Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Certification
Timeline
Generic

Cheryl Harewood

TROY,MI

Summary

Seasoned Senior Director with significant experience in managing large teams and developing effective strategies. Strengths include strategic leadership, vision-driven change management, and robust business acumen. Achievements include driving operational efficiency and fostering cross-departmental collaboration within previous organizations. Successfully implemented innovative solutions that resulted in positive organizational changes.

Overview

13
13
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Sr. Director, Employee Experience

Dentsu X
Troy, MI
07.2022 - 07.2025
  • Lead cross-functional teams in developing creative solutions to challenging problems.
  • Created policies and procedures to improve operational efficiencies within the organization.
  • Assessed current organizational systems and infrastructure, recommending changes as needed.
  • Monitored industry trends and made recommendations on how they could be leveraged by the organization.
  • Developed and implemented strategic plans to maximize organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and profitability.
  • Established key performance indicators to track progress towards goals.
  • Built relationships with external partners, vendors, and customers in order to foster collaboration.
  • Spearheaded the development and launch of new products or services.
  • Oversaw strategic planning and implementation to ensure organizational goals were met.
  • Facilitated professional development programs to build a high-performing team.

Part-Time Multicultural Resource Lead, BRG

Merkle CXM
Troy, MI
11.2020 - 05.2024
  • Launched Merkle's inaugural BIPOC mentorship program, Seat at the Table, reaching over 200 diverse employees in Americas during 2021 pilot.
  • Expanded Seat at the Table globally in 2022, engaging over 100 diverse employees in UK.
  • Defined strategic ethnic diversity and inclusion roadmap, establishing goals and measurable milestones from 2020 onward.
  • Led ideation and execution of DEI initiatives, aligning programs and communications with budget and objectives.
  • Collaborated with CEO and senior leaders to advocate for BIPOC employees and integrate DEI into operations.
  • Facilitated collaboration across pillars to achieve DEI milestones and enhance business unit integration.
  • Represented Merkle as a speaker at global events, promoting DEI initiatives across teams and agencies.

Director, Client Services Employee Experience

Merkle
Troy, MI
07.2021 - 07.2022
  • Developed and implemented strategic plans to ensure organizational goals were met.
  • Established relationships with vendors and suppliers to secure favorable terms for materials or services.
  • Developed and implemented comprehensive strategies to improve operational processes and organizational efficiency.
  • Reviewed internal reports and identified areas of risk or potential cost savings.
  • Identified opportunities for process optimization through data analysis.
  • Managed budgeting and financial planning processes for the organization.
  • Provided leadership, insight and mentoring to newly hired employees to supply knowledge of various company programs.

Sr. Account Manager, Client Success

Merkle
Troy, MI
09.2019 - 07.2021
  • Collaborated with internal departments such as marketing, operations, finance. to ensure successful execution of projects.
  • Conducted regular meetings with clients to review performance metrics, progress, and future goals.
  • Coordinated closely with colleagues across multiple departments when launching new products or services into an existing account base.
  • Resolved client issues in a timely manner while maintaining excellent customer service standards.
  • Oversaw multiple accounts and worked diligently to meet and exceed performance goals.
  • Participated in weekly team meetings with other senior account managers to discuss best practices.
  • Negotiated contracts with clients to ensure optimal pricing and terms of agreement.
  • Maintained detailed records of all account activity including sales orders, invoices, payments.
  • Onboarded new team members to integrate into organization.
  • Conducted market research to identify selling possibilities and evaluate customer needs.

Account Manager & Engagement Lead, Client Services

Merkle
Troy, MI
04.2017 - 09.2019
  • Managed relationships with Big 3 Automotive clients and third-party tool providers to ensure timely, budget-compliant delivery of Tire 3 workstreams.
    Authored and maintained comprehensive project documentation, including business cases, requirements, and risk/change logs.
    Defined clear project requirements, risks, and timelines to facilitate successful delivery.
    Collaborated with clients and internal teams to develop presentation decks for QBRs with seven dealer website providers.
    Led quality business reviews (QBR) with clients and seven dealer website providers to assess performance and recommend improvements.
    Influenced and coordinated efforts among Tier 3 stakeholders, including Merkle Leadership, to enhance SEO capabilities across client brands.
    Tracked tagging on multiple client websites to provide insights and growth opportunities for SEO and OEM capabilities.
    Facilitated communication between stakeholders to align project objectives with client expectations.
  • Prepared monthly financial statements for each account.
  • Managed multiple accounts simultaneously while meeting deadlines.
  • Created comprehensive reports on account performance and presented them to senior management.

