Nikoleta Tsilifi Absalom
Livingston ,Westlothian
Summary
Results-driven professional with deep expertise in leadership, strategy planning and execution, and global operations management. Demonstrates proficiency in commercial supplier management, programme and portfolio oversight, and organisational change and transformation. Skilled in cross-functional team leadership, stakeholder engagement, and process simplification to optimise cost efficiency and drive measurable outcomes. Adept at developing scorecards, KPIs, and customer experience strategies while leveraging tools such as Microsoft Excel, Power BI, Salesforce, Smartsheet, and SAP to enhance operational performance. Committed to fostering collaborative environments that support innovation and sustainable growth.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
Work history
Leader Category Management
Cisco International Ltd
Livingston, West Lothian
01.2025 - Current
- Lead centralized global operations team of 12 resources, including 2 category managers and 10 supplier managers, overseeing Supplier Operations within Contact Center and Field Services domain, driving operational excellence across global footprint
- Lead global automation initiatives in spend management and supplier performance by leveraging AI-driven insights to accelerate identification of cost-saving opportunities.
- Managed and optimized multi-million dollar spend portfolio across seven suppliers in six global locations, driving cost efficiency and supplier performance through strategic oversight and global coordination, achieving 2% overall operational cost reduction year on year through innovation
- Successfully managed execution of strategic Field Services supplier transition, delivering $12 million annual cost reduction while maintaining overall performance with minimal impact
- Lead Category Management initiatives by championing AI-driven best practices to streamline processes, significantly reducing high-cost manual transactions and enhancing operational efficiency through strategic AI adoption and cross-functional collaboration
- Responsible for meeting organizational delivery performance metrics through third-party outsourcing, managing team overseeing portfolio of 7 suppliers, all of which achieved unparalleled performance within 12 months of leadership
Chief of Staff & Delivery Acceleration
Cisco International Ltd
Livingston, West Lothian
03.2022 - 04.2024
- Acted as trusted strategic advisor to executive leadership, ensuring alignment with Customer Delivery Management’s overarching objectives and driving enterprise-wide impact.
- Founded and spearheaded Delivery Acceleration Team, directing high-performing group of 8 professionals to deliver customer-centric solutions and operational excellence.
- Orchestrated executive-level leadership dialogues on People and Talent strategies, enhanced organizational effectiveness and fostered culture of continuous development.
- Architected and deployed critical Chief of Staff functions, including design and implementation of comprehensive organizational scorecard to measure and drive performance.
- Championed rollout of centralized portfolio management across 8 global functions, standardizing execution frameworks and elevating reporting rigor to optimize global operations.
- Governed annual spend portfolio of $90 million, instituting robust tracking mechanisms to ensure measurable cost savings and financial accountability.
- Initiated and led quarterly All-Hands meetings, aligning regional teams with strategic priorities and reinforcing unified organizational vision.
Leader Global Territory Management
Cisco International Ltd
Livingston, West Lothian
08.2019 - 06.2021
- Led centralized team of 4 Program Managers supporting (22) regional Territory Managers across Customer Experience organization.
- Drove major GSLO-wide initiative to streamline Territory Manager scope of work and improve cross-functional collaboration and clarify deliverables.
- Successfully simplified engagement processes, reducing complexity and improving operational alignment.
- Delivered key outcome by significantly reducing or eliminating non-standard deals through improved structure and governance.
Education
Certificate of Higher Education -
Walraven van Hall College
Amsterdam 08.1998 - 06.1999
Certificate of Higher Education - Business Coaching
ITS Mastering The Coach
Livingston 09.2021 -
Skills
- Leadership
- Team building
- Strategy Planning & Execution
- Commercial Supplier Management
- Program & Portfolio Management
- Global Operations Leadership
- Budget Ownership & Cost Optimization
- Organizational Change & Transformation
- Cross-Functional Team Leadership
- Stakeholder Engagement & Communication
- Scorecard & KPI Development
- Process Simplification & Standardization
- Customer Experience Strategy
- All-Hands & Internal Communications Planning
- Tools: Microsoft Excel, Power BI, Salesforce, Smartsheet, SAP
Languages
Dutch
Native
English
Fluent
Accomplishments
In 2016, I received a Bronze Stevie® Award in the Information Technology Department of the Year category at the 14th Annual American Business Awards. This recognition was awarded to Cisco's IT Infrastructure Delivery and Operations Department for their excellence in IT infrastructure delivery and operations for a project focusing on the Right Way the First Time.
Timeline
Leader Category Management
Cisco International Ltd
01.2025 - Current
Chief of Staff & Delivery Acceleration
Cisco International Ltd
03.2022 - 04.2024
Certificate of Higher Education - Business Coaching
ITS Mastering The Coach
09.2021 -
Leader Global Territory Management
Cisco International Ltd
08.2019 - 06.2021
Certificate of Higher Education -
Walraven van Hall College
08.1998 - 06.1999