Deborah Plaatjies
Business Executive
Cape Town,WC
Summary
Dynamic and skilled individual with a solid history of success in Fortune 500 companies. Experienced in collaborative cross-functional business management, enterprise account management, people management. Extensive partner management experience in identifying, creating and managing channel partners across New Zealand, Australia and the UK. Also created the Business Model that successfully created a revenue income stream across the Asia Pacific. Encouraging manager and analytical problem-solver with talents for team building, leading and motivating, as well as excellent customer relations aptitude and relationship-building skills. Proficient in using independent decision-making skills and sound judgment to positively impact company success. Dedicated to applying training, monitoring and morale-building abilities to enhance employee engagement and boost performance.
Overview
37
37
years of professional experience
Work History
Training and Development Manager
Solutions for Africa
03.2022 - Current
- Evaluated program effectiveness using key performance indicators, driving continuous improvement efforts in curriculum design and delivery methods.
- Boosted employee satisfaction scores by regularly reviewing and updating existing courses to maintain relevance in the evolving marketplace.
- Cultivated strong relationships with external vendors and stakeholders to secure valuable resources for ongoing professional development opportunities.
- Evaluated success of training programs and recommended improvements to upper management to enhance effectiveness.
- Reduced company-wide skills gaps through effective workforce planning and targeted employee development initiatives.
- Championed diversity and inclusion efforts, embedding inclusive practices into all aspects of the learning experience at every level within the organization.
- Facilitated change management processes during organizational transitions, providing support through targeted training interventions for affected employees.
- Spearheaded e-learning initiatives as part of blended learning solutions, increasing accessibility of training resources for remote workers or those with scheduling constraints.
- Achieved greater efficiency in the delivery of training programs by leveraging technology and digital tools for content creation, learning management, and reporting.
- Streamlined onboarding processes, ensuring new hires were equipped with necessary skills for success in their roles.
- Led cross-functional teams to develop organizational competency models, providing clear career pathways and development opportunities for all employees.
- Improved overall workplace productivity by designing competency-based curricula for essential job functions.
- Promoted a culture of continuous improvement, implementing best practices in adult education methodologies across the organization.
- Developed high-performing teams through strategic coaching and mentoring initiatives for managers and supervisors.
- Communicated all learning and performance objectives, schedules, and training assessments to upper management.
- Trained new hires to perform cross-training exercises with experienced workers.
- Managed development of e-learning training materials and activities to enhance learning experiences.
- Implemented new learning strategies depending upon employees' skill levels.
Operations Manager - Call Centre
Serco Department of Health
06.2019 - 6 2022
- Lead the Inbound and Outbound Service, Retentions Department by creating and installing a service, and empathetic culture in a customer-centric and high-performance environment through effective management of people, metrics, and projects, with the objective of minimizing the spread of Covid 19
- Provide strategic leadership through HR, Performance Management strategies and employee engagement initiatives
- Through data analytics, initiate process improvement strategies to create efficiencies and cost savings
- Managing, Recruiting and coaching a team of 30 agents
- Achieved higher employee retention rates by fostering a positive work environment and providing opportunities for professional growth.
- Analyzed data trends to identify potential bottlenecks in operations workflow, implementing strategies to mitigate risks accordingly.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction by establishing clear communication channels and addressing concerns promptly.
- Facilitated smooth collaboration between departments through clear communication channels.
- Managed budgets effectively, consistently delivering projects on-time and within financial constraints.
- Conducted regular performance reviews, identifying areas for improvement and developing action plans to address them.
- Led successful change initiatives, ensuring seamless transitions during organizational restructuring efforts.
- Delivered staff training to meet dynamic industry demands.
- Identified and resolved unauthorized, unsafe, or ineffective practices.
- Analyzed and reported on key performance metrics to senior management.
- Supervised operations staff and kept employees compliant with company policies and procedures.
EMEA Sales and Operations Manager
Jani-King (New Zealand & Australia)
03.2018 - 03.2019
- Developed compelling presentation decks to gain approval for ideas and communicate results.
- Built relationships with customers and community to establish long-term business growth.
- Compiled and analyzed data to determine approaches to improve sales and performance.
- Achieved established KPI for company, regional team and individual performance through teamwork and focus on customers.
- Enhanced profitability by developing pipelines utilizing marketing and sales strategies.
- Collaborated cross-functionally with headquarters, regional and other teams nationally to maintain consistent message and experience.
- Maintained financial controls, planned business operations and control expenses while identifying and pursuing opportunities to grow business operations and boost profits.
- Exceeded sales quotas and increased profitability through effective sales strategy and business planning.
