Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Hobbies and Interests
Timeline
Generic

Susan Kennedy

Wellington,WGN

Summary

Experienced regional operations manager, excellence in efficiency and performance across multiple locations. Applying strategic planning and resource management to drive team success and operational excellence. Strong HR generalist with a track record of demonstrating leadership and operational skills to achieve organizational goals.

Overview

32
32
years of professional experience

Work History

Store Manager/Finance (Contract)

Big Save Furniture, Kapiti
07.2024 - Current
  • I am currently responsible for leading the team of sales staff, operational management, HR, Recruitment and Financial Management. I have reviewed processes and procedures to identify opportunities to improve the service to customers, ensure a supportive team environment and build strong morale and performance. As a result of this intervention the store is now exceeding previous years performance.
  • Led team in executing operational strategies to enhance efficiency and productivity.
  • Managed daily operations to ensure adherence to company policies and safety standards.
  • Implemented training programs for new staff, improving onboarding experience.
  • Analyzed workflow processes, identifying areas for improvement and implementing solutions.

Franchise Business Owner

Trading as Caci Kapiti and Karori
03.2022 - 07.2024
  • Operational management of two Franchise clinics to franchise agreement standards including legislative requirements, managing standing orders and medicines in-line with NZ Medical standards.
  • Managed all aspects of people leadership, training and development of nurses and therapists, Team of 10 people in cross-functional roles across two clinics
  • Customer relationship management – 780 clients across both business, New membership, Casual customers, renewing of fixed term and ongoing Memberships
  • Business development management and event management
  • Managing social media activities including video promotions
  • Small business management and accounting
  • Managed daily operations, ensuring efficient service delivery and customer satisfaction.
  • Developed marketing strategies to enhance brand visibility and attract new customers.
  • Oversaw financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, and expense tracking.
  • Implemented training programs to enhance staff skills and improve service quality.
  • Analyzed market trends to identify opportunities for business growth and expansion.

Team Manager (Contract)

H2R Consulting at Ministry of Health
08.2022 - 12.2022
  • Led a team of Team Leaders who managed border control of people, products and services. I was responsible for seconding people into these teams at the Ministry of Health from other government departments to manage border control exemption requests. I also managed the function and flow of resources to manage exemptions that fell outside of standard approvals and escalated to SLT when appropriate.
  • During this time, I managed the critical daily reporting that was required by SLT and the Director General of Health for ministerial reporting of between 3000-8000 exemption requests per day. This required collaboration with NZ Police, Customs and Border Control.
  • Led cross-functional teams to enhance operational efficiency and project outcomes.
  • Implemented process improvements that streamlined workflows and reduced turnaround times.
  • Coordinated with stakeholders to ensure alignment on strategic initiatives and deliverables.
  • Managed conflict resolution strategies to foster a collaborative team environment.

Programme Coordinator (Contract)

H2R Consulting at Ministry of Health
03.2022 - 08.2022
  • Reporting to the PWC Advisory Consultant, I was responsible for the coordination activities for health requests for the immunisation programme.
  • Pulled together various teams involved in data and statistical management of the immunisation programme to allocate queries through a centralised process.
  • Arranged and attended pillar meetings, undertook minutes and allocated tasks
  • Managed the induction and Health and Safety programmes across all teams
  • Generating daily reporting of vaccination data.
  • Coordinated communication between departments to streamline project workflows.
  • Assisted in the development and implementation of health programs and initiatives.
  • Maintained accurate records and documentation for compliance with health regulations.
  • Supported data collection and analysis to inform strategic decision-making processes.
  • Facilitated meetings, preparing agendas and summarizing key discussion points for stakeholders.
  • Monitored project timelines, ensuring adherence to deadlines and deliverables.
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to enhance program effectiveness and efficiency.
  • Entered data, generated reports, and produced tracking documents.
  • Improved team productivity with regular communication and progress updates, fostering a collaborative work environment.
  • Enhanced operational workflows by maintaining well-organized documentation systems and updating records accurately as needed.
  • Coordinated cross-functional teams, resulting in seamless project execution and enhanced outcomes.
  • Implemented digital filing system, drastically reducing retrieval times and improving document organization.
  • Resolved issues through active listening and open-ended questioning, escalating major problems to manager.

Regional Area Manager, Retail Convenience

BP Oil NZ Limited
11.2007 - 12.2021
  • As Regional Area Manager I was responsible for leading a large, diverse team of 250 team members, both direct (20), and indirect reports (200-230), across 13-17 locations within the lower North Island. I managed the operational requirements to corporate standards including legislative requirements, Health and Safety, Food Safety, sales and financial KPI's in a challenging and competitive environment.
  • Management and leadership of Store Managers including HR processes, through open communication, regular catch-up and providing support through additional training and on-going coaching
  • Provided clear processes and procedures, support and guidance for Store Managers in their management of front-line staff
  • Provided people leadership to my direct reports including undertaking regular robust and fair performance conversations, undertaking performance improvement plans and supporting my managers to lead with confidence
  • Project work including implementation of new offers, new store openings and operational setup
  • Change management related to people and culture, operational systems and processes
  • Contributor in industrial relations Collective Agreement negotiations
  • Managed financial risk, losses and costs in a highly competitive high cash environment
  • Key relationship management with internal and external stakeholders, including tenants and local businesses and communities.
  • Mentored and trained staff on best practices, driving team engagement and productivity.
  • Analyzed market trends to inform decision-making and adapt strategies for competitive advantage.
  • Streamlined processes, resulting in improved service delivery and customer satisfaction levels.
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to align goals and drive organizational success
  • Evaluated performance metrics to identify areas for improvement and optimize resource allocation.
  • Served as a key liaison between regional stores and headquarters, facilitating open lines of communication for updates on performance metrics, policy changes, and sharing best practices across locations.
  • Drove talent acquisition efforts to ensure that each location was staffed with highly skilled professionals who could contribute positively to the company's success.
  • Promoted a culture of continuous improvement through regular employee training sessions focused on enhancing skill sets, knowledge sharing, and collaboration techniques.
  • Mitigated risks associated with fluctuating market conditions by regularly reviewing sales data and adjusting strategies accordingly.
  • Ensured compliance with company policies and procedures, as well as local and national regulations, by conducting regular audits and taking corrective action when necessary.
  • Ensured compliance with company policies and procedures, as well as regulations, by conducting regular audits and taking corrective action when necessary.
  • Reduced turnover rates among store employees, fostering a positive work environment through effective communication and conflict resolution.
  • Cultivated a high-performing team atmosphere by recognizing achievements of individual contributors while also encouraging teamwork among all staff members within the region.
  • Provided valuable input during budgeting processes to allocate resources effectively throughout the fiscal year based on projected needs for each store location.
  • Recognized and rewarded performance to motivate continued success.
  • Attracted, retained and developed top talent to enhance team performance.

