STEPHANIE SONNEMANN, MBA

222-414 WILLOWDALE AVE / NORTH YORK, ON  M2N 5B2 / PH: 647 300 6945 / STEPHANIE.SONNEMANN@GMAIL.COM

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Pursuing opportunities that will allow me to showcase and expand on my professional experience to lead and manage
larger teams, and thereby contribute to business executives in achieving key deliverables.

SKILLS:           

• Superior communication abilities
• Strong influencing, negotiation, and consensus building skills
• Collaborate to get buy-in from multiple stakeholders and communicate effectively towards better
  understanding between multiple groups
• Confident presentation style including web collaboration tools
• Experienced delivering virtual or face-to-face training
• Proficiency with Visio and Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Project
• Proficiency with Filogix Expert, CRM
• Ability to craft innovative solutions and develop compelling business proposals
• Lean Management/Relationship Management
• Intuitive business analysis acumen
• Train new recruits in the effective & proficient use of any application system in the shortest amount of time
• Excellent facilitation and contract negotiation skills
• Noted for excellent relationship, stakeholder management and interpersonal abilities
• Pro-actively engages parties in mutual problem solving and successful mediation
• Cause and Effect/Root-Cause Analysis
• Identify root causes of operational problems and implement process improvement initiatives
• Risk Management,  Internal Controls, credit adjudication
• Documentation and Database Management
• Recognized for outstanding talent sourcing, development, and retention skills
• Demonstrated strong leadership skills in high functional and multiple deadline driven environments through
  collaborative teamwork
• Proven people and Workforce Management Skills
• Leads both by example and through effective management of individual and teams
• Proven strong team building abilities
• Strong analytic and troubleshooting skills with a solution-oriented attitude
• Ability to deal with complex problems involving multiple facets and variables in non-standardized situations
• Requirements, RFP, vendor selection and contract negotiation for new service solutions
• Project lead for complex Cash Management & Treasury Service Solutions
• Project lead for change management integration
• Product Management, business development, sales and service skills
• BackOffice Clearing & Settlement
• Regulatory Compliance
• Listening and interpersonal communication abilities
• Provide subject matter expertise regarding Banking and Cash Management products
• Decision making and critical thinking
• Problem solving – knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving
  organizational, operational/process problems. Identifies potential problems & leads problem solution efforts
• Service Excellence-ability to understand customer needs and expectations, provide excellent service and
  fulfill customer expectations.
• Interpersonal Relationships – knowledge of approaches , tools and techniques for working with individuals and 
  groups in a constructive and collaborative manner
• Consulting-providing technical or business guidance to clients within and outside own area

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

BANKING MANAGER, QUESTRADE INC.         2010 – PRESENT

Mandated with transitioning operations from Finance to the new Banking Department, create a Bank Manual, and build a self-sufficient banking team to support growing customer portfolio. This was successfully accomplished within a year by:

 Training staff/team in:

  * Organizational awareness, vision, structure, culture, philosophy, values and code of ethics.

  * Documentation requirement/safekeeping and workflow.

  * Cash management product knowledge, implementation process and fee structure.

  * Trade life cycle: trade request, verification, reconciliation, funding and settlement/approval process.

  * Time management of sensitive client deposit, withdrawal and approval workflows ensuring100% accuracy

     thereby allowing for a portfolio growth of ultimately 300%.

  * Creating a comprehensive and intuitive time matrix for cut-off times and SLA requirements.

  * Reconciliation daily/monthly client and company’s nostro account balances.

  * Verification & reconciliation of daily/monthly client and liquidity provider FX trades (trade blotter).

  * Maintenance of integrity for all client trade and transaction details within the foreign exchange sub-ledger.

  * Writing fully comprehensive step-by step job aids for each responsibility and function as central reference

     source on corporate intranet.

  * Foster operational streamlining but with the ability to understand and resolve non standard problems. 

Analyzing existing operational processes and procedures to:

  * Formalize operational process through the systematic documentation of a comprehensive Bank Manual.

  * Identify efficiencies, or eliminate redundancies, and promote continuous improvement methodologies.

  * Direct and coordinate activities to implement institutional policies, procedures, practices and SLA.

  * Aligned department goals with corporate strategy.

  * Document, maintain and recommend internal control function improvements.

  * Act as first point of contact for other departments and cross-functional responsibilities.

  * Establish/implement short- & long-range departmental goals and objectives.

  * Responsible for the recruitment, development and coaching of Banking Department and support staff.

  * Establish individual performance evaluations and objectives for banking employees.

  * Provide regular formal and informal performance feedback to employees.

  * Maintain a strong working relationships with vendors, and other 3rd party service providers.

