Her current responsibilities include Britain brand strategy and brand partnerships, stakeholder relations, corporate communications and consumer PR. She leads VisitBritain’s crisis communications and chairs the Tourism Industry Emergency Response Group (TIER). Sandie grew up in Sri Lanka and was educated in Scotland, graduating from Edinburgh University with MA in German and English Literature. Her first job was with the BBC World Service, following which she worked in publicity , marketing and press roles in book publishing and tourism, including the Book Marketing Council, the English Tourist Board and the London Tourist Board.

VisitBritain is responsible for promoting Britain as a world class tourist destination and for developing England’s visitor economy. It has representatives in 36 countries around the world and, in the last three years, has expanded into China, throughout Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia, and increased its presence in India with representatives in Bangalore and Mumbai. Awarded World’s Leading Tourism Authority Internet Site for the third year in a row, VisitBritain’s 46 www.visitbritain.com websites provide information in 26 different languages to over 12 million users.