Kari Elling
Director Business Operations
Canton,SD
Summary
Director of Business Operations with over 20 years of leadership experience. Accomplished Director with diverse expertise across multiple disciplines most recently in Business Operations and Customer Experience. Superior leadership, presentation, project/program management and strategic planning skills. Strong relationship building through cross functional leadership and collaboration. Thrive in a fast paced, high pressure environments. Strong educational background with a Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) kept sharp by supporting doctoral candidates as their dissertation chair and serving as an adjunct professor. Champion of diversity and inclusion with a focus on the Pride and Women’s networks.
Overview
23
23
years of professional experience
11
11
years of post-secondary education
4
4
Certifications
Work History
Director Business Operations
Citi
01.2022 - Current
- Built Customer Experience team with intense focus on elevating customer experience, addressing pain points and eliminating regulatory risks
- Improved performance by over 20% in top five areas of focus
- Directed VIP program for clients who require escalated service and led strategic vision and risk management for VIP tagging
- Eliminated Regulatory risk
- Established coalition of partnership with Compliance, Legal, and Anti-Bribery & Corruption teams
- Lead team dedicated to driving strategic customer experience focus areas and enhancing business efficiencies through headcount management and productivity initiatives across Cards and Operations
- Lead to $40MM in productivity saves last year.
- Cultivated positive work environment that fostered employee engagement, increased retention rates, and boosted overall team morale
- Enhanced team collaboration through regular communication, goal setting, and performance evaluations
- Boosted client satisfaction rates through exceptional relationship management and prompt resolution of issues
Dissertation Chair and Adjunct Professor
University of Sioux Falls
01.2022 - Current
- Lead Doctoral Students through Dissertation Process to prepare for Doctoral Degree
- Provide guidance and feedback from proposal development and defense through successful dissertation defense.
- Guide students on methods and approach to research.
Fitness Instructor
GreatLife Group Fitness |Club Pliates
01.2007 - Current
- Work with 100+ students in both group and individual setting to help them achieve their fitness and health goals.
- Utilized social media and other marketing strategies to promote gym programs and services, attracting new clients and increasing revenue.
- Continuous professional development opportunities through attendance at workshops, conferences, seminars related to health and wellness trends in order to provide up-to-date expertise for clients'' benefit.
Head of Tech Optimization
Citi
09.2015 - 12.2021
- Drove investment planning process across Cards Organization for technology investments
- Established prioritization method using financial benefits and coordinating sizing efforts
- Led Tech Optimization Reengineering workshops driving multi-million-dollar cost saves to business
- Owned and managed $200MM+ annual Book of Work across Cards
- Managed prioritization efforts for project alignment to over 250 annually funded projects and programs and drove key decisions for trade-offs with high financial impacts
- Change management leader responsible for overhauling how decisions are made for prioritizing investment funding
- Hosted workshops and served as overall leader in transitioning cross-functional teams toward Agile environment
- Project Lead for Reengineering which significantly enhanced prioritization process by capitalizing on efficiencies gained, eliminating wasted efforts, and reducing workload across business.
Servicing Strategy Manager
Citi
04.2013 - 08.2015
- Designed "Beyond the Call Recognition" program for service advocates
- Implemented key initiatives that increased Net Promoter Scores (NPS) via Service Reengineering, road shows, and designing toolkits
- Developed branding of call center sites
- Managed vendor relationships with offshore call centers for servicing product knowledge centralizing expertise across multiple sites
- Redesigned customer servicing treatments for more targeted approach to customer needs based on call type.
Sales Program Manager
Citi
01.2006 - 04.2013
- Spearheaded complex work streams for Sales Reengineering
- Directed team of product developers, trainers, program managers and compliance partners
- Developed Training and communications strategy for key projects and programs.
Youth Director
Canton Lutheran Church
01.2006 - 01.2012
- Collaborated with diverse stakeholders to secure funding opportunities that supported ongoing programming needs.
- Established partnerships with local schools, non-profit organizations, and businesses to expand reach of our programs within community.
- Promoted safe and inclusive environment for all participants by establishing clear guidelines and behavioral expectations.
Retention Unit Manager
Citi
11.2000 - 01.2006
- Top performing Unit Manager and Top Performing Team
- Built ongoing Sales Training to improve sales performance across site
- Developed several representatives for promotion and leadership roles.
Education
Ph.D. - Education
University of St. Thomas
Saint Paul, MN 08.2011 - 02.2022
Skills
Executive Reportingundefined
Certification
Prosci Change Management
Accomplishments
- Multiple Award Winner for Leadership and performance
- Significant fundraising for causes via marathon running and cycling events.
Timeline
Director Business Operations
Citi
01.2022 - Current
Dissertation Chair and Adjunct Professor
University of Sioux Falls
01.2022 - Current
Head of Tech Optimization
Citi
09.2015 - 12.2021
Servicing Strategy Manager
Citi
04.2013 - 08.2015
Ph.D. - Education
University of St. Thomas
08.2011 - 02.2022
Fitness Instructor
GreatLife Group Fitness |Club Pliates
01.2007 - Current
Sales Program Manager
Citi
01.2006 - 04.2013
Youth Director
Canton Lutheran Church
01.2006 - 01.2012
Retention Unit Manager
Citi
11.2000 - 01.2006
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