Manage accounts and day-to-day communications for out largest clients, Valassis and State of Texas. Project management and manufacturing planning providing the optimum efficiency and best quality with timeliness of delivery. Serve internal customers by providing production requirements, partnering to improve quality, and being the voice of the client.

Outside sales of creative, copy, print, promotional products, etc. to medium and large business accounts.

Direct 5 cross-functional customer service teams with 26 CSRs, 7 Account Managers, 2 Billing Coordinators, and 3 Managers supporting such diverse accounts as Coca Cola, Chevron, American Heart Association, and Lowe’s.• Reorganized department by incorporating Account Manager and billing functions - organizing around best practices and high performance team concept.• Reduced department spoilage costs (chargeable errors) by 60% within 7 months while improving employee morale• Lifted overall performance by improving hiring and eliminating poor performers.

Directed customer account management, project planning, production scheduling and customer communications for 3 facilities in the southwest region. • Provided leadership, guidance, mentoring, and training for customer account management teams still in turmoil after reorganization which resulted in retention of staff, improved morale and improvements in service levels.• Collaborated with external consultant to develop CS improvement plan to improve service and client retention. Provided input on workflow and structural improvements based on professional experience and process knowledge.• Improved service levels and employee morale during plan implementation through staff promotions, hiring and training 6 new staff as well as developing, implementing and validating new SOPs.

Managed projects and resolved challenges related to $120M plant expansion of new equipment and printing production startup issues for Time, Sports Illustrated, and People weekly magazine titles.• Reduced paper waste 5% by developing methods to determine causes of waste and recommending and managing implementation of solutions.• Leadership in establishing process for management of paper ordering and inventory control resulting in more effective inventory management (improved turns and total volume) and cost savings.

Led 5 departments (5 manager direct reports and 54 salaried and hourly indirect reports) providing customer service, account management, and support to clients representing $60M sales. Consistently met salary budget goal of $2.1M.•Drove insides sales results by partnering with outside sales representatives, creating and doing presentations of the plant’s capabilities both at plant and customer locations resulting in a higher close rate (+10%), and improved launch of new work.•Promoted, mentored, and trained two first time department managers into very successful careers.•Improved costs and efficiency by managing implementation of key software solutions: database operating system, billing module, scheduling module, list processing / postal planning software, and performance management tools.•Conceived and managed restructuring / combining two departments into one cross-functional team improving efficiency while reducing headcount and salary costs 4%.

Assessed department structure, planned, and implemented new structure resulting in more efficient / effective department.• Aggressively lifted the performance of the Customer Service group by using performance improvement plans, weeding poor performers, and improving the quality of newly hired Account Managers.• Creative development of access to high quality employees by initiating a relationship with UW-Stout and using graphics internship program to “test drive” potential employees. From program hired 5 professional Account Managers in 5 years.

Managed department of 12 CSRs performing project management and customer service for major catalog accounts. Trained and developed customer service and scheduling professionals located in two printing facilities.

Led a team of 5 professional account managers and 2 assistants in a team supporting catalog customers. Trained and mentored new Account Managers.

“Go to” person in department. Mentored new and struggling CSRs, managed important and “at risk” accounts. Managed high visibilty accounts such as Family Circle Magazine, Scientific American Magazine, Ladies Home Journal Magazine, Popcorn Factory Catalog, Texas Travel and Tourism Guide, etc.