Stephen Sobolevitch

• When an investigation revealed $80M/year in excessive spend on 3rd party vendors, I was tasked by leadership to consolidate vendors and reduce costs by a minimum of 20%. Over 60 days, I began a first-time initiative to consolidate vendor contracting (~1,000 vendors) with core services. I navigated change resistance, managed the creation of an RFP, and designed response management for it. My efforts vendor agreement policy standardization and saved 30% ($90M) over 3 years, which exceeded… Show more

• When an investigation revealed $80M/year in excessive spend on 3rd party vendors, I was tasked by leadership to consolidate vendors and reduce costs by a minimum of 20%. Over 60 days, I began a first-time initiative to consolidate vendor contracting (~1,000 vendors) with core services. I navigated change resistance, managed the creation of an RFP, and designed response management for it. My efforts vendor agreement policy standardization and saved 30% ($90M) over 3 years, which exceeded expectations. This strategy became SOP for all vendor engagements, the negotiations team became the seed startup for the vendor management team. Show less

• To improve NPS, I worked collaboratively with functional leaders to implement close loop call-back programs and establish forward-thinking compliance goals. I navigated organizational inertia to develop an automated customer sentiment measurement with built-in democratized mobile display for NPS and sentiment results. My efforts delivered the first ever automated CE system and improved NPS by 10 points within the year. This strategy has since been applied to Project Management, Service… Show more

• To improve NPS, I worked collaboratively with functional leaders to implement close loop call-back programs and establish forward-thinking compliance goals. I navigated organizational inertia to develop an automated customer sentiment measurement with built-in democratized mobile display for NPS and sentiment results. My efforts delivered the first ever automated CE system and improved NPS by 10 points within the year. This strategy has since been applied to Project Management, Service Management, and Field Services. Show less

• I was commissioned by the SVP of Sales Enablement to provide a profitable solution to meet key account storage infrastructure requirements. I first assembled a team, then managed negotiations, design engineers, vendors, and solutions architects. Despite strict timelines, financial obstacles, and design challenges, my team developed a global storage network that encompassed 6 data centers on 3 continents and a high capacity inter data center replication network. This solution secured the… Show more

• I was commissioned by the SVP of Sales Enablement to provide a profitable solution to meet key account storage infrastructure requirements. I first assembled a team, then managed negotiations, design engineers, vendors, and solutions architects. Despite strict timelines, financial obstacles, and design challenges, my team developed a global storage network that encompassed 6 data centers on 3 continents and a high capacity inter data center replication network. This solution secured the client and yielded $20M in revenue YoY for 4 years. Show less

• My leadership wanted inorganic growth, but they required assistance recognizing acquisition targets, so I was called upon to identify targets that met appropriate market, synergies, and value creation criteria. Over the next year, I identified market segments, focused on 3 major players, and held detailed briefings with 10-15 companies. I then navigated and resolved distribution agreements with the primary target, and post-acquisition, I added a web conferencing product to the internal… Show more

• My leadership wanted inorganic growth, but they required assistance recognizing acquisition targets, so I was called upon to identify targets that met appropriate market, synergies, and value creation criteria. Over the next year, I identified market segments, focused on 3 major players, and held detailed briefings with 10-15 companies. I then navigated and resolved distribution agreements with the primary target, and post-acquisition, I added a web conferencing product to the internal portfolio that reduced expenses and enhanced product line reliability. My strategy transformed a $125M acquisition into a ~$1B annual revenue run rate for 4 years. Show less

• After 600-member organization was outsourced, I was tasked by the SVP Sales Enablement to manage the outsource and elevate performance. I led multiple customer experience analyses and identified gaps, then implemented a myriad of digital enhancements. We then collaboratively managed projects, refined processes, and added new technology. Our efforts reduced the cycle time by 50%, improved customer experience, and enhanced service levels. As a result, I was recruited by the EVP to replicate… Show more

• After 600-member organization was outsourced, I was tasked by the SVP Sales Enablement to manage the outsource and elevate performance. I led multiple customer experience analyses and identified gaps, then implemented a myriad of digital enhancements. We then collaboratively managed projects, refined processes, and added new technology. Our efforts reduced the cycle time by 50%, improved customer experience, and enhanced service levels. As a result, I was recruited by the EVP to replicate these tactics across a 15,000-person organization. Show less

• I was challenged by the division EVP to consolidate and transform an organization’s operating model that had become inefficient and was generating suboptimal customer experience and profits. Recruited an internal transformation team focused on 5 pillars: Technology, Organization Optimization, Vendor Management (consolidation), Customer Experience, and Governance. Implemented new CSAT surveys, invested in tooling, and continuously streamlined vendor spend. My efforts reduced labor costs by 15%… Show more

• I was challenged by the division EVP to consolidate and transform an organization’s operating model that had become inefficient and was generating suboptimal customer experience and profits. Recruited an internal transformation team focused on 5 pillars: Technology, Organization Optimization, Vendor Management (consolidation), Customer Experience, and Governance. Implemented new CSAT surveys, invested in tooling, and continuously streamlined vendor spend. My efforts reduced labor costs by 15% ($23M), doubled NPS (to between 8 and 20), this strategy became a Best Practice. Show less

• To sustain morale and achieve maximum ROI on ~200 initiatives within the organization, I was charged by the EVP Global Operations & Services to develop a change management practice. In the first 90 days, I led an investigation, reallocated staff, and engaged end users to develop a Change Agent Network. By allowing user input, these efforts began to drive higher adoption rates and transform company engagement culture. These methods are still used for every investment and initiative cycle, and… Show more

• To sustain morale and achieve maximum ROI on ~200 initiatives within the organization, I was charged by the EVP Global Operations & Services to develop a change management practice. In the first 90 days, I led an investigation, reallocated staff, and engaged end users to develop a Change Agent Network. By allowing user input, these efforts began to drive higher adoption rates and transform company engagement culture. These methods are still used for every investment and initiative cycle, and they were the catalyst in meeting all long-term transformation goals. Show less

• The division SVP tasked me with the development of a 5-year strategic plan for AT&T Business Services which was to include areas for additional investment, distribution, and product portfolio caps. Over 6 months, I identified areas where we could expand the product footprint, penetrate adjacent markets, and bolster investment where involvement already existed. Within a year of plan approval, I collaboratively developed a vertical distribution strategy, directed capital investment to increase… Show more

• The division SVP tasked me with the development of a 5-year strategic plan for AT&T Business Services which was to include areas for additional investment, distribution, and product portfolio caps. Over 6 months, I identified areas where we could expand the product footprint, penetrate adjacent markets, and bolster investment where involvement already existed. Within a year of plan approval, I collaboratively developed a vertical distribution strategy, directed capital investment to increase key distribution points, and secured a substantial share of the ethernet wholesale market. Show less