Laura Richardson Email and Phone Number

Manage a portfolio of 150+ Small/Micro Businesses across Western Canada. Help companies access the financing they need to export. Help manage the risks of exporting and financing export salesWork with internal and external stakeholders to develop and improve processes within our internal systems Assist with training and development of learning materials for various teams across the organization.

Assisted the Customer Care with their transition to new responsibilities. I acted as a subject matter expert to the Program Manager. I advised on the role and responsibilities that the previous team had had, and provided context to allow leadership to make informed decisions. I created potential options, with the benefit, methods and risks of each for leadership to discuss. I worked as liaison between the customer care and business development team. I would coach associates on performance, as well as provide training and resources for the team.

As a Senior Trade Advisor I was responsible for a portfolio of clients, as well as providing training and support for my team.

Help small and medium business manage their credit insurance portfolio with EDC. I am responsible for identifying other opportunities for EDC solutions and help my customers go, grow and succeed abroad. I also speak to prospective clients about how EDC can help them manage export risks and grow their business. In 2020 I had achieved my annual sales target by the end of May and ended the year with 23 sales above the next highest performer. I spent the last few months of the year focused less on my own sales and more on coaching my teammates to help close the gaps on their targets.

Helped pilot the Customer Care Team as part of EDC’s customer experience strategy. Act as the first point of contact for customers; provide consistent, accurate and immediate service to insurance customers at EDC. Leader for ‘Voice of the Customer’ feedback collection and analyze data to prioritize improvements to the customer experience. Train and supervise new employees, conduct presentations on areas of expertise to other stakeholder groups and participate in learning from stakeholder groups. Create templates, knowledge articles and speaking points for effective and consistent customer service.

Co-manage a team of 15 staff. I am responsible for weekly goal setting, coaching and labour management. I am also the lead on inventory and supply management for the store. I am currently working on a project to reform the event and sponsorship program for Ottawa to create a stronger level of cohesion amongst the Ottawa stores in order to create a more effective brand presence. I have tripled the amount of events we have sent brewers to, and organized several 'tea break' events.

TouchStone Solutions is a management consulting firm located in Ottawa, Ontario. For over 25 years the team at TouchStone Solutions have worked on a variety of large scale projects that include organizational redesign and implementation, change management and operational efficiency studies. They have worked with the government and private sectors around the globe. My role at TouchStone Solutions was varied. I would perform clerical tasks, manage schedules and direct client inquiries. I am also responsible for file management and quality, I implemented a file system for new clients, this new system easily identifies what type of information is missing and the progress of the project. I oversaw a project to transfer all client and contract files from paper to digital copy .

I was given the opportunity to work on the Business Development Team reporting to the Director. I was the the lead on inputing the results of customer surveys. I was responsible for updating responses and identifying results in a timely fashion. I designed and implemented a new process for inputing the data more efficiently. I fulfilled this role in addition to my roles on the Market Event & Sponsorship Team and Direct Marketing and New Media Team. I was required to balance my time between all teams and prioritize projects accordingly.

As Marketing Assistant for Market Events & Sponsorships I would report to the Director. Among various administrative tasks that would be assigned, my primary focus was Post-Event Analysis. I was in charge of gathering event feedback from event lead, I would then co-ordinate between various managers to gain recommendations and comments. In the final document I would synthesize and condense information into an evaluation document and upload the document into the database. I would also identify issues, necessary improvements and recommended action.

As a data analyst I was responsible for updating and maintaining contact information and customer profiles in the corporate database. I was responsible for identifying candidates in targeted marketing campaigns by compiling data folders within the CRM database for effective marketing campaign deployment. I was given the opportunity to work with advisors on a new process for the deployment of new media campaigns. I was the lead on return mail updates as well as any customer updates in our corporate database. I was the chair for team meetings and would create the weekly agenda. I was responsible for quality assurance on our SharePoint Marketing Hub.

I tutored a seventh grade student in all subject areas; math, history, geography, english, french, and science. This student was behind in school and was struggling to manage her learning disabilities. My goal was help her develop learning techniques based on her strengths to help her succeed and gain more confidence. I coordinated strategies with her teachers and helped develop a learning plan specific to my student's needs. I was to help her establish a new organization process and weekly routine. My objective was to inspire initiative and confidence in her abilities and apply them to ensure academic success. After a year I was amazed to see her receive awards for progress in 3 subjects. The role as tutor presented me with new challenges to create new approaches to learning that were successful and could be maintained long term. It was a rewarding experience and in the end I may have learnt the most. I have continued to have a positive relationship with my student and her parents and often still help her with large long term assignments.

As a sales associate at Coach I was responsible for ensuring a positive customer experience. My overall objective was building and maintaining client relationships, promoting the Coach brand and its values. I found that I enjoyed and thrived in a customer sales environment. I enjoy working with people and was able to build many meaningful relationships with my clients. I was often rewarded for being top sales in the region of Eastern Ontario, even though I was only part time. The key to my success was an ability to tailor my approach to my client and match their needs to a product efficiently. I put a high value on product knowledge and building a meaningful relationship, I found that the sales came naturally. I was often given lead responsibilities in promotions, was assigned to key clients and was assigned to training new employees.