Summary

• Leveraging analytical skills and customer focus t develop and deliver innovative business solutions that improve customer experience and increase efficiency.
• Creative, multi-faceted business analyst with proven expertise in driving implementation of systems projects that enhance customer experience, increase productivity and reduce costs. Background includes business analysis, business process improvement, team management, project management, call center and software development management, programming, customer service, sales support and training. I have served as business lead, business analyst, SME, project manager and developer on numerous mission critical projects. This diverse background allows adding value to every phase of project from business requirements through design, testing and implementation. Having experience on all sides of project, along with customer focus, gives unique ability t collaborate effectively with business stakeholders and technology teams. Als possesses strong written and verbal communications skills allowing effective communication with all levels of organization.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Expertise in mining for information and consulting with clients t identify and understand client needs. Writing clear business requirements based on these needs.
• Serving as liaison between clients, business partners and technology teams.
• Analyzing workflows and business processes and developing creative solutions t increase efficiency, quality and client loyalty.
• Use case development and test plan creation.
• Strong writing, presentation and public speaking skills with ability t communicate effectively with diverse audiences, including senior management.
• Extensive technical background with solid understanding of data management.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Confidential

Business Analyst

• Represented RIT Online team on large client onboarding projects.
• Reviewed business requirements and plan provisions.
• Created user stories in agile scrum environment.
• Documented exception processes and workarounds.
• Created business requirements documents and change request forms.
• Participated in usability testing and release validation. Monitored defect resolution.
• Created systems documentation and helped with training new Business Analysts.

Confidential

Project Portfoli Manager

• Led project t create new workflow for Training Design Team. Interviewed managers, employees and internal clients t understand existing process and identify opportunities t improve workflow and quality of training deliverables. Recommendations resulted in new organizational structure, better role clarity and increased efficiency.
• Worked with Central Project Management Office t identify corporate funded projects that required training design resources. This involved reviewing requirements for over 200 projects per year and interviewing project teams t understand audiences impacted and specific training needs of project.
• Served as liaison between project teams and Training Design Managers t communicate business needs and ensure that Training engaged on appropriate types of projects.
• Prepared budget and time estimates and negotiated project funding from project teams.
• Actively managed budget and cost allocations for Training Design contractor pool with annual budget of 1,000,000. Reduced contractor charges t Training cost center by 80 .
• Created monthly metrics reports comparing actual work and budget figures t project estimates.

Confidential

Business Analyst

• Created the Schwab Retirement Readiness Score.
• Created concept for personalized tool t help employees and employers see success of their retirement planning efforts in one simple score that can be displayed across all customer service touch points like web, call center, statements and marketing mailings.
• Studied retirement planning publications from Schwab and developed methodology t simplify complex research int easy t understand score.
• Developed financial assumptions and calculations for score. Wrote business requirements for tool.
• Managed creation and testing of print piece. Collaborated with internal marketing department t design brochure. Developed use cases, data models and worked with print vendor t test and implement.
• Developed interactive education seminar using Schwab Retirement Readiness Score as centerpiece. Trained presenter team t effectively deliver this seminar. 15 of plan participants wh attended this seminar took positive action on their account compared t just 6 wh attended other seminars.
• Programmed MS Access database system t calculate score and create all of data needed t create print piece.
• Used MS Access t create reports for plan sponsors t help guide plan enhancements and future education strategies.
• Presented tool t clients during sales meetings and plan reviews. Trained account managers and other customer service teams on tool and how t discuss results with plan sponsors and participants.
• Created new, interactive participant workshop leveraging Schwab Retirement Readiness Score t encourage adoption of advice offering.

Manager

• Served as business lead/Subject Matter Expert for large project t migrate printed material production t new print vendor.
• Defined business requirements for printed materials
• Worked with vendor and internal technology teams to define data requirements
• Led data validation effort and testing of print pieces by creating use cases, test plans and actual testing of database.
• Successfully managed project to migrate materials for 500 companies to new platform
• Managed team of 15 wh created orders for 401 k plan educational materials and scheduled seminars for 500 401 k plans.
• Managed relationship with print vendor through partnership approach. Took hands-on approach by regularly visiting print facility and holding regular meetings with our account team. Observed how our pieces were created, met team responsible for our work and offered suggestions for improving process. Monitored service level agreements. Documented system enhancements. Effectively managed service issues. Quality improved significantly due t this approach.
• Modified business processes for department and programmed Access database system t manage workflow, resource allocation, order tracking and metrics reporting. Won agreement from our business partners t implement these changes and trained them on modified process and benefits t them and their clients. result of these efforts was increased productivity and higher quality rates.
• Discovered process that was costing Schwab 250k per year. In one month, we were able t reduce this cost by half and implement procedures that will prevent this cost from increasing in future.
• Led effort t bring custom designed materials t much more of our client base without incurring high costs normally associated with custom materials.
• Managed scheduling function for team of presenters wh travel nationwide delivering investing seminars. Developed metrics, systems and processes t reduce travel costs while increasing resource utilization.

