Steven Lauer Email and Phone Number

*Spearheaded development and implementation of a DE&I strategy that increased diverse representation at the leadership level, utilizing my expertise in program design and data-driven decision-making.*Transformed internal communications through strategic channel optimization, resulting in improved employee engagement and an increased understanding of company goals, leveraging my strong communication skills and collaborative approach.*Provided impactful guidance to leaders on DE&I and communication best practices, fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging that reduced employee turnover, drawing upon my extensive knowledge and proven track record of success.

*Led a high-performing team of trainers, driving skill development across over 1000 stores, resulting in increased conversion rates and sales.*Empowered Leslie's leaders: Built and delivered a 4-day leadership program, propelling Managers and Directors across all functions across the company and resulting in increased Associate job satisfaction and overall NPS of 90.*Revolutionized training, boosting productivity and quality: Implemented innovative training development processes and programs, leading to faster development and reduced training time while improving Associate skills proficiency.

Director of Learning & Development | 2015-2021Drove development and retention of leaders and next-generation talent by executing innovative learningprograms for ~28K employees across 600+ retail locations.*Led a 5-member talent development team to design and deliver 30+ courses to onboard ~600 new hires annually.*Improved internal mobility, promotion, retention, and performance ratings for participants in new manager and high-potential leadership programs without additional budget or resources.- Assembled a team of HR business partners to facilitate needs assessments and develop customized content.- Reimagined instructor-led/classroom-based training programs to accommodate 100% virtual learning.*Boosted job performance, job satisfaction, and associate opinion survey scores across Pottery Barn, West Elm, and Williams-Sonoma through the launch of the company’s first ‘Inventory Management University.’- Partnered with executives and internal subject matter experts to define requirements for each associate role and establish a development program, including 30+ hours of curriculum and branding strategy.*Created dozens of successful domestic and global training rollouts to support new systems and processes, including company-wide implementation of Oracle Finance and HR modules.- Steered a team of instructional designers to develop and facilitate blended training solutions to educateall associates across retail, supply chain, care center, and global operations on new Oracle programs.

Manager of Talent Development | 2013-2015*Ensured on-time launch of new product lifecycle management (PLM) system, leveraging existing budget and resources.*Teamed with change management lead to design, develop, and implement 20+ hours of customized, role-based training courses for internal associates and international vendors across Asia.*Saved $100K+ in training development costs during implementation of new inventory management system (JustEnough/Mi9) by leveraging in-house resources.*Aligned with vendor and internal inventory planners to develop sustainable, blended training solutions with instructor-led classes and supplemental eLearning courses.

Training Programs Manager | 2006-2013*Designed and delivered customized training programs for San Francisco, Memphis, and Brooklyn-based employees.*Captured 4.5/5 class evaluation scores, serving as instructional designer for training on new Oracle enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.*Digested and translated 20 hours of content, partnering with internal team to revise content for feature updates and convert instructor-led courses to eLearning.

*Developed and managed highly customized, cutting-edge eLearning programs for diverse clients, including Cisco, Johnson-Controls, and Hermann International.*Awarded Bronze Medal in Excellence in eLearning from Brandon Hall Group for developing an interactive course on Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI) customized to high-potential leaders within Cisco Systems.

*Strengthened partnership with Hewlett-Packard (HP), working closely with key stakeholders to identify training and development needs. I created multiple proposals and scoped training solutions, increasing profits significantly.*Optimized Logitech’s customer experience by co-creating the first version of nationally distributed QuickTutorialsoftware, providing users with ‘how to’ guidance on operating all mice and keyboards.