ASHLEY CHRISTEN
Toms River,NJ
Summary
Detail-driven problem-solver with a passion for helping people. My phone voice is frequently mistaken for a professional recording, reflecting my commitment to professionalism. Known as a 'firefighter' and 'MacGuyver' in client services, I excel at resolving issues and possess a wide breadth of knowledge and exceptional problem-solving skills applicable to various situations. Having played a pivotal role in building a firm from its infancy, I am eager to embrace new challenges and continue evolving in my career. I am willing to take on any task to support the team and contribute to the business's success, consistently demonstrating professionalism, precision, and loyalty while leveraging my service-mindedness to assist both clients and colleagues. As an outstanding customer service professional, I excel in time management, multitasking, and trend tracking. My strength lies in troubleshooting problems and developing effective solutions. With excellent verbal and written communication skills, I have a proven track record of cultivating positive relationships and surpassing goals. Seeking a fast-paced work environment that offers numerous opportunities to enhance customer satisfaction.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Vice President of Operations
Family Focus Financial Group
09.2021 - Current
- Daily operations control for two office locations, NJ and SC
- Track and manage open business opportunities, existing client relationships, new business and client services for financial accounts as head of 5-person team
- Help team members tackle daily workloads with confidence through empowered training and motivational strategies
- Review operations regularly to identify and capitalize on opportunities to eliminate waste
- Increase client engagement and lead acquisition by diversifying promotional strategies across traditional and digital approaches
- Review operating practices and procedures to improve workflow and reporting
- Review financial statements and activity reports to measure productivity or goal achievement
- Operational Support - Provide Basic On-Site Technical Troubleshooting for Office
- In charge of firms transition from primarily physical file-keeping to digital recordkeeping (Including transition to cloud server)
- Maintain firm regulatory compliance, including the execution of routine regulatory remediation and periodic audit remediation deliverables.
Director of Client Services
Family Focus Financial Group
02.2011 - Current
- Built client relationships by responding to inquiries, identifying and assessing clients' needs, resolving problems, and following up with potential and existing clients.
- In-house Transfer and Rollover specialist
- Developed highly successful client referral program - increasing lead generation from referrals from less than 10% to over 60% of new clients coming from referrals.
- Handled complaints, provided appropriate solutions, and alternatives within appropriate timeframes and followed up to achieve resolution.
- Supervised daily operations and sales functions to maximize revenue, customer satisfaction, and employee productivity.
- Interacted with clients on regular basis to quickly alleviate issues and provide project updates.
- Guide clients through firms' proprietary new client onboarding process
- Efficient New Business processor - processed applications for annuity, life and investment brokerage accounts
- Manage internal client services support requests, including locating resources, processing documentation and updating files
- Review all existing client policy anniversaries for annual review - provide client service support and recommendations for interest allocation for new policy year
- Efficient execution of client transactions with respect to individual insurance, annuity and investment products
- Development and execution of client retention program; including but not limited to client educational events, tuition reward program, client referral program and special events
- Back office- Licensing and Contracting processing experience
Director of First Impressions
Family Focus Financial Group
01.2023 - Current
- Delivery of top-notch service by maintaining broad knowledge of clients, products and services
- Handled sensitive client information with discretion and confidentiality, adhering to strict privacy policies at all times.
- Streamlined communication channels for better information flow between departments.
- Provided exceptional administrative support to executive staff, improving overall workplace productivity.
- Confirmed appointments, communicated with clients, and updated client records.
- Enhanced customer experience by implementing a welcoming and efficient reception process.
- Helped office staff prepare reports and presentations for internal or client-related use.
- Resolved customer inquiries promptly and professionally, resulting in increased customer satisfaction levels.
- Conducted regular inventory checks of office supplies and equipment, ensuring optimal availability of resources at all times.
- Collaborated effectively with cross-functional teams to achieve common goals and maintain seamless operations.
- Connecting with clients- cementing strong customer relationships with regular outreach and follow-ups to maintain high satisfaction rate
- Identify and manage new business opportunities with prospects and existing clients
Executive Marketing Assistant
Family Focus Financial Group
04.2009 - 02.2011
- Oversaw all data entry for new leads, prospects and clients with firms CRM
- Identified, created and executed marketing and branding strategies to build client customer base from around 100 clients to over 800 active clients
- Developed direct mail marketing campaign for lead generation for dinner seminars, concierge appointments and educational workshops including a successful women-focused marketing and referral program for female financial advisor
- Engaged with potential customers, building connections and driving relationships forward
- Assisted with execution of marketing campaigns, preparing content and collateral
- Booked executive accommodation and travel before scheduled conferences
- Handled administrative details for events, responding to inquiries and distributing promotional materials
- Organized files and records and handled other support tasks, freeing up managers to take on more pressing responsibilities
- Delivered exceptional customer service to bolster strong relationships and build positive experiences.
Education
International Business/French -
Montclair State University
Montclair, NJ05.2007
Skills
- Customer Service
- CRM Software Experience- Redtail and Salesforce
- Client Relationship Management
- Operations Management
- Lead Development
- Referral Pipeline Maintenance
- Insurance Industry and FINRA Regulatory Compliance Experience
- PC and MAC Proficient
- ConstantContact
- Gmail
- MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook)
- Adobe Acrobat
- Docusign
- Cloud Storage- Box and Citrix Sharefile
- Industry specific tools: Firelight, FastApp, Nitrogen (formerly Riskalyze), Retirement Analyzer, Orion
- Effective Multitasking
- Data entry proficiency
- Exceptional communication
- Tech-savviness
- Problem-Solving
- Attention to Detail
Certification
- NJ Licensed Insurance Agent - February 2011 - Present (Actively Licensed)
- NJ- Certified Notary Public
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
French
Limited Working
Timeline
Director of First Impressions
Family Focus Financial Group
01.2023 - Current
Vice President of Operations
Family Focus Financial Group
09.2021 - Current
Director of Client Services
Family Focus Financial Group
02.2011 - Current
Executive Marketing Assistant
Family Focus Financial Group
04.2009 - 02.2011
International Business/French -
Montclair State University
- NJ Licensed Insurance Agent - February 2011 - Present (Actively Licensed)
- NJ- Certified Notary Public
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