Sales Management

Rebecca Lahl, CFP **** Pickfair Drive ( Bloomington, MN 55438

Cell: 612-***-**** ( ******@*****.***

AMPLIFYING RESULTS THROUGH PEOPLE, PROCESSES AND PERFORMANCE

An insightful and results-focused sales and operations leader with strong

credentials in identifying and solving sales productivity issues,

increasing and sustaining distribution results and aligning and integrating

processes across multiple distribution channels, operations and product and

marketing areas. Demonstrated ability to lead broad-scale organizational

change, guiding strategy to successful execution through organization

design improvement, business transformation and process innovation.

Value Proposition:

V Proven success in increasing product/service uptake, sales and

distribution with sustained results.

V Ability to diagnose and develop innovative and scalable solutions for

increasing productivity.

V Keen understanding of organization design, compensation and performance

management strategies in improving sales force and human capital

effectiveness.

V Skilled in identifying opportunities and synergies for product

positioning and process efficiency across multiple distribution channels

and business units.

V Reputation for developing and leading high performing teams that are

results driven and leverage customer relationships to solve problems and

achieve desired outcomes.

V Known for establishing trusted relationships between sales, product,

operations and technology teams.

Competencies:

Business Transformation / Strategic & Business Ldrshp Development

Integration Planning

Organizational Design Business Case Development Sales & Marketing

Program Management (18,000+ Analysis & Account and asset

hrs) Decision-Making

Change Management, Risk Planning & acquisition /

Communication Mitigation growth

PROFESSIONAL eXPERIENCE

Willow Consulting Group - Lahl Consulting, LLC- Minneapolis, MN

Strategic Management Consultant October 2009- Present

Strategic management consulting for Wells Fargo retirement services

division and other banking clients.

Ameriprise Financial Services - Minneapolis, MN

Vice President - Business Development, Employee Sales Channel

Sept. 2004 - March 2009

Designed, streamlined and standardized key business and operations

processes to improve focus, efficiency and productivity of sales

organization. Led virtual deployment team of 15 directors and managers in

addition to Program Office and cross-organizational teams (75+) in large

organization design changes ($40 M). Also led all implementation, change

management and communication.

. Saved 15% of sales leader time and increased productivity by 9% as

result of standardizing and reintroducing repeatable processes in a

compelling framework and innovative training venues.

. Increased sales force productivity by 16% and retention by 6% by

diagnosing root cause issues, developing solutions and leading on-site

post-implementation support to sustain results.

. 68% of sales leaders met stretch targets as result of integrating a

new dynamic forecasting models into business planning process and

ensuring supporting tactics were melded into model week priorities and

activity. Provided individual coaching for high potential growth

leaders.

. On track to realize 10% increase in sales force as result of

implementing systemic change in recruiting formula involving use of

vendors and blended resource strategy. These behavioral changes

required an advanced five-level change management strategy.

. Integrated acquisition of H&R Block Advisors into sales, compliance,

business and technology processes. Modeled and designed new field

Sales Supervision Structure for FINRA filing and reviewed/integrated

compliance supervisory requirements and procedures. Also, initiated

program to design new centralized sales supervision unit.

Rebecca Lahl, CFP Page Two

Vice President - Brokerage, Banking & Managed Products 2001 - 2004

Motivated and institutionalized product uptake and asset gathering

mentality across multiple distribution channels by creating innovative

sales implementation and marketing strategies. Led entire product life

cycle development including operations and service integration of the "AMEX

ONE Account" that integrated client saving, investing and spending services

onto one brokerage centric platform.

. Accelerated account openings by 53% and met asset acquisition goals of

$14.2 billion within 18 months of launch by motivating sales

distribution through a variety of compelling awareness and training

tactics and orchestrating 5 multi-faceted push-pull marketing

campaigns.

. Enlisted 86% of sales distributors by developing a 4-tier multi-

channel distribution strategy and synthesizing and simplifying

multiple value propositions into sales processes and developing

actionable sales funnels.

. Realized a net save of $800,000 while sustaining increased product

uptake by creating on-line framework for low-cost customization of

marketing materials and just-in-time training to adjust value

proposition for varying client needs.

. Gained additional 25% increase in market share by collaborating with

other product and service areas to further leverage and re-package

existing products and functionality inside of new client loyalty and

service tiers.

. Increased overall corporate product revenue by 8% by bundling and

aligning promotion of product and service offerings across company

into theme-based trimester marketing campaigns.

. Improved quality of product and service enhancements by creating

integrated release, implementation and communication Centers of

Excellence across product, marketing, brokerage, banking and

operations departments.

Director - Sales Compensation Program Design and Implementation 1995 -

2001

Led team of 30 business analysts and communication department with budget

responsibility of $75 million to design and execute complex program design,

operations and system implementations. Simultaneously, provided program

leadership for cross-functional teams responsible for 26 compensation

programs including all related field training, change management and

communication.