  * Pro-actively review banking fees and cash management services to minimize costs.

  * Pro-actively participate as key stakeholder for Middle and Back Office in the implementation of a fully

     automated trading platform.

Other:

  * Facilitate where necessary longer term strategic initiatives in partnership with the PMO and IT teams.

  * Act as first point of contact for Change Management initiatives and sensitive escalation requests.

ACHIEVEMENTS: Identified and resolved unnecessary vendor service fees of $30k/month. Successfully negotiated more than CAD$15k in reimbursement of bank fees. Successfully sourced and developed talents other managers did not notice due to the incumbents’ language barriers or extreme shyness. Nominated for coveted Upgrade Award.

MORTGAGE AGENT, SIPAN CAPITAL INC. (Mortgage Intelligence)         2009 – 2010

Sipan offers Hispanic clientele holistic guidance to their wealth management needs including mortgage service solutions. Mandated with rendering credit decisions on mortgage application requests consistent with internal as well as external underwriting and insurance policies. Servicing residential and small commercial mortgages-with home equity, debt consolidation, refinancing and new purchases & mortgage pre-qualification assessments.

  * Rendered approval/decline decisions and underwrote mortgage commitments.

  * Collected and tracked documentation for mortgage applications and ensured they met credit policies and if

   applicable, mortgage insurer’s (Genworth/CMHC) guidelines.

  * Entered, analyzed and complied pre-funding conditions/documentation for mortgage underwriting request.

  * Validated mortgage condition documents while adhering to credit policies.

  * Reviewed real estate appraisals.

  * Analyzed employment profile, credit strength, property characteristics, insurance requirements etc.

  * Made recommendation to senior underwriter regarding acceptability of mortgage request.

  * Validated customer data and integrity on Filogix ensuring100% accuracy and data integrity.

  * Communicated with mortgage brokers, solicitors and underwriters deal status, requirements & conditions.

  * Reviewed and monitored real estate appraisals for consistency and timely completion.

  * Monitored commitment letters and condition change notifications from various financial institutions.

  * Ensured funding and insurance was completed within guidelines and service level agreements.

  * Performed functions involved in a mortgage transaction including but not limited to: title search,

     communicated with borrowers, arranged for registration of mortgage etc.

  * Managed rate change notifications and/or question on file status.

  * Audit mortgage file to risk rate mortgage brokers, lawyers, operational process/grade deal integrity.

ACHIEVEMENTS: Created excel questionnaire to track and align vital applicant and mortgage information with fileogix system, thereby allowing for a faster processing and turn-around time in approval process. Average turn-around time was reduced from 3 hours to 30 minutes maximum.

VP OF OPERATIONS & TREASURY, FIFTH THIRD BANK, Toronto Branch                  2008 - 2009

Fifth Third Bankcorp headquartered in Cincinnati OH, offers cross boarder cash management and commercial loan services solutions to international corporate clients. Assigned with organizing and streamlining operational and administrative workflow for the branch.

  * Reviewed branch’s own and cross-functional workflow to head office and outsourced service providers to

     implement process improvement methodologies.

  * Proactively monitored and managed the profitability of client relationships.

  * Provided exceptional client support to existing and new corporate business clients through step-by-step

     training sessions.

  * Coordinated new and existing client cash management & treasury services solutions & implementations.

  * Trained and supervised Client Specialists in daily loan administration and treasury services.

  * Established individual performance evaluations and objectives for Client Specialist. 

  * Compiled monthly/quarterly/annual reporting for management and regulatory parties.

  * Monitored the funding account to ensure branch is adequately funded.

  * Analyzed existing processes and procedures and promote continuous improvement methodologies.

  * Acted as first point of contact for all third party service provider/vendors and or escalation requirements.

ACHIEVEMENTS: Introduced simple logic in the physical and electronic filing system which allowed for more efficient and faster tracking capabilities of customer information and documentation, thereby improving customer experience and streamlining implementations, inquiries, escalation and reconciliation process as well as reduce client and corporate audit review turnaround times. Mandate to streamline operations within the first 9 months was successfully achieved within 3.

ASSOCIATE, BUSINESS BANKING SERVICES, TD COMMERCIAL BANKING                  2005 – 2008

Assigned with providing support to the Manager of Business Banking Services in the Commercial Banking Centres to achieve and exceed annual sales quota as well as retain TD’s industry recognition of superior customer service excellence for high net-worth corporate clients. The portfolio exceeded more than 225 corporate client accounts from a variety of industries including but not limited to: manufacturing, professional practices, retail, telecommunications and public sector.

  * Analyzed and documented client’s ‘contribution to profit’ for Relationship Managers and Management

     thereby identifying synergies for both the bank and clients.

