Laura Short
Summary
Results-driven and versatile professional with a proven track record of driving operational success and a steadfast commitment to excellence. Expertise in building customer trust through ownership, integrity, and a proactive 'the buck stops here' mentality. Extensive experience in client service management, project management, and account management, complemented by skills in strategic planning and problem-solving. Recognized for a collaborative approach, results-oriented mindset, and consistent delivery on commitments.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Service Manager
Verizon Canada / HCLTech for Verizon
01.2018 - 01.2025
- Managed key client accounts, developing strong relationships, resulting in improved contract retention rates and driving revenue growth.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment on deliverables, enhance service delivery and improve customer satisfaction.
- Facilitated regular business reviews with key stakeholders to assess performance, gather feedback and address challenges.
- Promptly addressed customer escalations, providing resolutions that met or exceeded client expectations.
- Led cross-functional project and delivery teams to ensure deliverables met client needs and timelines.
- Managed risk assessments, identifying potential issues and implementing mitigation strategies promptly.
- Successfully managed multiple projects simultaneously, prioritizing tasks to meet deadlines without compromising quality or customer satisfaction.
- Provided technical and operational direction throughout project lifecycle, ensuring timely delivery, clear next steps and minimal disruptions.
- Coached team members, fostering professional growth and knowledge sharing within the team.
- Collaborated with the sales team on key accounts to ensure client requirements were accurately captured during renewals and change proposals.
- Continuously updated professional knowledge through participation in training sessions and workshops.
Lifecycle Project Manager
Verizon Canada
01.2008 - 01.2018
- Developed and maintained strong relationships with key clients to enhance satisfaction and loyalty.
- Delivered exceptional customer satisfaction by proactively addressing client concerns and meeting or exceeding expectations throughout the engagement.
- Led cross-functional virtual teams to resolve project issues, mitigate risks and deliver complex projects on time.
- Collaborated with clients, sales and engineering resources to gather requirements and define project objectives.
- Monitored project progress through performance metrics, adjusting plans as necessary for optimal results.
- Improved client relationships, consistently meeting or exceeding project expectations and maintaining open lines of communication.
- Presented regular business reviews with clients to assess performance and adjust strategies accordingly.
- Developed a custom ordering process for a tailored client solution
- Demonstrated strong adaptability skills by seamlessly transitioning between different projects and filling various roles as needed within the team.
- Produced detailed and relevant reports for use in making business decisions.
Technical Escalation Specialist & Support
Verizon Canada
01.2000 - 01.2008
- Managed complex customer escalations, ensuring timely resolution and customer satisfaction.
- Championed a customer-centric approach within the escalation team, consistently advocating for clients'' best interests and satisfaction.
- Isolated, diagnosed and resolved technical issues pertaining to Routing, DNS, VPN, CPE and Internet, collaborating as needed to identify root causes of service disruptions.
- Prepared outage reports and maintenance notifications.
- Trained and coached junior staff on best practices for customer communication and technical issue resolution.
Education
Honours Bachelor of Arts - Communication Theory
University of Toronto
Skills
- Relationship building
- Project management
- Effective communication
- Customer service excellence
- Effective stakeholder engagement
- Escalation management
- Coaching individuals
- Sales assistance
- Requirements documentation
- Attention to detail
Certification
- PMP - Project Management Professional
- ITIL v3 Foundation Certificate
Timeline
Senior Service Manager
Verizon Canada / HCLTech for Verizon
01.2018 - 01.2025
Lifecycle Project Manager
Verizon Canada
01.2008 - 01.2018
Technical Escalation Specialist & Support
Verizon Canada
01.2000 - 01.2008
Honours Bachelor of Arts - Communication Theory
University of Toronto
Professional Development
- Data Visualization and Storytelling (Skillsoft)
- Technical Writer Learning Path (Percipio/Aspire)
- Process Improvement (Harvard Manage Mentor)
- Lean Six Sigma (Verizon)
- Problem Solving (Skillsoft)
- Data Visualization with Excel (Percipio/Aspire)
- Sales and Marketing Learning Path (Percipio/Aspire)
- Meeting Management (Harvard Manage Mentor)
- Business Continuity (PMI)
- Reclaiming Conversation: the power of talk in a digital age By Sherry Turkle
- Range: why generalists triumph in a specialized world By David Epstein