Customer Service Manager

Karen Nieft

**** **** ******, ************, ** **660 ?cell 773-***-****

?**********@***.***

Residing presently: 3040 Forest Ave, Brookfield, IL 60513

INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS & HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

Human Resources Manager specializing in cultivating leadership and

increasing performance of Regional Management teams. In depth

experience creating and implementing mentoring programs and development

strategies resulting in career advancement for employees from Managers

and Supervisors to CBAs. Developed and executed training for

international start-up program spanning 11 countries for multiple

departments including Finance, Customer Service, Operations, Sales and

Logistics encompassing hourly to executive level employees increasing

company revenue by $3MM annually. Recruited top notch, professional

individuals for Call Center Start-Up successfully staffing 90 employees

within 6 months from front line to Supervisors and Managers for

multiple departments.

APL is an international company more than 150 years old including 200

offices in 80 countries with more than 4000 employees moving 2,000,000

containers annually.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

APL, Ltd 1991-present

Regional Operations Manager, Midwest: 2006-present

Chicago

. Lead International Operations, Trucking and Safety Departments for

11 states; team consists of Chicago Operations Manager, Regional

Safety Manager, Regional Trucking Supervisors, Regional

Refrigerated Cargo Specialist, 25 CBA employees (MEBA and

Teamster) and 30 contracted vendors

. Develop teams whose operational performance sets the bar for 5

other regional teams throughout America, Canada and Mexico through

establishment of process efficiencies and automation resulting in

$6MM annually in operational cost reduction

. Maintain positive employee relations with local union chapter

members virtually eliminating grievances within region. Most

recently this resulted in local Teamster chapter signing a 1 year

extension to current contract at present rates

. Establish and implement talent retention, development and

mentoring programs for direct reports

. Orchestrate procurement processes and timeline for vendor services

including RFP, analyses, approval panel review and award of

services. Responsible for contract negotiation, execution and

management of day-to-day performance

. Create and manage $72MM operations budget annually

. Coordinate and facilitate regularly scheduled meetings with

Customer Service, Sales, Finance and Logistics strengthening

relationships and building bridges of communication and

collaboration on business needs

Key Achievements:

* Developing employees for advancement by partnering on career

goals, training strategies and mentoring program management

resulting in career promotions for 3 CBA employees and 2 Managers

within 3 years

* Managing team performance reducing annual operating expenditures

by $6MM for 11 Midwest states through automation, process

efficiency implementation, cross training and streamlining. This

has also contributed to a reduction in service failures from

approximately 120 annually to less than 10 annually. Additionally,

these actions have helped create teams that are nimble, flexible

and welcoming of business changes

* Encouraging a team initiative of policing load status at rail

ramps which increases security of high risk commodities and

reduces loaded rail storage. Storage costs were reduced by $400K

in 2008 and $800K in 2009

Regional Operations Manager, Gulf: 2002-2006

Dallas

. Led International Operations for 5 water port and 18 inland

operational locations within the Gulf states

. Managed a team of 4 Superintendents, 1 CBA employee (MEBA) and 23

contracted vendors

. Teamed with Sales, Logistics and Customer Service repositioning

operations facilities within the Gulf states to ensure APL was

strategicially placed to capture a greater market share of

business moving in the Trans Atlantic lane

. Created and managed $30MM operations budget annually

. Orchestrated procurement processes and timeline for vendor

services including RFP, analyses, approval panel review and award

of services. Responsible for contract negotiation, execution and

management of day-to-day performance

Key Achievements:

* Coached employee responsible for New Orleans operation in post

Katrina environment rebuilding operational resources. This

resulted in APL being the only Steam Ship Line able to handle

import and export cargo movement within 6 months after the

devastation

* Mentored employee responsible for Monroe,LA operation cultivating

a local unused rail spur resulting in increased business of

approximately 500 loads due to APL's ability to send customer

empty equipment via rail spur by their warehouse and take

possession of loaded outbound containers via same spur by the

warehouse.

