Operations Management / Change Management / Delivering Results

SUSAN DEAN FENNEMA

**** ****** ***** *****, #*** ■ Woodridge, IL 60517 ■ 773-***-**** ■ *****.*******@*****.***

Creative, results-driven management professional with extensive experience leading operations, supporting marketing and advertising projects for clients and companies across diverse industries. Successful at leading creative project teams that collaborate to achieve aggressive client goals. Change agent with proven ability to leveraging key relationships and process improvements to deliver multi-million dollar marketing and advertising projects within tight deadlines and budgets. Well-versed in designing marketing materials to promote market exposure and brand awareness. Proficient in MS Office Suite, Mac / PC. Knowledge of Photoshop, QuarkXpress, Illustrator, and Freehand.

CORE LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

Marketing & Advertising Operations

Process Improvements

Marketing Communications & Traffic

Marketing & Advertising Collateral

Project Coordination & Execution

Managing Client Requirements

Team Leadership & Collaboration

Change Management

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

WILLIAMS-LABADIE – Chicago, IL 2001 – Present

Director, Operations

Promoted up through management roles from overseeing creative and account services to leading day-to-day operations for publicly traded, full-service advertising agency. Hire, supervise and train 18 direct / indirect reports supporting 1,500+ projects, generating $100+ million in annual billings. Define and align agency processes to meet client goals. Hire and staff more than 20 freelancers to maintain project schedules and profit margins in response to shortages in personnel.

Selected Achievements

• Generated significant revenue growth by setting up and managing a department to efficiently monitor traffic and project requirements, ensuring high levels of efficiency and quality across creative and interactive departments.

• Developed, implemented and maintained an agency-wide digital FileMaker-based system to manage project requirements that included establishing timelines, estimates, budgets, purchase orders, traffic management, etc.

• Successfully prepared SOPs and communicated best practices to maintain and increase quality, effectiveness and efficiency across agency projects and workflow systems.

• Boosted billable hours by tracking and managing operations for entire agency that included overseeing all aspects of project management, print production, studio, copy editing and art buying personnel.

• Averaged 75% or more billable hours annually by guiding and mentoring a high-performance team of associates and management professionals to deliver projects on time and per client requirements.

GENERAL GROWTH PROPERTIES – Chicago, IL 1999 – 2000

Traffic Manager – Advertising Products

Managed traffic for an internal profit-center advertising agency supporting a large leasing company. Assisted in developing and implementing agency processes during office relocation from Minneapolis to Chicago.

Selected Achievements

• Supervised two traffic coordinators to plan and schedule the delivery of all advertising materials for 136 malls and 10 corporate departments employing more than 5,000 employees.

• Achieved goals for executing projects on time and within budget by working closely with account, print production and creative teams to prioritize and troubleshoot issues for all agency projects.

GREAT AMERICAN BUSINESS PRODUCTS – Houston, TX 1996 – 1999

Manager, Creative Services

Directed operations supporting a creative service division for a mail order company with three direct reports. Managed paper companies, printers and creative vendors to complete jobs within budget.

Selected Achievements

• Maintained 20% in company growth per year by leading a graphics team to develop new products and promotional advertising with marketing and purchasing teams.

• Planned and coordinated with a marketing team and vendors to schedule and complete 6 catalogs from design through press check on time and within annual budget.

• Reduced project turnaround times from five days to less than eight hours by streamlining and enhancing processes across a customization division.

• Organized and coordinated all products, models, props and locations for traditional and digital photo shoots, achieving project deliverables within established timelines and budget.

DIXIE USA, INC. – Houston, TX 1993 – 1996

Studio Manager

Oversaw all studio photography, design, and Mac production for a mail order company selling nursing and EMS equipment and healthy foods. Led one direct report.

Selected Achievements

• Coordinated with a marketing team and printers for three annual catalogs, including creation of one startup catalog, and corporate collateral material.

• Added $40,000 in sales per year by initiating a profit-sharing venture to identify and secure outside clients, including all marketing, sales and staff to acquire and manage creative and consulting jobs.

PATRIOT GROUP (Desktop Publishing Center) – Houston, TX 1988 – 1992

Production Artist

Served as a Production Artist responsible for desktop publishing of advertisements, books, flyers, mail-outs, newsletters, etc. for clients. Accountable for training clients and introducing Macintosh programs to new users. Identified and resolved hardware and software problems on Macintosh and PC, providing technical support for laser printer sales, consulting and desktop publishing divisions.

EDUCATION

• B.A. in Journalism (Minor: Marketing), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

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