Samantha Macgowan

• Led the end-to-end redesign of retiree payment processing workflows, introducing a unique dual-entry processing system to automate payment audits. Defined system requirements, developed process flows for both traditional and cash balance retirement plans, and collaborated with developers to ensure seamless implementation. Led client acceptance testing, resulting in an 89% reduction in participant overpayments and a 60% decrease in required staff resources.
• Developed proprietary staffing analysis model, leveraging automation and hypothesis testing to optimize resource allocation. Enhanced operational efficiency by accurately forecasting workload with 90% precision, ensuring alignment between staffing needs and business demands.
• Directed large-scale internal data corrections project resolving inaccuracies for 10k+ deceased retirees, preventing further overpayments from occurring and implementing process improvements that secured 64% of the annual out of scope revenue.
• Led the transition of call center operations from Nextiva to Genesys, reducing the estimated implementation timeline by 33%. Managed vendor selection, presented recommendations to stakeholders, served as primary liaison between the vendor implementation team and internal development team to ensure seamless integration.

• Led implementation of the first online retirement system, enhancing user experience and reducing incomplete participant elections from 73% to 21%. Developed system requirements, defined user stories, developed wireframes, created acceptance and led the rollout to clients through user manuals and system demos.
• Led the design and automation of participant plan communications, streamlining 114 custom OpenOffice templates by 74%. Improved efficiency by reducing processing times by 67%, auditing times by 45% and cutting overall audit rejections by 94%, ensuring faster more accurate participant communications.
• Developed an SQL Runner for a SaaS platform, enabling quick fixes without requiring system releases or developer intervention. Designed 15-20 standard queries with audit controls reducing developer workload by 43% within first 6 months and improving operational efficiency.
• Led client demos throughout development phases, gathering feedback to validate product requirements and ensure alignment with stakeholder expectations. Maintained the company’s 100% client satisfaction record by refining implementations based on direct user input.

• Led pilot de-risking project managing 4k+ participants, achieved 42% take rate - 15% higher than the incumbent administrator.
• Developed the company’s first knowledge base tool using the Fogbugz Wiki Interface, reducing call hold times by 42% within the first six weeks, and 69% by the end of the first year. Additionally, designed and implemented the first performance improvement and coaching plans, contributing to an 85% employee retention rate.
• Developed client implementation checklist and standardized implementation training approach reducing overall timelines for new client implementations by 63% for traditional plans and 47% for cash balance plans within the first year.
• Developed comprehensive backend processing guides for internal teams, increasing staff competency on topics like retirement eligibility, beneficiary designations, and QDRO (Qualified Domestic Relation Order) processing for over 25+ unique retirement plans, resulted in 48% reduction in research cases.

• Effectively trained offshore employees as part of the transition process for a large market client with over 90,000 plan participants.
• Monitored daily processing of internal & offshore teams to ensure payroll transactions were completed within Standard Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Processed retiree elections for plan participants for large market client with over 90,000 plan participants that averaged about 800 incoming election forms per month.