- Delivered recommendations to long-term accounts to promote brand awareness to key audience.
- Liaised with sales, marketing, and management teams to develop solutions and accomplish shared objectives.
- Managed revenue models, process flows, operations support and customer engagement strategies.
Director: Sales and Customer Experience
PRGX
03.2015 - 12.2017
- Develop and implement systems for collecting, analyzing and reporting financial information across the major Retail Groups in Australia
- Create strategic alliances with global organizational leaders to effectively align with and support key business initiatives, whilst managing the Balance Sheet, Budgets and Profit and Loss of the New Zealand market
- Manage a team of 6 direct reports responsible for data management of our retail partners
- Providing leadership and support to a team of Forensic Auditors, training and coaching new strategies on data formulation and capturing
- Responsible for HR, Performance Management, Change Management Methodologies and Employee Engagement
- Developed and implemented new operational methodologies, processes and procedures that increased not only customer retention but this initiative also increased new business from the existing customer base by 80%.
- Fostered culture of innovation, encouraging development of cutting-edge solutions.
- Boosted client satisfaction rates through exceptional relationship management and prompt resolution of issues.
- Strengthened financial health with rigorous cost control measures and revenue enhancement strategies.
- Improved project efficiency with strategic planning, resource allocation, and time management practices.
- Evaluated employee performance objectively using established metrics, leading to fair compensation adjustments based on meritocracy principles.
- Strengthened internal controls by reviewing existing policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Negotiated favorable contracts with vendors for reduced costs and improved service quality.
- Increased company revenue by streamlining processes and implementing cost-saving measures.
- Led cross-functional teams to exceed benchmarks for SLA delivery, staying on top of challenging schedules with multiple competing timelines.
- Secured lucrative partnerships to expand market reach, negotiating favorable terms.
- Enhanced team collaboration through regular communication, goal setting, and performance evaluations.
- Cultivated high-performance executive team, selecting and mentoring candidates for key leadership roles.
- Cultivated and strengthened lasting client relationships using strong issue resolution and dynamic communication skills.
- Implemented business strategies, increasing revenue, and effectively targeting new markets.
Country Manager
American Express Foreign Exchange
12.2010 - 03.2015
- Tasked to implement cost-effective and stringent accounting practices, to facilitate growth and expansion in the market enabling smooth and superior delivery of customer service
- Lead cross-functional international expansion projects in Foreign Exchange to initiate revenue streams across the business, whilst managing the balance sheet of the country
- Setting capex and Opex budgets in place for the region, signed off in the UK
- Managed a team of 12 direct reports, responsible for sales, operations and funding for Australia and New Zealand
- Initiated successful sales strategies that resulted in turning the book from a deficit to a record profit, becoming a stand-alone business within American Express New Zealand
- Effectively aligned the operations and sales to the Global Business’ mission and strategic objectives
- Developed local fiscal policies to ensure the organization is compliant with local laws and regulations
- Representing the country and organization at global meetings and reporting on the financial performance of the unit as well as the staff
- Preparing the Financial Statements to be presented at the monthly global leadership meetings
- All operational functions, i.e., HR, Performance Management, Mediation, Facilitation to Termination
- As the Head of the American Express FX Division, my responsibilities stretched from HR to Change Management and Marketing Manager, developing a “go to market” campaign for the business unit.
- Increased market share by developing and implementing effective sales strategies.
- Coached and mentored team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development.
- Negotiated contracts with suppliers to secure favorable terms that benefited the company''s bottom line.
- Monitored performance metrics to assess progress towards goals, identifying areas for improvement as needed.
- Aligned marketing campaigns with overall business goals to increase awareness of products/services among target audiences.
- Streamlined inventory management processes to optimize supply chain efficiency while minimizing costs.
- Managed cross-functional teams to ensure seamless operations and drive business objectives.
- Optimized resource allocation, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing costs.
- Implemented process improvements, streamlining workflows and increasing team productivity.
- Delivered exceptional customer service by addressing client concerns promptly and effectively.
- Achieved revenue targets through proactive client engagement strategies that fostered long-term relationships with customers.
- Established strong relationships with key industry players for business growth and expansion.
- Enhanced internal communication systems by implementing regular meetings/updates across departments.
- Managed budgets, financial planning, and forecasting to optimize profitability for the country operations.
- Built a high-performing sales team through targeted recruitment, training, and performance management initiatives.
- Gathered information on competitor activities and market trends to enhance strategic decision-making.
- Recruited, trained, and coached 66-member team to support company growth.
- Cross-trained existing employees to maximize team agility and performance.
