Summary
Overview
Work history
Education
Skills
Timeline
Generic

Laura Heywood

Stockport

Summary

An empathetic, tenacious and results focused Customer Success Leader with a proven track record in people management, executing strategic plans for complex accounts and driving commercial outcomes in alignment with customer goals. Experienced in communicating, negotiating, and working collaboratively with a diverse range of people to drive high performance. Applies a data driven and analytical approach in order to achieve business objectives. An ability to learn new responsibilities, strategies, and techniques quickly. A people-centric relationship builder with expertise in generating optimal customer satisfaction and success levels.

Overview

10
10
years of professional experience

Work history

Customer Success Leader

Peak AI Limited
03.2020 - Current
  • Leading the Retail Customer Success division and managing a team of 8 Customer Success professionals with a combined total of £11.5 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR)
  • Driving high performance through retention, customer satisfaction, commercial outcomes, and growing revenues across complex Retail accounts
  • Creating and executing strategic plans to drive the growth of the annual recurring revenue (ARR) and net revenue retention (NRR)
  • Enabling the successful onboarding and delivery of value for customers through driving product adoption, building strong stakeholder relationships and realising tangible results
  • Coaching, mentoring and creating personal development plans for the Retail Customer Success team
  • Providing strategy, support and Retail expertise to operationalise AI for customers
  • Responsible for sales forecasting - including churn, upselling, cross-selling opportunities, customer satisfaction
  • Tracking customer experience and satisfaction through CSAT metrics
  • Enabling the success of a global leader in Fast Fashion by using AI to deliver an increase of 800% in paid social performance and an additional £24 million in revenue

Customer Success Manager

Peak AI Limited
03.2020 - 06.2023
  • Building long-lasting customer relationships and working closely with a portfolio of retail customers to enable a seamless onboarding experience
  • Understanding customer needs and expectations implicitly to deliver Peak's solutions for meeting their business objectives
  • Delivering stakeholder meetings and presentations, including : strategy updates, discovery workshops, account planning sessions, solution demonstrations, commercial insights and QBRs
  • Working closely with Data Scientists and Engineers to enable successful integrations and onboarding experiences for customers towards achieving their business goals
  • Creating insight reports for actioning valuable recommendations and generating incremental revenue
  • Providing engagement, removing blockers and support at all touch points of the customer journey
  • Working cross-functionally to deliver complex AI solutions, whilst providing tangible results to drive profitability
  • Forecasting and tracking key account metrics to monitor performance against customer SLAs
  • Providing additional digital marketing support and strategy for enabling optimised success of Peak's Customer Intelligence solutions

National Digital Account Director

AutoTrader
05.2019 - 03.2020
  • Responsible for growing and maintaining 100 of the more complex, highest spending Franchise retailers across the UK and Northern Ireland revenue circa 3.5 million annually
  • Constructing and implementing strategy plans to enhance profitability, remove business inefficiencies and drive operational success
  • Presenting P&L, revenue opportunity and forecourt management plans at C-Level
  • Cultivating and managing relationships across the automotive ecosystem with end users, buyers, marketing, accounting to directors
  • Using and embedding data-driven software to streamline operational efficiencies and drive enhanced profitability
  • Understanding customer objectives and pain points with a consultative approach to develop bespoke solutions around achieving their desired goals
  • Managing a successful team of 15 Graduate Account Builders and Account Managers in the business through extensive coaching, training and constructing clear personal development plans
  • Leading marketplace seminars on cost to stock, lost profit and the impact of inaction, including : merchandising, establishing brand identity, lead acquisition/management/conversion, paid advertising (PPC)

Digital Account Manager

AutoTrader
05.2017 - 05.2019
  • Managing, retaining and upselling across circa 150 accounts/retailers within the Midlands and South Wales
  • Generating revenue growth, utilising data and insight to improve retailer profitability and operational business efficiency
  • Analysing performance metrics, understanding data and adopting the Challenger sales approach to transform automotive dealers into effective digital online retailers
  • Presenting bespoke software solutions and implementing proficient use of bespoke market insight solutions at board-level with a variety of different stakeholders
  • Creating strategy plans to increase stock turn, improve ROI and enhance brand visibility
  • Awards and Results : Achieved 125% of target for my first business campaign and received written acknowledgment for the overachievement from the Operational Leadership Team - Secured one of the top conversion rates across the sales tribe (internal and external) for my first marketing and sales campaign

Senior Digital Account Manager

Venn Digital
07.2016 - 05.2017
  • Developing, managing and retaining revenue-influencing relationships with clients
  • Creating, pitching and implementing digital marketing strategy
  • Understanding every client's bespoke marketing objectives to deliver relevant and fulfilling digital campaigns (SEO, PPC, Web, Branding and PR)
  • Daily consultative communication with C-level points of contact and stakeholders
  • Leading idea generation and brand immersion presentations
  • Generating new business and up/cross selling into existing accounts
  • Managing financial budgets efficiently and effectively

International Executive Search Consultant

Finlay James Associates
01.2014 - 07.2016


  • Establishing, retaining and growing client relationships with a consultative account management approach
  • Setting client and candidate expectations to enable success and revenue generation
  • Developing and generating new business through strategic prospecting cold calling, creating case studies, formulating testimonials
  • Managing a team of 5 Candidate Resourcers through training, coaching and structured planning for hitting commercial targets
  • Awards and Results : - 3rd top revenue biller across the entire company in 2015
  • Employee of the Month - January 2015
  • Achieved 400% against revenue target
  • Won a place within top 9 performers across the company in the first of 2016 to attend a VIP day at Ascot Races

Education

BA Hons - Linguistics & Social Anthropology

University Of Manchester
12.2013

A-Levels -

All Hallow's Catholic College

Skills

  • SKILLS & INTERESTS
  • Empathy
  • Relationship Building
  • Effective Communication
  • Leadership
  • Data Driven
  • Consultative and Strategic Selling
  • Account Management
  • Digital Marketing
  • People Management
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Business Development
  • Revenue Growth
  • Training and Mentoring
  • Sales and Marketing

Timeline

Customer Success Leader

Peak AI Limited
03.2020 - Current

Customer Success Manager

Peak AI Limited
03.2020 - 06.2023

National Digital Account Director

AutoTrader
05.2019 - 03.2020

Digital Account Manager

AutoTrader
05.2017 - 05.2019

Senior Digital Account Manager

Venn Digital
07.2016 - 05.2017

International Executive Search Consultant

Finlay James Associates
01.2014 - 07.2016

BA Hons - Linguistics & Social Anthropology

University Of Manchester

A-Levels -

All Hallow's Catholic College
Laura Heywood