Sarah Duncan

My understanding of exceptional service levels and demanding brands was firmly established early in my career spending four years as part of the sales team at Claridge's, then part of the Savoy Group.

From the world of hotels, I joined the opening team of the London Capital Club to work on my first of many membership marketing campaigns.

In the mid 90s, I moved to Asia to head up the membership launch of a pioneering club in Hanoi. From Vietnam I moved onto The American Club in Singapore where I was responsible for introducing new services, programmes and special events to a membership base of over 10,000 people – meeting annual revenue targets exceeding £5million.

During my time in Singapore, I was also employed in a regional membership marketing capacity and worked on club launches and member acquisition programmes in Indonesia and the Philippines.

A stay at the world famous destination spa Chivasom then prompted a move to Bali and a regional sales and marketing role with leading spa operator Mandara Spa (operator of the award-winning spa at the Datai in Langkawi).

Back in the UK in 2002, I worked at the ultra-modern Reebok Sports Club in Canary Wharf (the then largest health and fitness club in Europe) and then the classic environment of the Royal Automobile Club, before setting up my own consultancy Sleeping Lion in 2005.

I am passionate about people and animals (not always in that order!). A couple of years ago, I completed a course in counselling and psychotherapy and am now a telephone counsellor for Childline. I support Oxford University's WildCru and the Born Free Foundation, and for over four years have sponsored a beautiful 14-year-old girl in Ghana called Betieka.