Sandi Knowski
Omaha,NE
Summary
Results-driven adult learning professional with extensive leadership experience and strong coaching skills. Skilled in learning program development and facilitation, I engage audiences across all levels and drive impactful projects to completion. Known for building strong relationships, providing effective consulting, and adapting to shifting priorities, I focus on clear communication and strategic solutions that align with organizational goals and deliver measurable results
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Professional Development Consultant
Mutual of Omaha
Omaha
09.2018 - Current
- Training Development & Facilitation: Design, develop, and deliver engaging training programs using adult learning principles to enhance leadership, professional, and cultural development across the organization.
- Needs Analysis & Collaboration: Conduct needs analysis for various training requests and work closely with leaders at all levels to assess needs, provide insights, and deliver customized training solutions.
- Leadership Development: Lead leadership and professional development initiatives, including leadership academy offerings, book clubs, team-building, and onboarding, ensuring these programs are sustainable and impactful.
- Program Enhancement & Improvement: Continuously assess and refine training programs to ensure they align with organizational goals and contribute to leadership growth.
- Cross-Functional Relationship Building: Cultivate strong relationships across organizational boundaries, connecting transferable leadership concepts and fostering trust and rapport at all levels.
- Training & Support for Thematic Goals: Support multiple thematic goals through leadership training, technical support, and data entry, all while enhancing leadership effectiveness within Workplace Solutions.
- Interactive Learning & Events: Lead both small-scale and large group interactive learning events, such as "The Great Collaborate," fostering engagement at all levels of leadership.
- Enterprise-Wide Initiatives: Contribute to enterprise-wide initiatives, including orientation, onboarding development, and learning support for business units.
- Project Coordination & Stakeholder Management: Coordinate high-profile projects, facilitating seamless collaboration among team members, business partners, and stakeholders.
- Culture Integration & Dedication: Integrate organizational culture into all training designs and consistently demonstrate commitment to fostering a strong, positive culture through actions and leadership.
- Coaching: Provide professional and leadership coaching to support individual growth and enhance leadership effectiveness at all levels.
Sr Training Specialist
Mutual of Omaha
Omaha
02.2012 - 08.2018
- Employee Performance Enhancement: Boost employee performance by creating and implementing comprehensive training programs tailored to diverse learning needs.
- Cross-Department Collaboration: Lead collaborative efforts with subject matter experts across departments to create highly effective, customized courses.
- Industry Best Practices Integration: Integrate emerging trends, technologies, adult learning principles, and industry best practices into training materials, ensuring employees remain up-to-date.
- Training Success Collaboration: Work closely with business partners to develop strategies that ensure the success of new associates through well-structured training programs.
- Curriculum Development & Updates: Develop new training curricula and regularly update existing documentation to align with evolving needs.
- Quality Review & Audits: Perform quality reviews of new associates’ work and audit current associates’ work.
Policy Service Specialist
Mutual of Omaha
Omaha
01.2011 - 02.2012
- Lean & Agile Training Reimagination: Contributed to a months-long initiative to redesign lean and agile training processes, reducing new associate training time while ensuring success upon release.
- New Associate Learning & Mentorship: Took on the responsibility of training new associates on individual products and services, eventually transitioning to an informal training role for ongoing support.
- Training Update Collaboration: Collaborated with business partners to successfully update and enhance new hire training materials and processes.
- Quality Assurance: Conducted thorough quality checks of 100% of Annuity products prior to mailing to certificate holders, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
- Cross-hierarchy Leadership Collaboration: Worked closely with leaders across all hierarchy levels effectively implement lean and agile learning strategies and streamline work distribution for Individual Life teams.
Quality Service Specialist
Mutual of Omaha
Omaha
12.2008 - 01.2011
- Quality Review & Accuracy Assurance: Manually review entered work to ensure accuracy and compliance with established standards, identifying and correcting discrepancies as needed.
- Business Partner Collaboration: Develop and maintain strong relationships with business partners to collaborate on process improvements, driving overall customer experience enhancements.
- Program Development & Leadership: Create and lead both one-on-one and group collaboration programs focused on ensuring quality success, fostering teamwork, and continuous improvement.
Sr. Client Representative
Mutual of Omaha
Omaha
01.2007 - 12.2008
- Customer Support & Inquiry Management: Answer incoming phone calls and emails from policyholders, addressing policy maintenance questions and providing clear, accurate information.
- Sales Office Coordination: Work closely with Sales Offices to tailor the customer experience, ensuring policies meet individual needs and expectations.
- Relationship Building: Cultivate strong relationships with internal and external customers to guarantee successful policy maintenance completion, in line with established standards.
- Dedicated Support for Key Groups: Serve as a primary point of contact for specific large groups, special handling groups, designated group sales offices, and brokers, ensuring personalized service.
- Policy Update Coordination: Oversee and follow up on policy updates and changes not personally handled, ensuring accuracy and delivering an exceptional customer experience from start to finish.
GPES Specialist
Mutual of Omaha
Omaha
06.2006 - 12.2007
- Policy Information Management: Accurately record and update policy details to ensure correct coverage and billing, maintaining data integrity.
- Collaboration with Outreach Team: Partner with the outreach team to obtain missing or additional information needed for policy updates.
- Quality & Production Monitoring: Consistently maintain high-quality standards and meet production goals, ensuring efficiency and accuracy.
GPES Representative
Mutual of Omaha
Omaha
08.2004 - 05.2006
- Customer Data Entry: Accurately input customer information into systems, ensuring data integrity and completeness.
- Eligibility Determination & Enrollment: Utilize critical thinking skills to assess eligibility and ensure accurate enrollment processes.
- Quality & Production Standards: Consistently maintain a 98% quality standard and meet 90% production goals to ensure efficiency and accuracy.
COS Specialist
West Teleservices
10.2003 - 08.2004
- Scheduled coverage for store managing 12 associates’ availability
- Financial responsibilities, budgeting, supply ordering and inventory management
- Point of management contact and customer service
Community Manager
SAGE Company
03.2001 - 08.2002
- Managed all aspects of 144 unity apartment community
- Budget development, reconciliation, forecasting
- Managed a team of five onsite associates
- Developed and managed vendor relationship and contracts
Skills
- Communication & Collaboration
- Professional & Leadership Coaching
- Leadership Development
- Relationship Building
- Facilitation (In-Person, Virtual, Hybrid)
- Adult Learning
- Culture Development, Growth & Sustainment
- Organizational Development
- Goal Setting
- Business Development & Planning
- Training Development & Training Facilitation
- Embedding Organizational Culture
Pronouns
She/Her
Certification
- DDI - Certified Facilitator
- The Table Group - Working Genius Certified Facilitator
- Everything DiSC - Certified Practitioner
- Prosci Change Management - Certified Facilitator
- Association of Talent Development - Leadership Program Development Certificate
Timeline
Professional Development Consultant
Mutual of Omaha
09.2018 - Current
Sr Training Specialist
Mutual of Omaha
02.2012 - 08.2018
Policy Service Specialist
Mutual of Omaha
01.2011 - 02.2012
Quality Service Specialist
Mutual of Omaha
12.2008 - 01.2011
Sr. Client Representative
Mutual of Omaha
01.2007 - 12.2008
GPES Specialist
Mutual of Omaha
06.2006 - 12.2007
GPES Representative
Mutual of Omaha
08.2004 - 05.2006
COS Specialist
West Teleservices
10.2003 - 08.2004
Community Manager
SAGE Company
03.2001 - 08.2002