-founder and Managing Director of SK Chase which incorporated back in August 2003. The key elements of the MD role include coaching, business planning, managing the team’s energy and holding the current business context.

Random things about Steph…

• I started working hard at a very young age (14) delivering newspapers, eggs and cleaning in a hotel to fund my hectic social life.
• I ‘jumped ship’ from home and school aged 17 to work full time in a hotel despite me and my Mum having made plans for me to go to University so that I could become a languages teacher.
• I love Munro bagging and so far have climbed 7 (at the summit of Ben Vorlich below) of the 283 Munros – it is my intention to climb them all!
• I love the freedom that having your own business brings, from creating a vision (and living it!) to the lovely work / home balance that I can experience.
• The best things in life are spending time with my family and friends, staying fit and healthy and learning new things every day.

Heather Rae
Heather has worked for SK Chase since June 2008 and in addition to helping build gift voucher catalogues is responsible for Marketing. Prior to working for SK Chase, Heather worked for the Town House Collection in Online Marketing.

Random things about Heather…

• My first job was as a ‘trainee housekeeper’ when I was 20, prior to that I used to pretend I had worked in a video shop (I was embarrassed that I hadn’t had a job).
• I grew up in a country called Lesotho in Southern Africa.
• I love to cook, work on sketches and would like to start learning to play the piano.
• The best things in my life are my family, friends, and our health.
• I love my current job, especially building new gift voucher catalogues.

Kate Ward
Kate has worked for SK Chase since December 2008 and first started as a Customer Services Administrator. Since then she has been a Business Support Administrator, Accounts Administrator and has recently taken up her new roles as Finance Manager and HR & Training Manager. Before working for SK Chase Kate had recently graduated from Heriot Watt University with an MA in Management.

Random things about Kate…

• My favourite film of all time in “It’s a Wonderful Life” which I watch pretty much every Christmas Eve.
• I have a scar under my left eye, which can only be seen when I cry, which I got from falling out of the doorstep and hitting my eye off a plant pot when I was two.
• I am getting married in 2012 at Balbirnie House Hotel.
• My role in SK Chase is so varied that each day I am excited to come into work to see what the day brings which I have never experience before.
• I am planning on running the Glasgow 10k in 2011 in aid of Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Daniela Eichberger
Daniela has worked for SK Chase since March 2010 and is responsible for new sales enquiries, setting up new clients on the gift voucher catalogue and portal and providing training to new and existing clients. Prior to working for SK Chase, Daniela worked for Hilton Hotels in Austria and UK as well as the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum in various departments from Front of House, Sales, Events Management, Yield Management and F&B.

• If I turned out a boy, my name would have been “Siegfried” because of “Siegfried – The Dragon Slayer” in The Song of the Nibelungs. Once my mum found out I was a girl, she wanted to call me “Sandra”, however my grandfather couldn’t pronounce my name, hence I got the name Daniela. As if that’s easier to pronounce
• The first job I had was in my dad’s bakery in Vienna. I got up at 2am in the morning to help my dad bake donuts, cookies and help glazing the pastries. After finishing working in the bakery, I went straight to school trying not to fall asleep. Everyone was teasing me at school because of my smell of donuts. I was very “sweet” back then.
• My bravest thing yet was to approach a cute guy on my way to work on the tube. He was sitting opposite of me on the tube, so I wrote him a note that said: “In case you’re single give me a call” and I included my telephone number. When my tube stop approached, I handed him my note and said “cute jacket”. Then I left and smiled. He called me the same day and wanted to take me out for a picnic on the weekend. Unfortunately his voice was too girlie for me, so the picnic never happened.
• I once cut out a coupon from the Metro newspaper for a free “creative” haircut. The hair cut was very creative indeed and asymmetrical as you can see from the picture. I thought the hair dresser had forgotten to cut off the length on the other side but apparently this was the latest trend. I was so embarrassed when I turned up to work, that I was trying to hide the part that was longer with my hands. It didn’t take long for anyone to notice and I got silly remarks for the weeks to come.
• I love working for SK Chase because we work together with our clients and together as a team. My job is ultra cool as I get to work from home as well as travel to my clients. Best of all, are my lovely colleagues, they are so awesome, fun and inspiring! No day is ever the same here at SK Chase.

Jan Banks
Jan is the Service Support Manager in SK Chase having joined the team in April 2010 and takes on a support role in many other functions as well. This is Jan’s first full time employment since graduating from Edinburgh University with a MA(hons) in Business Studies.

Random things about Jan…

• I was very proud and honoured to be chosen as Penicuik Hunter’s Lass 2007, an age old tradition in my home town of Penicuik.
• I can still recognise every single Edinburgh crystal pattern after working at their Visitor Centre for 3 years, before it closed down in 2006.
• I am a qualified gymnastics coach, and help to run a club in Penicuik. I’ve grown out of my leotard now but used to compete as well!
• I love art and I’d love to be able to sell my own drawings and paintings one day…if I could only find the time!
• I feel privileged to be part of the SK Chase team, the best part of the job is the people I work with!

