As the primary face of Safe-Guard in Canada I manage a cross functional team of managers and supervisors within call/claims center operations, customer service, client relationship management, field sales, and trainers. I actively collaborate with business partners to ensure smooth implementation of new products/programs and exceptional customer service for our clients. An important aspect of this position is the management of Safe-Guard’s Regional and OEM specific sales teams and the region’s product and training professionals.I am the primary driver of client satisfaction, efficient/responsive operations, account and business development, product penetration, and overall sales efficiency across all Canadian product lines.

TSM is a boutique consulting firm focused on general management, sales and marketing, and customer experience management. As Managing Director, I have worked with such organizations as iSKY and the Human Resources Professional Association (HRPA). I manage all facets of the business including setting and driving strategy, sourcing clients, managing P&L, developing and implementing solutions for clients, managing the client lifecycle, and developing all marketing initiatives and collateral. ▶ The Human Resource Professionals Association (HRPA) approached me about designing a series of workshops as part of their professional development and certification process. The courses—delivered via in-person training in April 2015—introduced HR professionals to business fundamentals. ▶ I was retained by iSKY—a customer experience management company—to develop a go-to-market strategy for the automotive finance industry including assessing the market size and potential. As a result of my research and recommendations, the company has decided to enter into the automotive finance industry.

BMW Group Financial Services is a captive automotive finance company offering leasing, financing, and insurance options for BMW retailers and customers. In the role of Sales Director for Brands Financing, I drove sales and margin targets for BMW group brands including MINI, Motorrad, Rolls Royce, and Alphera. I also created programs and OEM relationships. Another aspect of my role was serving on several executive committees to help shape and steer overall strategy and policies for BMW’s Canadian business. My team of sales and operations managers was focused on B2B negotiations with BMW dealerships. ▶ I exceeded retail contract volume, penetration, and margin targets on a loan portfolio that included 110,000 retail customers, as well as an extensive commercial finance portfolio.▶ I redefined the strategy for Alphera Financial Services (the non-BMW finance arm) and repositioned the brand. As a result, the company went from a nearly $2M loss in 2011 to turning a significant profit in 2013, and was strategically positioned for future profitable growth. ▶ The strategy I developed and implemented took BMW Financial Services from number two to number one in the J.D. Power and Associates’ Dealer Financing Satisfaction Study. ▶ I was chosen to deliver the keynote presentation and share best practices at the 2013 BMW Group Financial Services global sales and marketing conference. This honour was largely based on leading BMW Financial Services Canada to become the recognized leader within the BMW global organization in customer retention and loyalty. ▶ Despite unprecedented competition from banks, I was able to grow the commercial loan portfolio by overhauling the pricing strategy and incentive program. ▶ By championing the flexible payment project, I helped lead BMW Canada to become the first premium captive finance company to offer bi-weekly and weekly payment options. The major hurdle was getting the US business unit on board for a Canada-specific initiative.

As National Marketing Manager, I drove all marketing and branding efforts for BMW Financial Services, MINI Financial Services, and Alphera Financial Services. I developed and managed multiple customer-facing websites, developed all print collateral, organized marketing events, and drove customer retention and loyalty initiatives. ▶ By developing and launching the Customer Engagement Strategy—including the Canadian Open loyalty promotion and the Winter Driving Training promotion—I was able to drive loyalty up 9 percentage points, from 42% to 51%. ▶ I initiated a comprehensive marketing strategy that transformed the company’s marketing function from reactive to proactive, maximized marketing investment effectiveness, ensured brand consistency, and combined resources with dealerships to improve events. The plan included internal and external communication strategies, initiatives, event marketing, and vehicle launches with purchase/lease incentives. ▶ One of my roles was to develop and implement a social responsibility strategy. We partnered with the Children’s Aid Foundation and offered two university scholarships to at-risk youth each year. ▶ I designed the model for the company’s annual business management meeting—providing a forum for open, two-way communication that directly impacts future program enhancements and process improvements. The model is still in use today.

As National Marketing Manager for the captive automotive financing company servicing Mercedes Benz dealerships, I led development efforts for all lease and retail finance products, setting targets and developing alternative revenue streams such as insurance. I also negotiated quarterly bill rates and residual values with Mercedes Benz Canada. ▶ I conceived the first reverse affordability calculator in the Canadian automotive market. I then oversaw its development and launch; it’s still in use today. ▶ Another tool I developed in this position was the first wear-and-tear insurance product for the premium automotive segment; the tool reached more than 60% penetration in its first year of launch. ▶ By redefining the branding and communication strategy for Mercedes Benz Financial, I was able to achieve consistent messaging across the country and reverse a negative trend of errors in fact.

DaimlerChrysler Financial Services provided financing for Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge. In the role of Communications and Corporate Marketing Manager, I led the team that delivered all customer and retailer marketing communication for Chrysler Financial Canada—including print, video, and online. ▶ One of the challenges I faced in this position was the fact that each region was managing their own communication strategy. As a result, we were faced with inconsistent messaging, program errors, and wasted resources. To counter this, I developed and launched a national brand strategy that aligned with the company’s international goals and vastly improved our community relations.▶ I created the company’s first incentive program for Chrysler retailers. As a result of my efforts, we achieved an increase in penetration—both during and after the program—and enjoyed positive gains in retailer satisfaction.

I drove field sales force efforts to reach targets in regional contract and commercial volume, retailer satisfaction, retailer training, and relationship management. The team I led covered Western Canada. ▶ I developed strategies to increase sales force effectiveness and customer valuation, which increased penetration in retail finance, lease, and wholesale. In essence, I helped the sales team developed their priorities around visits to dealerships, as well as the agenda for each dealer.

As the Lease Renewal Manager, I served as the finance company’s liaison with OEMs on pre-owned vehicles. I managed all internal and external sales training including developing the curriculum. I also coached the field sales organization on remarketing best practices. ▶ One of the challenges I addressed was sales of used vehicles—those coming off lease. To ensure that they were sold at the optimal price to retailers, I co-developed and launched a national pre-owned vehicle strategy with Chrysler Canada. ▶ Another challenge I faced was that the standards for acceptable wear and tear were too high, very legal, and overly technical; this was a cause for customer dissatisfaction. I created easy-to-understand standards that were easy to understand as well as protective of the finance company, in the form of a “Worry-Free Card” that looked like a credit card, with the rules printed right on the card.