Eric Lichtenwalter Email & Phone Number

Us

I joined Optum as part of the executive team steering the post-acquisition merger with Rally Health. I drove change management during the integration to maintain the Rally team's culture and encourage retention while streamlining customer service operations and people. After the successful transition into Optum operations, I assisted in a restructuring which led to me taking on a team of over 500 service, clinical operations, and enterprise staff.

Washington, D.C., Us

My role with Rally expanded alongside the scaling of the company, where I took on increasing levels of executive leadership, overseeing customer service professionals and then additionally the client support team. I owned the strategic direction, financial performance, and culture for a $12M customer s support program while implementing business process improvements and operational standards to ensure the team was constantly meeting the demands of a rapidly scaling enterprise. A highlight of my leadership tenure at Rally was elevating the level of professionalism across customer support, where I instilled a positive culture of growth, accountability, and performance. During my tenure as a Rally executive, our team grew by 200% while simultaneously reducing customer service costs, including a 15% cut in CPC.

Chicago, Illinois, Us

Chicago, Illinois, Us

I progressed into higher levels of responsibility, assuming leadership and building out additional teams to improve customer service operations while partnering with product teams to advance the platform for an improved customer experience. I scaled and optimized customer support operations to create efficiencies, decrease customer effort, and ensure the highest level of customer service within a high-paced, customer-centric environment. I created the backbone of the company’s current customer service function, providing foundational systems within a turnkey operation that enabled the subsequent acquisition and recent IPO.

I liaised with cross-functional teams to manage product lines, reduce support costs, and drive customer satisfaction through the creation of the Express Preferred Customer Program and the High Frequency Hotel Program. In an effort to bring consistency to the team, I developed and implemented call center strategies to drive the customer experience and elevate customer satisfaction while reducing wait times and improving handle, wait, ticket turnaround, and resolution times. I also identified KPIs and performance metrics to improve the tracking and monitoring of departmental activities while encouraging user adoption to champion change management and digital transformation across the organization.

Emeryville, California, Us

I oversaw all aspects of client services and communications as part of the leadership team for a premier travel and tourism start-up, offering adventure excursions to Antarctica, Patagonia, Everest, and other elite destinations.

Oakland, Ca, Us

Hired, managed, trained, and developed the customer service team as well as an inside sales team to meet the changing demands of a fast-growing online printing company. Developed strategic business plans, including budgets, hiring forecasts, customer service metrics, and sales strategy.

As member of the Senior Management Team, liaised with top-tier clients to ensure customer satisfaction and seamless operations. Prepared annual sales and marketing programs. Created and managed departmental budget. Developed and executed commission structure and sales incentive programs. Hired, trained, managed, and motivated the West Coast sales team.

San Francisco, Ca, Us

Represented Hornblower Cruises group sales, targeting event and convention business throughout California. Coordinated corporate sales teams in five Hornblower locations. Represented Company at trade shows and industry events. Developed relationships and strategic partnerships with San Francisco Convention and Visitor Bureau (CVB), Los Angeles CVB, and San Diego CVB. Leveraged relationships with numerous destination management companies, meeting planners, and hotel sales personnel. Marketed Hornblower products to convention groups. Collaborated with inbound suppliers to target decision-makers and proper contacts to secure proposals.

Established marketing and sales programs to promote all Universal Studios sales programs, including convention and event sales, corporate meetings, incentive houses, tour and travel accounts, and independent meeting planning companies. Spearheaded first regional office for Universal Studios Hollywood. Trained Regional Representatives in Seattle and Phoenix.

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Business Administration And Management, General

Education record