Ben Warren
Ben has been with SK Chase since April 2010 as Service Delivery Manager and a support in Client Services, IT and Training, having spent 4 years working in IT in web design, data management and web design, followed by 8 years building a career in hospitality.

Random things about Ben…

• My earliest ambition was to become a milkman.
• My favourite film is The Big Lebowski – which has lead me to become ordained as a minister of ‘Dudeism,’ and means I can legally preside over wedding ceremonies in many states of America.
• As well as playing guitar, drums and piano I sing in a band and have written and recorded music for 2 short films.
• I cook the finest lasagna known to mankind, adapted over many years from a recipe in the 1989 Garfield annual.
• While working as a butler, I trekked 100 miles across the desert with my ironing board in tow, and indulged in some Extreme Ironing in the sand dunes in full butler attire.
• My job at SK Chase combines all the best bits of every job I’ve ever had and I love the culture which makes me feel like we can accomplish anything.

Catharine Horn
Catharine’s role at SK Chase is Service Delivery and Accounting Administrator and she deals with client queries and also assists with finance and service support tasks. She worked as the Christmas Temp at SK Chase for November and December 2010. Aside working as a ski teacher during the holidays, this is her first full time employment since graduating from Heriot Watt University in 2009 with an MA (hons) in International Management with Languages, then from Edinburgh University in 2010 with a Masters in Sports Politics and Business Management.

Random things about Catharine:

• I love sport, in particular skiing, mountain biking, trail running and rowing, and continue to train and compete in running events and adventure races to this day.
• I am bilingual in French and English, having grown up in the French Alps. Check out Polaire Star – our family run ski business!
• I raced at Henley Women’s Regatta in 2010 (rowing), narrowly being beaten by Bristol who went on to win!
• I am really outdoorsy and up for any challenge. I want to complete the “Marathon des Sables” one day
• I’m so excited to be back at SK Chase permanently, I love my new role, every day is different. I love learning new things especially all the finance bits! But most importantly I love my super duper work colleagues/ homies!

Jonathan McElroy
Jonathan joined SK Chase in June 2012 as Client Services Manager. Based in London, Jonathan works together with our clients to optimise their gift voucher sales.

Random things about Jonathan:

• I have mild (if it’s possible to have mild!) Bambakomallophobia (cotton wool phobia!)
• Aged 22 I went away travelling with 3 friends for a year.  We went to South America, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, China, South East Asia, before flying back from Thailand just shy of 365 days.  It was the most amazing experience of my life, meeting some great people, experiencing a variety of different cultures, seeing some wonderful things and generally living in ultimate freedom!
• I like to get out and about and go walking, whether wandering through London, different parts of the UK or overseas, I like to try an incorporate some exploring of areas on foot!
• When on holiday in the US and on a lengthy 9 hour drive, I managed to get through a 1120 cheesy ball (35 oz.) tub in roughly 4 hours.  Pretty sure it would have comfortably fed a medium-size family for a whole week, but at the time and with lack of alternatives en route, they were the most moreish thing on the planet!  (see picture of me with the tub!)
• In 2008 I nearly followed in my dad’s footsteps by entering into the Police force.  I sat and passed the Police Assessment Centre, however, before any start dates I chose not to follow that path.
• I couldn’t be happier to be working at SK Chase, and I’m looking forward to the time ahead with great excitement!

Linda Laurens
Linda hails from Limerick, the home of Munster Rugby, Terry Wogan and the late Richard Harris (who played Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter movies). Linda joined the SK Chase team in August 2012 having spent the previous 3 years working as a Travel and Tourism lecturer in her local Further Education College. Linda has worked in a range of learning and development roles within the Travel and Tourism industry since 1990.

Random things about Linda…

• My parents used to call me Phileas Fogg because everytime I called them, I was living somewhere else.
• I didn’t realise that there was a place called Wimbledon Common when I was growing up (having only watched the tennis at Wimbledon) and for years was under the misconception that the Wombles must have had very bad manners. It wasn’t until years later that I realised that in the theme song,  they were singing – “the Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we” rather than “The Wombles of Wimbledon; common are we”.
• I won a talent contest at the age of 8 (for singing) and was awarded my first ever trophy. On bringing home the trophy, I wondered what would happen if I dropped it. So I did. And it broke.
• I love living on the South Coast and find nothing more invigorating than a walk by the sea when the wind is up and the waves are crashing.  Followed of course by a nice cup of coffee and a slice of lemon cake.
• I love music and dance and have been known to bust a few moves from time to time.
• I’m delighted to be working with the SK Chase team and look forward to working with you all!