Tara Bunis
Summary
Performance-driven professional with a passion for credit card rewards, travel, sourcing offers/benefits, and delighting customers. A team player with strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Vice President, Credit Cards
Merrill Lynch / Bank Of America
07.2007 - 10.2021
- Managed the travel rewards and concierge programs for several UHNW and HNW credit cards including vendor selection, multimillion dollar contract negotiation, executive reporting, and training review.
- Oversaw private jet vendor relationship including contracts, billing, pricing, and collateral review.
- Resolved end to end complex and executive escalations with vendors and various internal stakeholders including management, Financial Advisors, call center partners, and clients (saved client relationships for the firm of $1+ billion).
- Lead the implementation and launch of an online travel reservation system which allowed cardholders to redeem points for travel online (savings of $1.5 million over three years).
- Analyzed service metrics and reward redemptions through monthly management reporting by working with internal and external partners to gather accurate data.
- Implemented card acquisition promotions by managing the creation of client-facing marketing materials, both print and online, and provided content for ongoing field communications (Financial Advisors and Client Associates).
Senior Financial Analyst, Pricing and Acquisitions
Citigroup
01.2002 - 07.2005
- Priced wholesale loan pools on tight deadlines and helped determine bid strategy for secondary mortgage portfolios of $1+ billion. Liaised with various departments to ensure the accuracy of loan characteristics and pricing assumptions (saved the company $3.5+ million).
- Prepared monthly volume reports, including trend and ROA analyses (50% growth in acquisitions over two years), used by senior management for forecasting purposes. Developed and updated volume database of all funded loans.
Financial Analyst, Field Business Planning
American Airlines
02.2001 - 09.2001
- Benchmarked annual operating and capital budgets ($250+ million) for the Customer Service division of American Airlines operations at LaGuardia, Hartford, and Providence airports by analyzing flight schedules and using models to determine the most efficient staffing levels (budgets were approved, but then revised due to 9/11).
- Consulted LaGuardia airport senior management to identify areas of revenue, cost, and productivity improvement. Reviewed trends in spending and headcount performance with airport management; also forecasted future expenses and passenger loads to identify potential impact on station profitability (recommendations resulted in $10 million savings at LaGuardia airport).
Associate Service Trader
Fidelity Investments
08.1999 - 02.2001
- Placed stock and mutual fund trades for HNW customers and guided them through online transactions in a fast-paced environment. Successfully obtained Series 7 and 63 licenses.
- Led team in meeting asset retention (saved $50+ million), new accounts (averaged 12 new accounts/ month), and web cross sales goals (referred 50% of customers to trade online).
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration And Management
Tulane University
New Orleans, LAMBA -
Georgetown University
Washington, DCSkills
- Program Management
- Client Relationship Building
- Contract Negotiation
- Strategic Planning
- Offers Sourcing and Management
- Credit Card Rewards
- Escalation Resolution
- Partnerships and Affiliations
Interests
International travel, reading novels, attending theatre, credit card rewards
Timeline
Vice President, Credit Cards
Merrill Lynch / Bank Of America
07.2007 - 10.2021
Senior Financial Analyst, Pricing and Acquisitions
Citigroup
01.2002 - 07.2005
Financial Analyst, Field Business Planning
American Airlines
02.2001 - 09.2001
Associate Service Trader
Fidelity Investments
08.1999 - 02.2001
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration And Management
Tulane University
MBA -
Georgetown University
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