Aletra Nicholson
Oak Park,IL
Summary
Knowledgeable Senior Leader with over 15 years of experience bringing planning and problem-solving abilities. Focused on maximizing resource utilization to support scalable operations and increase bottom-line profitability. Organized and systematic with natural relationship-building and leadership talents.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director, North Central Professional Services
Snowflake
04.2022 - Current
- Maintain knowledge of current and future product functionality as well as market buying strategies to close deals.
- Align with RVP and Account Executives to ensure growth/adoption of Cloud Platform
- Create, Present, and Facilitate Professional Service proposal discussions to prospective accounts
- Generate current and out-quarter pipeline with 95% accuracy in forecasting.
- Implement Best Practices in Professional Services within a Cloud Consumption operating model
- Ensure Quality Delivery and Customer experience on small, mid, enterprise and custom implementations
Delivery Manager
Acorio an NTT Data Company
03.2021 - 04.2022
- Ensure quality delivery and client experience for enterprise engagements
- Manage and track team forecast, utilization, and billable hours to proactively address challenges in achieving stated revenue targets
- Manage customer escalations and coordinate to resolve issues
- Facilitate and Plan Staff Development Trainings for Direct Reports and colleagues
- Contributions towards knowledge base and Methodology for continuous improvement
- Responsible for Team KPIs such as CSAT (Customer Engagement Satisfaction) and Utilization Metrics
- Review SOWs for quality and feasibility in coordination with Sales for Executive Reviews.
Senior Engagement Manager
Acorio
09.2019 - 03.2021
- Manage Enterprise ServiceNow digital transformation projects
- Manage Client scope, budget, timeline, identify and mitigate risks, communicate project status to internal and external project stakeholders
- Coordinate engagement phase gates: requirements, discovery, documentation, user acceptance and validation
- Collaborate on cross project coordination for programs
- Exceed utilization metrics to achieve revenue and profitability for client projects
- Analyze architecture and process towards NOW best practice, integrity and quality.
Director, North Central Professional Services
Bonterra formerly Social Solutions
10.2016 - 09.2019
- Achieve quarterly revenue, delivery, and project quality deliverables
- Provide leadership support for Consultants, Architects and Project Managers
- Implement Best Practices in Professional Services within a SaaS operating model
- Partner with key internal leadership stakeholders (Customer Support, Customer Success, Training, Product, and Sales)
- Ensure Quality Delivery and Customer experience on small, mid, enterprise and custom implementations
- Plan for team resourcing/headcount in accordance with agreed upon revenue expectations
- Manage and track team forecast, utilization, and billable hours to proactively address challenges in meeting stated revenue targets
- Presentation of Quarterly Business Reviews to provide insight into the Professional Services business
- Contribute and collaborate with peers as a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
Practice Director
Social Solutions Global
03.2014 - 01.2016
- Manage minimum 5-8 direct reports and provide oversight and direction for their projects
- Responsible for team members achieving project success and utilization targets
- Provide recommendations to drive continuous improvement for Implementation methodology
- Manage Customized Software Implementation Project Portfolios for High Profile Clients
- Responsible for Team KPIs such as CSAT (Customer Engagement Satisfaction) and Utilization Metrics
- Cross collaboration with Dev, Sales, and Account Management teams for additional client needs
- Manage projects with extensive customizations, migrations, data mapping, integrations and/or new technology
- Manage customer escalations and coordinate to resolve issues
- Meet and exceed team Revenue Targets
- Facilitate and Plan Staff Development Trainings for Colleagues and Direct Reports.
Senior Project Manager
Social Solutions Global
04.2011 - 01.2014
- Manage minimum caseload of 12-18 unique custom ETO Software Implementation projects
- Responsible for customer expectations, holding scope, budget, and timeline, identifying risks, resolving issues, meeting deliverables and communication of project status to internal and external project sponsors
- Develop Project Charter containing Scope, Requirements, Budget, Timeline, Quality baselines
- Lead Implementation phases and deliverables such as: Requirements gathering, Discovery design, Blueprint, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), Revisions, and training materials while receiving client approval at each billing and delivery milestone
- Lead and coordinate Project Team and Task Managers for project deliverables
- Work with Cross-functional teams of all levels and skills
- Coordination with Accounting to generate and deliver customer invoices
- Contributions towards Implementation Methodology and Continuous Improvements
- Write Software Architecture Documentation as Blueprint for technical and non-technical audience
- Surpass weekly, monthly and quarterly utilization metrics and revenue targets
- Support and mentor Implementation Analysts, Solutions Architects, and Junior Project Managers
- Collaborate with Architects, Business Analysts and Designers to address software enhancements, limitations, functionality gaps and ultimate solution for customer needs
- Analyze organizational processes to develop database best practices and architectural integrity
- Specialize in program outcomes and data management with knowledge in outcomes tools for a wide variety of service delivery industries
- Provide consultation to align programs and services with each organizations’ mission, vision, and strategic direction based on Performance Management Best Practices and/or Theory of Change
- Analyze organizational forms and processes to develop best practices for Performance Management and database integrity.
Education
Master of Science - Psychology
Walden University
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
Winona State University
Skills
- Director of Professional Services (Snowflake, Apricot and ETO Software Products) - Leadership
- Exceptional track record of hiring high performing Professional Services Teams - Management
- Customer Relationship Management
- Proactively manage forecast performance against revenue and profitability targets
- Effective Executive Level Communication
- Software Proficiency in Snowflake,ServiceNow, SAP Business Objects, Salesforce, Confluence/Jira, Smartsheets, Microsoft Office Products, NetSuite, Slack
- Assist companies with Cloud deployment models and maturity roadmaps
- Extremely well organized, highly detail oriented, and superior level of quality work
Certification
- Snowflake Fundamentals, 2022
- ServiceNow Certified System Administrator, 2020
- Vista Equity Partners Accelerate Leadership Program, 2017
- ETO/Apricot Gold Certified System Administrator, 2011
- ETO/Apricot Results/SAP Business Objects Certified, 2012
Timeline
Director, North Central Professional Services
Snowflake
04.2022 - Current
Delivery Manager
Acorio an NTT Data Company
03.2021 - 04.2022
Senior Engagement Manager
Acorio
09.2019 - 03.2021
Director, North Central Professional Services
Bonterra formerly Social Solutions
10.2016 - 09.2019
Practice Director
Social Solutions Global
03.2014 - 01.2016
Senior Project Manager
Social Solutions Global
04.2011 - 01.2014
Master of Science - Psychology
Walden University
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
Winona State University