* Managed team performance reducing annual operating expenditures

by $2MM for 5 Gulf states through automation, process efficiency

implementation, cross training and streamlining. This team is made

up of personnel each in a unique location and historically

operated independently of each other. Cross training and back-up

responsibilities led to a stronger team, improved Customer Service

and response time.

* Collaborated with APL customer developing barge services for large

volume project cargo movements. This increased APL's volume by

approximately 1000 loads annually.

Regional Trucking Manager, South: 2000-2002

Atlanta

. Managed Trucking Operations for 11 Southern States; team consisted

of 1 Manager, 3 Supervisors and 18 front line and temporary

employees. Responsible for trucking of 235,000 loaded containers

annually.

. Developed employees for career advancement resulting in 4

promotions within 2 years.

. Reorganized department orchestrating process reviews, cross

training, increased headcount, supporting alternative working

hours and implementing process efficiencies and automation

achieving customer service excellence. Serviced failures dropped

from 300 annually to less than 30 annually.

. Created and managed $53MM operations budget annually

Key Achievements:

* Developing employees for advancement by partnering on career

goals, training strategies and mentoring program management

resulting in career promotions for 4 employees within 3 years

* Reorganization of department resulted in saving $7MM annually in

operational expenses

* Enlisted the support of Regional IT Department dedicating a

resource to the Trucking Department used to create a system that

automated large sections of the workflow that was previously

performed manually. The system is still in use today.

Human Resources Trainer-Job Process & Systems: 1999-2000

Atlanta

. Developed optimum training solutions for front line employees to

executive level employees for Sales, Equipment, Logistics, Vessel

and Inland Operations, Trucking, Finance and Human Resources for

11 Southern States, Central and South America countries

. Traveled extensively domestically and internationally serving >

300 employees in 22 locations

. Collaborated on start-up team serving the Latin America market

establishing and executing training strategies for the contracted

Central and South American offices. This included overseeing the

initial work performed when services were first started

Key Achievements:

* Learned working knowledge of Spanish language to facilitate

successful start-up operation

* Traveled throughout Central and South America marrying schedule

and training to implementation timeline for each country ensuring

successful start-up of service

* Volunteered to work with Mexico Region bridging training and

process needs when regional trainer relocated. This assignment

allowed for implementation of Best Practices with other Latin

American countries.

Human Resources Specialist: 1996-1999 Atlanta

. Supported > 300 employees from hourly to executive level across 3

divisions with offices in 11 Southern states. Areas of

responsibility were Planning and Recruitment, Retention and

Promotion, Compensation and Benefits, Performance Management and

Separation of Employment.

. Participated in several start-up projects including the creation

of a Customer Call Center involving staffing of approximately 90

employees from hourly to Department Managers-completed within 6

months.

. Maintained and reported Affirmative Action Plan annually.

. Supported Directors, Managers, Supervisors, hourly employees, CBA

employees (MEBA), temporary employees and contractors.

Key Achievements:

* Coordinated training needs and timeline with Development

Specialist for Call Center start-up, ensuring employees began work

in concert with training classes. This exercise in logistics

ensured new employees were sufficiently trained and helped

facilitate a smooth start-up.

* Partnered with Regional VP reorganizing the Business Unit in

Charlotte,NC requiring recruitment and training of 20 employees

from hourly to supervisor level. Target was completion within 6

weeks during the holidays. Reorganization was successful and

staffing was completed on target.

Freight Cashier/Customer Service Rep: 1991-1996

Dallas

. Handled Customer Service needs for North Texas area customers

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TECHNICAL EXPERTISE

?Word ?Excel ?Outlook ?Power Point ?Visio ?PeopleSoft ? SQL ?Can work

fluidly between Mac and PC apps ?Regional Sharepoint Administrator

EDUCATION

University of Texas, Arlington - Fine Arts

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