National Food Service Specialist

BP Oil NZ Limited
01.2005 - 01.2006
  • Implementation of Wild Bean Café to Industry 90 Company owned stores (Team of 4 FSS)
  • Training of all staff
  • Developed in-time efficiency processes around coffee and food production high demand environments
  • Developed Waste Control Processes.
  • Assisted in food preparation and service, ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations.
  • Managed inventory levels, tracking supplies to prevent shortages and maintain efficiency.
  • Collaborated with team members to enhance customer satisfaction through prompt service delivery.
  • Implemented operational improvements that streamlined food service processes and reduced waste.
  • Monitored food quality standards, ensuring freshness and adherence to company policies.
  • Responded to customer inquiries and feedback, fostering positive dining experiences.
  • Coordinated with suppliers to ensure timely delivery of quality ingredients for menu offerings.
  • Maintained effective supply levels by monitoring and reordering food stock and dry goods.
  • Optimized meal production processes, resulting in lower wait times for customers during peak hours.

Regional Operations Coordinator

BP Oil NZ Limited
01.2000 - 01.2006
  • Targeted Recruitment
  • Face to Face Training
  • NZQA Unit Standards Assessor
  • Regional HSE Coordinator
  • Deputize for Area Manager

Regional Trainer LNI

BP Oil NZ Limited
01.1994 - 01.2000
  • Coaching and Mentoring new Store Managers
  • Owner of Culture standard and organizational Values
  • Face to Face Training facilitation
  • NZQA Unit Standard Assessor
  • Project Lead for Industry Standards
  • Delivered comprehensive training sessions on safety protocols and operational procedures.
  • Developed engaging instructional materials to enhance learning outcomes for trainees.

Education

HVMTC
Wellington, WGN

Skills

  • Proven skills and experience in Operational Management including 14 years as a Regional Area Manager at BP
  • Extensive people leadership experience with over 20 years within corporate, private sector and Government
  • Highly experienced in HR, employment relations, industrial relations, training, coaching and change management
  • Effective management of complex people issues, conflict resolution, team building and performance improvements
  • Extensive experience in operational Health and Safety management, risk assessment, and hazard management, ACC accreditation, Injury prevention and Investigation
  • Effective delivering key financial KPI’s, managing budgets and delivering sales targets
  • Strong relationship management and influencing skills with customers, suppliers, management and stakeholders
  • Customer service
  • Problem-solving
  • Customer relations
  • Multitasking
  • Store operations
  • Customer service management
  • Relationship management

Accomplishments

  • Built meaningful relationships and a strong, positive, cohesive culture resulting in improved employee retention and a culture of success and celebration of achievements
  • Coached, mentored and supported employees to enable their career progression and development.
  • Supported team members to develop their skills and expertise resulting in multiple regional and national Excellence Awards for my staff. These included the National Barista of the Year awards, Volunteer Programme of the Year and Store Manager of the Year.
  • Implemented Industry Health and Safety and Risk analysis processing achieving Zero Lost Time Injury records, achieving consistently high-performance including meeting the ACC Accreditation programme, through Safety conversations, Safety time out awareness training and Trial Emergency procedures.
  • Created a culture of excellence in customer service, retail compliance and standards ensuring all promotions, new products and merchandising standards were executed with excellence. This was achieved by a high level of site presence, ‘walk the talk' working alongside my team, what is important to me is important to my team.
  • Exceeded all Financial Key performance Indicators including Labour productivity models, efficiencies and targets ensuring my team understood performance drivers and monitoring of daily performance.

Hobbies and Interests

Family, Sport and Sports Management (Ice Hockey), Travel, Mentoring, Home Improvements/Gardening

Timeline

Store Manager/Finance (Contract)

Big Save Furniture, Kapiti
07.2024 - Current

Team Manager (Contract)

H2R Consulting at Ministry of Health
08.2022 - 12.2022

Programme Coordinator (Contract)

H2R Consulting at Ministry of Health
03.2022 - 08.2022

Franchise Business Owner

Trading as Caci Kapiti and Karori
03.2022 - 07.2024

Regional Area Manager, Retail Convenience

BP Oil NZ Limited
11.2007 - 12.2021

National Food Service Specialist

BP Oil NZ Limited
01.2005 - 01.2006

Regional Operations Coordinator

BP Oil NZ Limited
01.2000 - 01.2006

Regional Trainer LNI

BP Oil NZ Limited
01.1994 - 01.2000

HVMTC

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Susan Kennedy