Katie Niad Thames
Oak Ridge
Summary
Dynamic leader with extensive experience in customer success, coaching, training, contact center operations, and sales. Skilled in driving departmental growth and team development, with a proven track record of managing directors and managers in customer-facing environments. Adept at leveraging strong communication, analytical, and leadership skills to effectively balance strategic and operational priorities. Committed to fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement to achieve organizational goals.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Vice President of Sales Support Services
Huntington Learning Corporation
01.2024 - Current
- Create, track and manage key performance indicators (KPI's) related to success and support
- Frequent collaboration with cross-functional teams to drive alignment on company initiatives
- Optimization and management of Dynamics CRM, Five9 cloud contact center, and internal Huntington proprietary platforms
- Responsible for improving processes, performance management and systems that facilitate the customer lifecycle
- Oversee customer support and ticket response in accordance with SLAs
- Responsible for managing revenue and NOI for sales coaching, virtual sales and customer engagement center
- Responsible for all customer service top level escalations
- Manage the Senior Director of Virtual Sales, Coaching Manager and Director of Customer Engagement Center
- Successfully implemented the Zoho helpdesk for virtual sales, customer engagement center and coaching departments
- Assist the franchise development department in franchise sales at Team Huntington Days
- Performed franchisee training at both Franchise Convention and High Achievers Training offsite
- Successfully launched assessment and conferencing platform technology
- Partnered with offshore technology vendors Azend Technologies
- Responsible for three departments that generate multimillion dollar revenue annually
Senior Director of Customer Engagement
Huntington Learning Corporation
01.2021 - 01.2023
- Responsible for budget and P&L of Sales Coaching, Virtual Sales and Customer Engagement Center
- Aided in the transition of the customer engagement center from onsite to remote
- Improved the conversion rates in the customer engagement center
- Business Manager for implementation of transitioning to the customer cloud-based contact center platform Five9
- Responsible for seven direct reports across three departments
- Member of the franchisee advisory council, tutoring council and test prep council
- Successfully improved conversion rates of the sales coaches, enrollment directors and call center agents
- Responsible for 259 percent revenue growth in the virtual sales department from 2021 to 2023
- Increased net operating income of Customer Engagement Center by 186%.
- Business Manager for implementation of Dynamics CRM
- Performed franchisee and staff training at Franchise conventions
Director of Coaching
Huntington Learning Corporation
01.2013 - 01.2022
- Created and managed department budget and P&L
- Responsible for customer growth and retention
- Responsible for hiring, onboarding and firing
- Responsible for managing enrollment rates, revenue and billable hours metrics
- Responsible for managing a team of remote nationwide sales coaches
- Responsible for training creation and training implementation
- Responsible for customer retention and growth
- Successfully created the virtual sales department due to covid 19
- Successfully improved performance metrics of all sales coaches and overall department
- Successfully handled all customer engagements from franchisees
- Networked and partnered with multiple outside vendors
- Partnered with all other department heads to grow franchise centers revenue
- Successfully doubled the department in revenue and employees
- Performed Franchisee and staff training at Franchise conventions
Coaching Services Manager
Huntington Learning Corporation
01.2009 - 07.2013
- Manage and train full time remote sales coaches by listening to calls, providing feedback and being the point person for questions and concerns throughout the workday
- Plan and conduct bi-weekly department meetings that involve trainings, critiquing calls, role-playing, and addressing other coaching department issues
- Directly supervise four coaches, address performance numbers, listen to recorded calls and sit in live, put together performance improvement plans
- Make care calls to franchisees to discuss enrollment numbers, how coaching can support them and help to drive revenue
- Make calls to franchisees who are considering dropping the service to discuss their concerns and keep them committed
- Assisted in breaking department revenue record
- Participated in Prime Mover and High Priority meetings in the absence of the Director of Coaching Services
- Continued responsibilities as a coach with my own clients as outlined below
Sales Coach
Huntington Learning Corporation
01.2007 - 01.2009
- Drive revenue through prepping Enrollment Conferences and giving clients the skills needed to increase overall enrollment
- Work as a team with Franchise Business Consultants to help clients provide excellent service and achieve higher revenues
- Build relationships and value in our service in the franchise community
- Participate in the Steps to Success program to prepare new franchisees to open their doors. Focus specifically on the areas of ground marketing, academic evaluation administration and enrollment conferences
- Exceeded goals based on enrollment rate and billable hours
- Prep interim conferences and provide other essential training to center staff
- Manage scheduling and database entry for 15 – 20 centers nationwide
- Participate in weekly calls with the team and provide feedback on performance from listening to recorded calls
- Step in when asked during the absence of the Director and/or Manager to be the point person for the team
Center Director
Huntington Learning Center
01.2006 - 02.2007
- During this period our center:
- Maintained an 80% enrollment rate
- Maintained a consistent ranking among the Top Ten franchise centers
- Averaged 75 – 85 K per month in revenue
- Broke our center monthly revenue record in June of 2005 and again in March of 2006
- Exceeded one million dollars in revenue for the calendar year of 2006
Assistant Director
Huntington Learning Center
06.2005 - 01.2006
Teacher/Supervisor
Huntington Learning Center
11.2004 - 06.2005
Teacher
NorthStar High Charter School
01.2003 - 01.2004
- Taught classes English, German and Journalism classes in an inclusive classroom environment including honor, mainstream, and mild to severe ESE students
Typesetter
Brent Strawn, Emory University
01.2002 - 01.2004
- Typesetting his dissertation, What is Stronger Than a Lion?: Leonine Image and Metaphor in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East, for publication by University Press Fribourg Switzerland
- Responsible for creation of headers, footers, indices, placement of figures and conversion of final product to pdf document
Typesetter
American Schools of Oriental Research
01.2001 - 01.2002
- Provide typesetting (including: scanning, placement of illustrations) on a consultation basis for books published by ASOR
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Religious Studies
Stetson University
DeLand, FL01.1999
Master of Theological Studies - undefined
Emory University
Atlanta, GA01.2001
Skills
- Deal closing
- Trade show representation
- Industry expertise
- Revenue generation
Timeline
Vice President of Sales Support Services
Huntington Learning Corporation
01.2024 - Current
Senior Director of Customer Engagement
Huntington Learning Corporation
01.2021 - 01.2023
Director of Coaching
Huntington Learning Corporation
01.2013 - 01.2022
Coaching Services Manager
Huntington Learning Corporation
01.2009 - 07.2013
Sales Coach
Huntington Learning Corporation
01.2007 - 01.2009
Center Director
Huntington Learning Center
01.2006 - 02.2007
Assistant Director
Huntington Learning Center
06.2005 - 01.2006
Teacher/Supervisor
Huntington Learning Center
11.2004 - 06.2005
Teacher
NorthStar High Charter School
01.2003 - 01.2004
Typesetter
Brent Strawn, Emory University
01.2002 - 01.2004
Typesetter
American Schools of Oriental Research
01.2001 - 01.2002
Master of Theological Studies - undefined
Emory University
Bachelor of Arts - Religious Studies
Stetson University