. Improved advisor satisfaction by 20% and retention by 10% (at zero

net cost) by influencing the American Express' CEO and President to

adopt new compensation model for 10,000 advisors, which resulted in

best-in-class industry retention of 97%. Led design and systems

implementation for national transition, leveraging six sigma

framework.

. Increased client and asset acquisition by 18% by listening to and

understanding sales force concerns about the complexity of running a

practice and designing sales models and compensation for varying

degrees of team sales, including formal team practices.

. Improved advisor satisfaction by 15% and retention by 8% by re-

designing and implementing new sales force structure that increased

sales leader accountability (at zero net cost) and rewarded value and

effectiveness in specialized leadership roles. Implementation

required extensive compensation forecasting, superior negotiation and

change management expertise.

. Increased advisor satisfaction, retention and recruiting strength of

the company by flawlessly executing two major organizational changes,

despite $10 million less funding, to transition to new sales metrics

and divide the organization into two sales platforms by leading two

PMO's for business and technology teams (80+) whose work impacted 10

major, 20 ancillary legacy systems through six sigma process analysis

and detailed Quality and Risk mitigation planning.

. Maintained incentives for new business while increasing attention for

deepening client relationships and satisfaction by designing new sales

compensation scorecard for payouts, bonuses and other incentives.

. Reduced year-over-year cost of new product introductions and sales

structure changes by 30% by integrating a $45 M compensation and

licensing systems utility using lean six sigma processes and value-

based modular development as well as negotiating $3 million in

vendor saves and minimizing maintenance costs by developing a

blended resource strategy, including use of off-shore resources.

Rebecca Lahl, CFP Page Three

Program Manager - Organization Design (organization-wide redesign) 1990 -

1995

Initiated and led Program Office for ($35 M) Organization Systems Design

(OSD) effort to improve the quality of business processes and

organizational effectiveness that consisted of five phases, 12 work

streams, 40 sales and corporate office design team members, three levels of

executive steering and change management committees, in addition to

incorporating involvement of three OSD consulting firms.

. Synthesized and implemented 20 Organization Design change solutions,

resulting in a 19% return on investment (ROI) and greatly increased

advisor productivity, service quality and satisfaction as a result of

conducting extensive research, formal STS, quality and six sigma

analysis and developing proposals to address issues afflicting the

sales organization.

. Engaged field and corporate employees across U.S. in enterprise-wide

redesign effort requiring complex engagement, change management and

communication strategies. Redesign approach/ results featured in

Financial Times. Was nominated by 80 team members and received

American Express Chairman's Award for overall leadership and

individual contribution.

. Created and staffed the company's first Practice Management department

at "no expense" as sales force paid for expertise to share business,

sales and staffing models and tools to increase advisor and practice

efficiency and productivity. Received American Express Chairman's

Award representing North America in global recognition.

National Sales Manager - Financial Planning (Gold and Platinum Teams)

1986 - 1990

Initiated Organizational Design of tiered, collegial associations to

improve financial planning tools, processes and business ideation that

resulted in improved retention and productivity for top 10% of sales force.

. Increased sales performance of top 10% of sales organization by 17%

and increased retention from 78% to 90% by designing pyramidal

incentive structure to enable top performers added freedom about

generating financial planning fees, to advance financial education and

to create a community of elite peer networks.

. Developed and implemented the company's virtual financial planning

software and processes, including regulatory and compliance controls.

Also developed tools, technology and operational processes company's

first form of on-going planning for investment advisory fees.

. Developed and implemented Gold and Platinum Team networking and best

practice forums, sales conferences and marketing materials to further

increase veteran advisor productivity and retention.

. Gained and maintained distinctive competence in the financial services

industry by creating the pivotal foundation for building and rewarding

financial planning skills and advanced certification as a requirement

to Gold and Platinum Team membership at little to no cost with

immeasurable benefit to Ameriprise Financial's industry positioning

and bottom line. Started with 12 Gold Team members coined as "the

dirty dozen" ... today there are nearly 750 Platinum and 3,300 Gold

Financial Advisors and Ameriprise is known for having more advisors

with advanced financial designations than any company in the industry.

Education and Professional ASSOCIATIONS

. BSB (triple major: Accounting, Finance, Business Mgt.), Montana State

University (3.3/4.0)

. Ameriprise Enterprise Program Management Office (EPMO)

. Project Management Institute (PMI): 1993-present, PMP certification

. Lean Six Sigma - Green Belt - 2003, Twin Cities Lean Six Sigma Member

. Certified Financial Planner Designation (CFP) 1986

. Series 6, 7 and 24 Licensure

. Business Unit Compliance Officer AMPF Association

. Selected Graduate Business Management Courses, University of Minnesota

and St. Thomas

. Board member of St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Bloomington, MN

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