Lawrence Kersten, Phd

Lawrence Kersten, Phd Email and Phone Number

Founder and General Manager @ Texas, United States
Texas, United States
Lawrence Kersten, Phd's Location
Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, United States
Lawrence Kersten, Phd's Contact Details

Lawrence Kersten, Phd work email

Lawrence Kersten, Phd personal email

n/a
About Lawrence Kersten, Phd

I am an organizational performance expert who helps companies execute strategy, improve financial performance, and increase quality by aligning operations to strategy, identifying and capitalizing on sources of operational leverage, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and using an evidence-based approach to leading change. My business instincts were forged in the quality movement. I wrote my doctoral dissertation on the organizational factors that influence the quality of service delivery in the service encounter. Since leaving academia, I have been focused on delivering quality goods and services in a variety of industries. My experience has largely been a combination of defining and creating service operations for startups, and taking explosive growth operations in medium sized companies to the next level. I bring the rigor, analytical skills, and perspective a social scientist to bear upon operational challenges. Throughout my career I have been greatly influenced by the rigorous pragmatism of quality disciplines such as Six Sigma and Lean, and I have used tools from each to improve quality, reduce costs, and create customer-driven operations. As a leader, I set challenging goals that are consistent with the company’s strategy and priorities, and then work to make the changes necessary to achieve those goals. I build collaborative relationships with employees as we work together to identify problems, develop solutions, and incrementally transform the organization. Along the way, I foster a culture of achievement and accountability, while simultaneously improving processes and developing people. Strengths Finder Top 5: Restorative, Analytical, Learner, Intellection, ResponsibilitySpecialties: Operations Management, Strategic Planning & Execution, Organizational Alignment, Risk Management, Quantitative Analysis, Entrepreneurship, Mentoring, Team Building, Customer Service, P&L Management

