Thea Abrahams
Customer Success manager
Profile
A consummate professional with extensive experience in relationship building, business development and client services across the financial services and telecoms sectors.
I am people orientated, target driven and continue to expand my skill set with a learning and development mindset.
I am a voluntary member of the St Cyprian’s School Union Committee managing the events profile.
I love walking in natural environments and have a somewhat cheeky sense of humour too!
Contact
PHONE:
+27 798832427
EMAIL:
SKILLS
Relationship building and networking
Communication and negotiation
Business development and sales
Learning mindset and self-management
Project Management
Career Summary
I started my career in internal sales and soon realized that engaging with people and building long lasting relationships really resonated with me. As a brand ambassador for South Africa in the USA (via Rotary Exchange pre-1994), I discovered my love for travel and took the opportunity to do more of this in the late 1990’s. On my return to South Africa I entered the Financial Services sector and began a journey of understanding the complexities of Retail Banking. I was fortunate enough to work across multiple divisions and developed my skills and experience in Business Development, Analytics, Service Level Agreements and Management Information Systems.
In 2006 I moved into Sales Enablement and Marketing where I spent the next decade planning and implementing nationwide campaigns into private and public sector organisations in order to increase the customer base of ABSA bank. It was here that I developed strategic frameworks and action plans for B2B and B2C markets, while tracking budgeted spend and campaign success. I also enhanced my knowledge base with continuous professional development in subjects as diverse as Money Laundering, Project Management, and the ABSA Management Programme through the Gordon Institute of Business Science.
In 2016 I relocated to Cape Town and eighteen months later, I joined the Telecoms industry as a Customer Success Manager. My journey in business had come full circle back to customer engagement. In 2020 I joined a software development company as an Account Manager and unfortunately the business was impacted as a result of Covid.
During 2021 I did an online course with Salesforce (CRM tool) and started working with a recruitment agency assisting with their business development and recruitment process.
May 2022 saw me starting at another software company as a Sales Executive, that contract has unfortunately run its course.
Logimeter – Sales Executive (May – August 2022)
v Identify and prospect for new clients using online and calling
v Cold call prospects to set up meetings and conduct meetings/presentations with potential clients
v Capture sales activities in the CRM and report progress and performance to the management team
Reason for leaving: End of contract
Intoweb – Account Manager (September – October 2020)
v Serving as the lead point of contact for new business enquiries via electronic and telephonic means
v Building relationships with potential and existing clients
v Liaising with cross functional team members to provide feedback and support on software solutions being utilised via the online platform
Reason for leaving: Retrenchment due to Covid
Voys Telecoms SA – Customer Success Manager (February 2018 – August 2020)
v Balancing the day between new business, relationship management and technical assistance based on tasks set up on the CRM
v Following the sales pipeline by being proactive in contacting prospective clients and providing the best solution to their need
v Continuously building relationships and going the extra mile by delivering preconfigured hardware to clients or going onsite to assist customers experiencing technical difficulties with their VoIP systems
v Taking on extra roles and responsibilities such as:
– Representing the South African office in monthly meetings with the Dutch office where such items like metrics and future projects were shared
– Conferring with colleagues daily about workloads before allocating new leads to them
– Engaging with Marketing about quality and quantity of leads received
– Ordering and maintaining stock levels and keeping sound relationships with suppliers
Reason for leaving: New career opportunity
Absa Bank – Sales Enablement and Marketing (2006 – 2015)
v Ownership of end to end marketing campaigns within the Workplace Banking (Group Schemes) division of the Bank based on analysis of the National Balance Sheet data,
v Consulting with various business units within the Bank and identifying opportunities for specific value propositions
v Designing campaign collateral and merchandising material in collaboration with Group Marketing to ensure that brand and visual identity was conformed with
v Tracking and monitoring marketing spend in relation to the growth of the National Balance Sheet,
v Ensuring that support was provided to regional offices regarding their fit-for-purpose execution of the campaigns in their regions
v Continuously networking with internal and external customers to enhance sales support and identify future opportunities
Absa Bank – Management Information Systems (2003 – 2006)
v Extracting, analysing and compiling reports of MIS data, inclusive of telephony, financial and customer management,
v Providing high level reporting to General Managers as well as the Executive Committee,
v Playing an advisory role on new projects and initiatives where MIS functional requirements and specifications were documented
Absa Bank – Service Level Agreement Consultant (2002 – 2003)
Analytical Prototype Consultant (2001 – 2002)
Specialised Sales Unit Consultant (1999 – 2001)
v Various duties in each of these areas that contributed to my overall business acumen.
Reason for leaving: Retrenchment
Prior to this (1996 to 1998) I lived and worked in London, England doing temporary work in companies such as Hays Management Consultants and the Westminster City Council. This also allowed me the opportunity to travel.
EDUCATION
Institute of Marketing Management – SOUTH AFRICA – Diploma in Marketing
2009 -2011 (Incomplete)
University of Cape Town – SOUTH AFRICA – Bachelor of Arts in Social Science
1990 -1993 (incomplete)
St Cyprian’s School – SOUTH AFRICA – Matric Exemption
1981- 1988
Referees available on request