  * Acted as key resource to other business units in the country to provide strategic input to determine the

     right solutions for clients, while maximizing sales revenue and increasing customer satisfaction.

  * Accountable for the profitability of all deposit and cash management accounts, contract negotiations,

     delivery of new product launches and initiatives.

  * Developed and implemented strategic sales plans to deepen existing relationships and provide value-add

     products and service solutions.

  * Created compelling Treasury proposals to prospect clients by clearly outlining bottom line advantages and

     value added services in a comprehensive and powerful presentation.

  * Provided fraud mitigation assistance and service solutions

  * Supported the retention of existing business by training customers in their day-to-day cash management

     needs, and the use of TD’s corporate website.

  * Provided seamless service to clients by guiding them through the documentation and implementation of

     their cash management service solutions.

  * Created a clear and comprehensive checklist of necessary audit documentation requirements, thereby

     securing the first successful audit for the 3 year old Commercial National Accounts Department.

  * Qualified leads and managed sales pipeline for Relationship Managers.

ACHIEVEMENTS: Sales proposals achieved 100% sales success and significant value added service recognition by all clients because they were not only provided with a fee overview, but with an actual one on one comparison of their service fees to other financial service providers.  Instrumental in achieving first successful Cash Management audit review for 3 year old Commercial National Accounts Department.

SENIOR CREDIT MANAGER, HSH NORDBANK AG                                                               2000 - 2005

HSH Nordbank is a leading arranger and underwriter of commercial ship-mortgages and project financings. Mandated with managing an administrative ship mortgage portfolio of USD$ 950 billion, coach and develop high-functional portfolio administrators to assume their own portfolios.

  * Acted as liaison to administrative syndicate members.

  * Coordinated and finalized all ship-mortgage closing procedures with stakeholders and syndicate members.

  * Serviced mortgage portfolio: calculated principal/interest, pre-payment penalties/breakage costs, collected

     payments from mortgagor, acted as an escrow agent, and foreclosing in the event of a default.

  * Advanced mortgage upon fulfillment of mortgage conditions.

  * Compiled key information to support analysts with complex underwriting proposals.

  * Streamlined appraisal, insurance and approval process.

  * Rendered approval/decline decisions to Sr. Underwriter for standard mortgage requests.

  * Effectively trained and coached Loan Officers to assume designated responsibilities in the department

     enabling an overall department portfolio growth of 35% each year (goal was between 15-25%).

  * Efficiently resolved 750 extremely time sensitive unapplied funds issues during bank merger.

  * Established individual performance evaluations and objectives for 4 Loan Officers.

  * Selected to manage numerous projects during bank merger related to coaching entire Department’s Loan

     Officers (approx. 20) in the application and use of new and old systems and procedures enabling:

     - phaseout old applications migrating to new CRM platform thereby ensuring smooth transition and avoiding the creation of

       unapplied funds

     - review adherence to the covenants and commitments made in the Loan Agreements, and internal as well as external audit

       and compliance requirements

     - quality control and data integrity on all credit related facilities

ACHIEVEMENTS: Successfully contributed to the bank’s annual revenue growth by completing the above responsibilities on time and efficiently. But also contributed significantly to the success of the banks merger in 2003 by leading several administrative training projects, implementing change management, and spear-heading a project mandated with resolving 750 extremely time sensitive unapplied funds without client impact. Training new recruits was successfully completed within 4 months of training (normal training period is 6 months to 1 year).

TRAINEE, HSH NORDBANK AG                                                                                          1997 - 2000

Vocational and rotation training program in various international departments of the bank: retail and commercial banking, branch management, ship-mortgage and project financings, international relations. Supporting relationship managers in all areas of banking.

Foreign Payments Department

 - Processed SWIFT Payments, first point of contact for inquiries, escalated and resolved client complaints. 

 - Trained new employees.

 - Processed Conditional Payment Orders and Letters of Credits.

Foreign Subsidiary Co-ordination

 - Liaised with consulates, government and third party provider in opening subsidiaries. 

 - Resolved and escalated where necessary subsidiaries’ daily inquiries in all areas of banking. 

International Banking and Financing

 - Compiled, analyzed and extracted bank financial information and ratings for bank-to-bank credit approvals.

EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & ACCREDITATIONS

PMP currently enrolled                                                 2012

CSC                                                                         2010

Ontario Mortgage Agent  – CAAMP                                   2010

MBA – University of Kiel / Bankakademie Wedel                                                                             2002

Degree in Banking – London Chamber of Commerce, Graduated with Distinction                                     1996

International Relations – University of Toronto                                                                                1990