Creative Group (CG): What excites you most about your role?
Ellie (E): I’m thrilled to be leading one of the smartest and most resilient operations teams in the business. After weathering the last few years of immense change due to the pandemic, I’m so proud of all that we’ve achieved. Standing strong together!
CG: How do you ensure the proper onboarding of new clients?
E: We start with listening – we call it “listening on loud.” We take the time to understand a client’s challenges, goals and learn more about their culture. We do not make assumptions, but rather do a deep dive with a fresh perspective into what really matters to a client. There needs to be constant communication and performance metrics, along with defined expectations with KPIs. It is also essential to set milestones via a critical path. And the entire project team must be fully briefed to insure a consistent approach throughout the life of the project, with each team member’s role and responsibilities clearly delineated.
CG: How do you define operational excellence?
E: Operational excellence is when our team executes the project’s strategy consistently with a clear focus on our customer’s needs. This can only be achieved through great teamwork that empowers people to surpass expectations. To accomplish this, the team must have a mindset of continuous improvement, and a depth of knowledge and integrity. They need to know why we exist, where we are going and how we plan to get there. With this knowledge, they can align their own performance with that of the company.