Business Sales Manager
ASBA Bank
03.2006 - 12.2010
- Delivering exceptional Customer Services, whilst recruiting, training and managing a team of 14 Business Account Managers.
- Implemented innovative sales techniques that led to increased close rates and shorter sales cycles.
- Developed new business opportunities through diligent research, networking, and targeted marketing efforts.
- Spearheaded the adoption of CRM software within the organization to improve tracking of prospects throughout the sales process.
- Conducted comprehensive market analysis to inform pricing strategies, maximizing profitability without sacrificing competitiveness.
- Coordinated cross-departmental initiatives to streamline communication and support seamless project execution.
- Managed a high-performing sales team, consistently achieving or surpassing quarterly targets.
- Enhanced sales team performance by implementing effective training programs and coaching strategies.
- Expanded market share by identifying untapped opportunities and creating strategic entry plans.
- Leveraged data-driven insights to refine targeting efforts, leading to more efficient lead generation and conversion activities.
- Streamlined sales processes to increase efficiency, resulting in higher revenue generation.
National Procurement Manager
The Clicks Group of Companies
02.1995 - 02.2006
- Initiate cost savings through effective data analysis on all capex and Opex expenditures
- Through SAP identify and initiate financial cost savings and build a future trend for improvement that impacts the revenue positively.
- Ensured compliance with internal and external procurement policies and regulations, minimizing legal risks and maintaining company reputation.
- Managed a team of procurement professionals, fostering collaboration and teamwork to achieve organizational goals.
- Managed global sourcing efforts for diverse product categories spanning multiple countries and regions.
- Facilitated resolution of disputes with suppliers, maintaining strong partnerships and ensuring uninterrupted supply.
- Spearheaded adoption of e-procurement tools, resulting in improved process transparency and accessibility.
- Drove continuous improvement initiatives within the procurement function by identifying areas for optimization and proposing actionable recommendations.
- Analyzed spending patterns to identify opportunities for cost savings and efficiency improvements.
- Conducted thorough market research to stay informed about industry trends and leverage information for strategic purchasing decisions.
- Streamlined procurement processes for increased efficiency and cost savings through the implementation of digital tools and automation.
- Collaborated with finance departments on budgeting and forecasting activities, ensuring accurate representation of procurement expenses and cost-saving opportunities.
- Improved inventory management by implementing demand forecasting techniques and optimizing reorder points for critical items.
- Developed strong relationships with key suppliers, resulting in improved communication, better pricing, and reliable delivery schedules.
- Negotiated favorable terms with suppliers, leading to cost savings and improved profit margins.
- Conducted thorough supplier evaluations, selecting vendors based on quality, price, reliability, and commitment to sustainability initiatives.
Business Development Manager
Wesbank Corporate Finance
01.1988 - 01.1995
Education
Senior Certificate (Grade 12 / Matric) -
Grassy Park Senior Secondary School
Skills
Operations Management
Previous Experience
- Mar 2006 - Dec 2010, ASBA Bank, Business Sales Manager, Delivering exceptional Customer Services, whilst recruiting, training and managing a team of 14 Business Account Managers.
- Feb 1995 - Feb 2006, The Clicks Group of Companies, National Procurement Manager, Initiate cost savings through effective data analysis on all capex and Opex expenditures., Through SAP identify and initiate financial cost savings and build a future trend for improvement that impacts the revenue positively.
- Jan 1988 - Jan 1995, Wesbank Corporate Finance, Business Development Manager
Availability
Notice period not applicable / Immediate
Additionalcertificatescoursestraining
2020, New Zealand Institute of Business Studies, Diploma: Life Coaching
Lastname
Plaatjies
Personal Information
- ID Number: 6705180189084
- Ethnicity: Coloured
- Gender: Female
- Nationality: South African
Languages
English
Advanced (C1)
Afrikaans
Upper intermediate (B2)
Timeline
Training and Development Manager
Solutions for Africa
03.2022 - Current
Operations Manager - Call Centre
Serco Department of Health
06.2019 - 6 2022
EMEA Sales and Operations Manager
Jani-King (New Zealand & Australia)
03.2018 - 03.2019
Director: Sales and Customer Experience
PRGX
03.2015 - 12.2017
Country Manager
American Express Foreign Exchange
12.2010 - 03.2015
Business Sales Manager
ASBA Bank
03.2006 - 12.2010
National Procurement Manager
The Clicks Group of Companies
02.1995 - 02.2006
Business Development Manager
Wesbank Corporate Finance
01.1988 - 01.1995
Senior Certificate (Grade 12 / Matric) -
Grassy Park Senior Secondary School
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