Confidential

Business Analyst for Schwab Retirement Advice Project

• Led due diligence t select advice vendor. Established evaluation criteria, use cases and interviewed advice vendors.
• Managed implementation of new advice system. Led JAD sessions, created business requirements, use cases and facilitated discussions between Schwab IT resources and vendor's technical team.
• Managed quality assurance effort for system implementation. Developed test scenarios and validated data transfers between Schwab and vendor.
• Developed web site experience for new tool. Created user interface wireframes and created content for website. Performed usability testing of site.
• Worked with call center management t create dedicated advice call center. Interviewed candidates for advice call center. Conducted capacity planning and staffing models for new call center.
• Conducted training for internal account managers.
• Demonstrated system and its capabilities t plan sponsors and prospects.
• Developed procedures for setting up new retirement plans on advice platform.
• Worked with over 100 plan sponsors to properly set up their plan on advice platform. Many of these plans required customization to vendor system. Worked with vendor to test and implement these custom features

Business Analyst Confidential

• Acted as liaison between clients, business users, quality assurance and development team t define requirements for major projects and maintenance releases for web site.
• Led JAD sessions, defined business requirements, customer experience, user interface, use cases and content for these projects.
• Participated in usability and functional testing of each release.
• Developed collaborative process with internal department leaders t manage prioritization of hundreds of defects and enhancement requests. This new process improved internal communications and greatly reduced number of complaints about prioritization decisions.
• Assisted internal clients with troubleshooting and answering client inquiries.
• Became internal subject matter expert on Actuate reporting tool. Developed management reports for Client Service Managers and demonstrated tool's capabilities t clients and prospective clients.

Business Analyst/ Confidential

• Led a successful project t redesign participant statements that lacked competitive features and was expensive t produce.
• Performed competitive analysis.
• Led selection process for print vendor and design firm. Worked with senior leaders t identify business goals. Created Request for Proposal and evaluated responses. Conducted site visits and interviews of finalists.
• Used client focused approach t develop business requirements. Interviewed clients and conducted focus groups. Created several new, innovative features for statement based on this feedback.
• Analyzed business process and workflow. Created As Is/T Be documents.
• Developed new business processes that automated creation and validation of statement data. This new process is scalable and saves company hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.
• Managed implementation of new statement. Facilitated JAD sessions between Schwab and vendor's technical teams. Served as SME for both Schwab and vendor's development staff.
• Led quality assurance process. Created use cases and test scenarios. Performed data validation and on-site QA testing of new statement.
• Conducted training for client service teams and managed communications during migration process.
• The new statement won National DALBAR Award for Excellence in Financial Communications, as well as several high profile Schwab corporate awards.

Business Analysts/ Confidential

• Redesigned the customer experience by streamlining the call paths and adding enhanced functionality.
• Received prioritization from Senior Leadership by analyzing system data usage and creating compelling business case for updating system.
• Wrote new VRS script and use cases.
• Performed quality assurance testing of new system.
• The new system decreased average time per call and reduced volume of calls transferred t call center.
• Established more accurate reporting of participant demographics and system usage statistics.
• Created communications and training of new features and enhancements t web site, quarterly statement and VRS t internal departments.
• Supported sales efforts by making presentations t clients and prospective clients.
• Call Center/Operations Manager Built SchwabPlan Call Center and managed distribution and loan processing operations.
• Managed 100 increase in call volume and personnel. Through implementation of ACD system and extensive training, reduced average answer time from 23 seconds t 7 seconds and achieved customer service survey score of 4.53 out of 5.
• Became certified facilitator in Achieving Extraordinary Customer Relations class sponsored by AchieveGlobal. Performed this training for all client facing employees and managers.
• Designed, programmed and implemented technology productivity enhancements that resulted in annual cost savings of 187,000.
• Managed 202 growth in processing volume and decreased error rate t less than 1 .
• By developing relationships with Schwab Branches, helped double rollover retention rate.
• Managed staff of 20 team leaders and customer service representatives.

Confidential

Assistant Vice President

• Responsible for 401 k Participant Service Center, which served over 300,000 participants in 800 plans.
• Responsible for all phases of service center operations including Voice Response System script development and programming.
• Managed staff of 20 Customer Service Analysts and system developers.
• Designed functionality of enhanced system based on client server platform.
• Participated in KeyCorp's Total Quality Management training program, based on 3M model, and helped implement concepts of this program.

Manager

• Responsible for participant education and internal communications t KeyCorp's regional trust offices.
• Designed and created content for customized participant education booklets for several large clients.

Trust Systems Analyst/Database Developer

• Programmed voice response system and supporting database systems.
• Designed and programmed customer service system used by call center customer service representatives.
• Supervised team of programmers responsible for application development and network administration.

Software Proficiency

• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Project
• HP ALM
• Clarity

Professional Development and Honors

• Member International Institute of Business Analysis IIBA
• NASD Licensed. Series 7, Series 8, Series 63 and Series 65
• Schwab Training Design STEP Award 2013
• Schwab Business Excellence Award 2012
• Charles Schwab Excellence in Service Award 2001, 2005
• Speaker at Financial Communication Forum 2000-2005, Boston, MA
• Certified Facilitator, Achieving Extraordinary Customer Relations Training
• Project Management Certificate Program, Baldwin Wallace College
• KeyCorp Quality Management Program
• Toastmasters International - American Banking Association Chapter President