Director Customer Service and Operations

RICHARD H. APPERT

**** ****** **** *********: 310-***-****

Redondo Beach, CA 90278 ********@*****.*** Mobile: 310-***-****

CUSTOMER SERVICE & OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE

Commercial Services/Goods & Fulfillment Manufacturing

Versatile, decisive customer service and operations executive with diversified business experience in the service and manufacturing industries. Produces results in fast paced, multi-dimensional environments where adaptability and flexibility are imperative. Analytical, problem solving and negotiating strengths combine to manage strategic issues resulting in profitable development of new and existing business.

CORE COMPETENCIES

● Client Service & Relationship Management ● Operations Productivity and Quality Improvement ● Process Analysis & Improvement ● Development & Implementation of Training & Processes

● Revenue Growth & EBIT Achievement

KEY CONTRIBUTIONS & ACHIEVEMENTS

• Turned Regional EBIT around by $1,000,000 in first full year

• Reduced expense by $500,000 by optimizing labor and equipment

• Organically grew major regional accounts by 25%

• Collaboratively sold a $7,200,000 contract to a Fortune 100 Bank

• Analyzed and improved Job Order Entry Tool, rendering $600,000 savings in first year

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

Pitney Bowes Management Service – Los Angeles, CA 2005 - 2009

Western Region Director of Customer Service and Operations

Directed full P&L of multi-site, multi-state operations. Responsible for Sales, Operations, Human Resources, Billing, A/R, Inventory and over 150 full-time personnel, in a multi-shift environment.

Accomplishments

• Revitalized, rebuilt under performing sites – revenue/ebit and operational excellence

• Introduced, implemented Six Sigma Black Belt practices to operations

• Reduced labor expense by $10,000 per month, per site, by introducing a labor plan

• Retained & renewed 100% of contract accounts within region

• Created Strategic Incentive Plan for Sales Executives and Operations Directors driving EBIT increase from sales through execution

• Improved quality to a 99.875% defect free delivery

• Collaboratively created and implemented 1st Client Satisfaction Survey

CRESTEC – Los Angeles, CA 2002 - 2005

U.S. Operations Manager Responsible for all operations of a commercial print, fulfillment, and variable data solutions provider. Services included: print, translation, call center, website design, warehousing and third party logistics. Responsible for Customer Service, Estimating, Desktop Publishing, Pre-press, Press, Bindery, Shipping, Fulfillment, Call Center and Translation Services.

RICHARD H. APPERT

Accomplishments:

• Realized $85,000 savings first year by reducing overtime in 90 days by 25%

Introduced schedules, metrics, improved process flow

• Improved profitability and customer service simultaneously

• Re-organized production floor and warehouse racking system

• Increased cross training and productivity

• Designed and implemented first warehouse and Warehouse Management System

O’NEIL DATA SYSTEMS – Los Angeles, CA 2000 - 2001

Plant Operations Manager

Responsible for production operations of a $35,000,000, 24/7, 120 fulltime personnel commercial print and fulfillment manufacturing facility.

Accomplishments:

• Increased on time shipping success rate by 10% to 99.3%.

• Increased labor productivity by 25% with waste measurements put in place, human labor and machine efficiencies implemented at a cost savings of over $800,000 per year.

MERRILL CORPORATION, Los Angeles, CA 1993 - 2000

National Customer Service Process Manager – Financial Document Services (FDS) 1999 - 2000

Formed, directed and participated in national process initiatives and special projects for Financial Document Services product line.

Accomplishments:

• Created national training and mentoring program to resolve the shortage of skilled Project Management staff. Enabled accelerated learning, promoted retention of Customer Service reps. in a predatory recruiting climate, and substantially improved employee morale during critical first year.

• Initiated research and subsequent development of a “Distance Learning” training program. Created low cost alternatives to on site training. Maintained and improved trainee progress and satisfaction.

• Beta-tested an electronic label sorting/calculating/dissemination program “e:labels”, improving overall process efficiency, and reducing paperwork, resulting in hard cost savings of $250,000 annually.

Director of Customer Service/Operations – Western Region 1996 - 1999

Following national restructure, promoted to Director of Customer Service/Operations of the Western Region. Responsible for two separate product lines (FDS and ICS), a staff of over 100 Customer Service employees, including ten direct reports (site managers) in eight cities, from Seattle to San Diego.

Accomplishments:

• Managed operational growth while the region’s combined revenues increased from $60,000,000 in 1996 to $110,000,000 in 1998

• Created and implemented FDS regional production and service procedures for Customer Service and Administrative groups. Enabled uniformity, facilitated training, increased productivity, reduced paperwork/usage, and became the model for the national process.

• Directed cross-functional committee that analyzed and recommended changes to the existing production platform, and implemented those changes with IT, provided cost benefit analysis and company wide communication prior to and post implementation. Initial hard cost savings of $600,000 annually.

RICHARD H. APPERT

Site Manager, Customer Service – Los Angeles 1993 - 1996

Managed the daily Customer Service, operational and administrative responsibilities associated with a three-shift, financial document service facility, with a staff of 30 employees and a sales volume of $11,000,000.

BOWNE & CO. 1987 - 1993

Shift Manager, Customer Service – Los Angeles 1990 - 1993

Relocated to the West Coast and promoted to 2nd shift manager of office. Responsible for all client and production related tasks, eight direct reports within the customer service department and the supervision of the office staff, as well as the typesetting and bindery departments. As a working manager, responsibilities included: client service, production coordination, staffing, training and overall workload/productivity management on the second shift.

EDUCATION

Executive Finance Certificate Program

Anderson School at UCLA, - Los Angeles, CA

Bachelor of Arts Degree

Fordham University - Bronx, NY

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