APEX in Profile: Nicole Grainger
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Nicole Grainger
Business Development Manager
Satellite Solutions and Cabin Services
Rockwell Collins‘ Information Management Services
Nicole joined ARINC in 2006 as EMEA Marketing Promotions Manager. In 2009 Nicole transferred to the ARINC Satellite Communications team. Now a proud member of the Rockwell Collins family, Nicole is a business development manager, responsible for ensuring the voice of the customer remains at the forefront of all product and strategic decisions within the Cabin Services Business unit.
Most comfortable flight you’ve ever had?
For me most flights are pretty comfortable as I’m not blessed with height so I always have lots of legroom. I recently flew to LAX with Air New Zealand and was travelling in economy with their sky couch product, and I slept for nearly the whole way as I was able to curl up and really sleep – something that I’m not used to with most other economy products. I’m not sure whether this is a good or bad thing, but the FSM onboard came up and awarded me the unofficial “most natural sleep award!” Hopefully it was just that I looked comfy – that’s what I’m sticking to anyway!
Something that never ceases to amaze you in your industry of work?
One of the things that really amazes me is the fact that once this industry takes hold of you, you sort of become addicted to it. Each element of the industry is exciting: the technologies and services available, the evolution of products and services, the future of the overall aircraft cabin experience. The people are great and it’s just so dynamic and interesting that it’s hard to imagine life without it really.
I have been in the industry for a short while (seven years) compared to some of our longer-term friends, and I love seeing new people come in. Through speaking to them, I start to experience it all through fresh eyes again and realize that I’m really very lucky to work in this industry.
First travel memory?
My family traveled a lot when I was younger due to my father’s work so I spent a lot of time in the US and Asia. I lived in California for a few years, leaving when I was six. I remember talking to the cabin crew about where we were going and why. My mum suggested to me that I draw the crew some pictures – an ingenious trick to keep children quiet on planes as I now know!
I drew the crew so many pictures and for those of you who know me, you can imagine that I was rather chatty as a three-year-old so I managed to persuade the crew to get me into the flight deck to meet the captain (who I also gave a picture to). This was obviously the most exciting that had happened to me in my life, and I kept telling my mum all about it! Once the flight was over and we landed the captain gave me the flight plan route map for our flight, which I still have.
The career path you considered but never followed?
Unknown to most in the industry, I am a keen singer and have sung for a very long time, starting a middle school. Before starting university I took a gap year where I was in a few bands and did a lot of musical theatre with local companies in the South of the UK.
I considered going to music college or getting a musical theatre degree, but after getting accepted to a couple of schools I decided I didn’t want to turn something I loved into something I had to do to survive. It would take the fun out of it for me. So I went to university and studied marketing and now here I am!