Lawrence Kersten, Phd's Current Company Details
Smart Cloud Advisors

Smart Cloud Advisors

Founder and General Manager
Texas, United States
Lawrence Kersten, Phd Work Experience Details
  • Smart Cloud Advisors
    Founder And General Manager
    Smart Cloud Advisors
    Texas, United States
  • Smart Cloud Advisors
    Founder & General Manager
    Smart Cloud Advisors Feb 2023 - Present
    Dallas/Fort Worth Area
    • Designed multi-stage SAAS implementation on AWS for software development company.• Leveraged client’s current development skills for first stage of the implementation and provided a roadmap to lead to a full serverless implementation. Each stage is designed to be highly scalable and fault tolerant. • Used OpenID/OAUTH2 tokens with Identity and Access Management to manage tenant isolation and provide secure, scalability access for millions of users.
  • New Century Ecommerce, Llc
    Founder
    New Century Ecommerce, Llc 2015 - 2019
    Dallas/Fort Worth Area
    Responsible for all aspects of the operation, including the design, manufacturing, importing, and marketing of products.• Assessed international suppliers and chose a vendor to manufacture the company's inaugural product.• Launched product on multiple e-commerce platforms• Improved Amazon rank > 90% using digital marketing & SEO to create awareness and drive sales.• Provided consulting to eCommerce companies interested in using the Amazon FBA platform.
  • Amplifier
    President & Coo
    Amplifier 2012 - 2015
    Austin, Tx
    Responsible for all aspects of Operations, including controlling costs, performance management, contract negotiations, projects, process improvements, and production. Reoriented the organization to focus on client and customer needs. Closed gaps in the service offering, identified and reported on KPIs, introduced new technologies, developed leaders to manage growth, reduced waste and expense, and developed a culture of continuous improvement. Worked with executive team to develop short-term goals that aligned with longer-term strategic objectives.Key accomplishments:• Increased top line revenue more than 300% over 3 years, while realizing over 40% reduction in average cost per shipment.• Improved employee performance. Eliminated process errors, set goals, provided feedback, and developed a culture of continuous improvement, thereby increasing throughput in the fulfillment operation over 175%• Identified client risks and developed tools to help them avoid unnecessary problems, save money, and better serve their customers.• Redesigned Fulfillment process for Make-On-Demand products. Reduced fulfillment time by 30% and eliminated pick errors, over production, and reshipping.• Increased average daily throughput over 350% with less than 50% of staff required after redesigning processes to meet the needs of a key client.• Created a safety program to prevent employee injuries, limit exposure, and make the plant OSHA compliant. • Trained operational leaders to focus on goals, data, performance, accountability, progress, and continuous improvement
  • Despair, Inc
    Coo
    Despair, Inc 2003 - 2012
    Dallas/Fort Worth Area
    Despair, Inc. started as an inside joke among three friends and has grown into a company that ships products around the globe. Despair, Inc. is a direct-to-consumer, internet-based consumer products & online media company. Despair was a pioneer in the use of online marketing, including audio and video podcasting, social media, and email marketing. This enabled us to extend our brand and create a community of followers that we enlisted in the co-creation and promotion of new products. By creating a community of advocates, we have been able to extend our reach in ways that leverage the power of word of mouth marketing. The company has been profiled in, or on, The Harvard Business Review, WSJ, Washington Post, London Times, Financial Times, Business Week, Fast Company, NPR, BBC, CNN, Nightline, and many others. • Led public relations by representing the company on radio, television, and in print media.• Led the transformation of the operation from traditional, offset printing to a digital, variable data production process that enabled the company to offer customized products. Additional benefits include: ✓ Improved cash management by enabling the company to save money on inventory, improve cash flow, and eliminate over 80% annual waste. ✓ It enabled the company to engage in rapid product development and test the market’s receptiveness to new products at a fraction of the cost required for traditional product development. ✓ Able to once again capitalize on aging intellectually property that had ceased generating revenue.• Worked with third party logistics partner to improve reporting, analytics, and visibility.• Developed UK distribution channel.• Increased visibility by writing for major business publications on issues related to leadership, motivation, and engagement, and speaking to trade groups about entrepreneurialism, motivation, and culture.• Created several of the company’s most successful products
  • Bidzzar
    Independent Consultant
    Bidzzar Oct 2010 - Nov 2011
    Monterey, Ca
    Hired by entrepreneurs to take an idea for a social media application and develop a business, leveraging the enthusiasm for Facebook. • Wrote this business plan for the company, and this included developing the operating model, strategic marketing, growth plans, and Pro Forma financials for the business. • Developed the investor presentation & coached the CEO on how to deliver his pitch to angels and VCs.• Delivered value proposition to venture capitalists and angel investors• Worked with founders to develop roadmap for future application development.• Worked with development team to create quality standards.
  • Separate Account Solutions
    Vp Of Operations
    Separate Account Solutions 2000 - 2002
    Separate Account Solutions was a vertical application company that provided both SaaS & outsourced operations that enabled banks and financial services firms to offer institutional money management services to their high net worth clients. • Built and managed the back office service operations, which included portfolio accounting, reconciliation, vendor relations, and client service.• Operations integration partner with a large international bank on a project whose goal was to transfer several billion dollars of their customers' assets to the SAS platform.• Oversaw all securities compliance and regulatory issues for the firm.• Responsible for Human Resource functions, such as recruiting and benefits administration.
  • Verio
    Director Of Change Management
    Verio 1999 - 2000
    I was part of a team responsible for migrating local operations of acquired companies to national business systems included billing, sales force automation, service provisioning, and a new network architecture. Midway through the project it became clear that additional development was needed on several of the enterprise systems and I was asked to lead the testing and change control function. Some of my accomplishments included:• Developed communication plan prepare stakeholders for the introduction of new systems. • Developed training materials to prepare stakeholders for change.• Ceated a very effective testing team. • Developed comprehensive testing plans.• Developed processes and policies that required developers to schedule and submit system modifications for testing.• Developed an online test reporting tool that provided transparency to developers that enabled them to better understand application failures and system interactions. • Produced > 95% reduction in errors introduced into the IT systems.
  • Verio
    Director Of Customer Care
    Verio 1996 - 1999
    I led the national support center for Verio during it's explosive growth phase. During my tenure in this role, we integrated the support operations of over 30 acquisitions to the national support center and were able to provide branded support. I was responsible for choosing and overseeing the implementation of our enterprise CRM applications, as well as telephony and web based knowledge bases. I was also responsible for a variety of OD functions such as the development of career paths, compensation systems, and incentives, the creation of a training department to meet the needs of the center, and an internal quality review team to provide feedback on the quality of our service. We consistently achieved better than 80% customer satisfaction with support services, which was 23% higher than the industry average.
  • Onramp Technologies
    Vp Of Operations
    Onramp Technologies 1995 - 1996
    Onramp Technologies was a rapidly growing regional ISP in the DFW market. I had a leadership role in several facets of the business operation: Sales, Technical Support, Network Operations, Business Development, & HR. I was also part of the team that presented the value of the business to potential acquirers. Onramp was acquired by Verio.
  • Cuny/Baruch College
    Asst. Professor
    Cuny/Baruch College 1994 - 1995
    I was a member of Baruch's Business Communication Faculty and taught the following courses:Managerial Communication within OrganizationsCommunication for ExecutivesSpeech Composition and DeliveryAt other universities, I also taught courses in the following:Power and Politics in OrganizationsOrganizational Communication & DevelopmentEffective Team CommunicationA Team Based Approach to Improving QualityPersonal and Professional Interpersonal CommunicationPersuasive CommunicationNonverbal CommunicationIntercultural CommunicationCommunication Theory

Lawrence Kersten, Phd Skills

Leadership Strategic Planning Business Strategy Operations Management Business Process Improvement Business Development Management Start Ups Customer Relationship Management Change Management Customer Service Organizational Development Cross Functional Team Leadership Quantitative Research Qualitative Research Strategic Thinking Social Media E Commerce Crm Online Marketing Outsourcing Training Sales Research Social Networking Strategy Enterprise Software Marketing Consulting Financial Modeling Call Center Development Six Sigma Risk Management Lean Operations Lean Transformation Lean Thinking Talent Management Employee Engagement Customer Service Operations

Lawrence Kersten, Phd Education Details

Frequently Asked Questions about Lawrence Kersten, Phd

What company does Lawrence Kersten, Phd work for?

Lawrence Kersten, Phd works for Smart Cloud Advisors

What is Lawrence Kersten, Phd's role at the current company?

Lawrence Kersten, Phd's current role is Founder and General Manager.

What is Lawrence Kersten, Phd's email address?

Lawrence Kersten, Phd's email address is lk****@****air.com

What schools did Lawrence Kersten, Phd attend?

Lawrence Kersten, Phd attended University Of Southern California, California State University, Fresno, California State University, Fresno.

What skills is Lawrence Kersten, Phd known for?

Lawrence Kersten, Phd has skills like Leadership, Strategic Planning, Business Strategy, Operations Management, Business Process Improvement, Business Development, Management, Start Ups, Customer Relationship Management, Change Management, Customer Service, Organizational Development.

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