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
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