PMO Director/Northwest Region

Acension Health System
Warren, MI
12.2013 - 12.2016
  • Managed the budgeting and forecasting of program resources.
  • Provided guidance to project managers on best practices in project management.
  • Coordinated cross-functional teams across multiple departments to ensure successful project delivery.
  • Developed and implemented PMO strategies, policies, processes, and procedures.
  • Identified potential conflicts between projects and developed mitigation strategies.
  • Drafted presentations outlining current initiatives or proposed solutions for executive review.
  • Facilitated meetings between project teams and senior leadership to review status updates.
  • Developed training materials for new PMO staff members on core concepts in project management.
  • Collaborated with key stakeholders to identify opportunities for process improvement.
  • Ensured compliance with organizational standards and guidelines throughout the life cycle of projects.
  • Assisted in the development of annual performance plans for PMO staff members.
  • Reviewed vendor contracts ensuring adherence to established policies and procedures.
  • Maintained comprehensive records of all projects activities including schedules, milestones, risks and issues.
  • Partnered with department directors for key process improvements.
  • Trained and mentored project managers on project methodologies and resource planning.
  • Provided leadership, insight and mentoring to newly hired employees to supply knowledge of various company programs.

Sr. PMO Manager

Meritor
Troy, MI
05.2012 - 09.2012
  • Streamlined project request and approval process for PMs and IT teams, achieving 30% reduction in turnaround time.
  • Designed standardized PMO processes, increasing on-time project delivery by 25%.
  • Collaborated with senior leadership to translate business needs into actionable projects supporting over 50 enterprise applications.
  • Developed Executive Dashboard and reporting tools, enhancing visibility into project portfolio health.
  • Managed communication between stakeholders at all levels across the organization in order to facilitate successful delivery of projects.
  • Collaborated with stakeholders to define business requirements for new initiatives.
  • Analyzed data from surveys conducted after completion of projects and programs in order to measure customer satisfaction.
  • Conducted portfolio reviews to ensure alignment with organizational goals and objectives.

Education

Master of Science - Computer Science And Engineering

University of Detroit Mercy
Detroit, MI

Bachelor of Science - Computer And Information Systems

University of Detroit Mercy
Detroit, MI

Skills

  • Strategic planning
  • Policy development
  • Data analysis
  • Project management
  • Operational efficiency
  • Performance metrics
  • Team leadership
  • Change management
  • Client relations
  • Collaboration skills
  • Training programs
  • Employer branding
  • Training and development (HR)
  • Human behavior
  • Risk assessment
  • Financial planning
  • Vendor management

Certification

  • Diversity,Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate USF Corporate Training and Professional Education Issued May 2021
  • Problem Solving McKinsey & Company Issued Jan 2022
  • Management Accelerator Program Issued Jun 2022
  • A2E Business Fundamentals Issued Jun 2022

Timeline

Sr. Director, Employee Experience

Dentsu X
07.2022 - 07.2025

Director, Client Services Employee Experience

Merkle
07.2021 - 07.2022

Part-Time Multicultural Resource Lead, BRG

Merkle CXM
11.2020 - 05.2024

Sr. Account Manager, Client Success

Merkle
09.2019 - 07.2021

Account Manager & Engagement Lead, Client Services

Merkle
04.2017 - 09.2019

PMO Director/Northwest Region

Acension Health System
12.2013 - 12.2016

Sr. PMO Manager

Meritor
05.2012 - 09.2012

Master of Science - Computer Science And Engineering

University of Detroit Mercy

Bachelor of Science - Computer And Information Systems

University of Detroit Mercy

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