Chris Laak, MPPM, PPMC, CPM, ITILv4

Chris Laak, MPPM, PPMC, CPM, ITILv4

Editorial Assistant

Followers of Chris Laak, MPPM, PPMC, CPM, ITILv41000 followers
location of Chris Laak, MPPM, PPMC, CPM, ITILv4New Braunfels, Texas, United States

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  • Timeline

  • About me

    Program Manager at USAA

  • Education

    • Birmingham-Southern College

      2002 - 2004
      Masters Masters in Public and Private Management

      Consultancy: Market research for Cottage Living magazine (Adweek's Startup of the Year)

    • Baylor University

      1991 - 1995
      BA History and Museum Studies
  • Experience

    • Weight Watchers Magazine

      Jan 1996 - Jan 1999
      Editorial Assistant

      * Assisted with the relocation, relaunch and staffing of the national magazine as it moved from New York to Alabama. * Coordinated the two highest-read departments of the publication.

    • Southern Progress Corporation

      Jan 2000 - Jan 2005

      Senior-management team member supervising five-person support staff and the internship program. * Distilled and presented consumer quantitative and qualitative market research including newsstand and subscriber surveys, focus groups, and problem detection. * Developed and administered budget for editorial and art divisions.* Established administrative procedures for 15-year-old publication’s relaunch and redesign after magazine’s relocation from San Francisco to Birmingham.* Branding research team member with responsibility for strengthening consumer, marketing, and sales positioning among Health’s competitive set.* Served as the liaison between the readership and Health staff via development of internal customer-service relations and strategies. Show less

      • Health magazine: Editorial Coordinator

        Jan 2000 - Jan 2005
      • Publishing professional

        Jan 1996 - Jan 2005
      • Employee Benefits Assistant

        Jan 2000 - Dec 2000
    • Highlands Bar and Grill

      Jan 2005 - Oct 2005
      Business Manager

      Birmingham fine-dining restaurant that has achieved top national ranking. Managed general business aspects of Chef Frank Stitt's fast-paced flagship James Beard award-winning restaurant; served as the contact for public relations, outside engagements, and logistics for Frank Stitt's Southern Table cookbook.

    • Private Air magazine

      Oct 2005 - Jan 2007
      Managing Editor

      National luxury lifestyle publication targeted toward private-plane owners and pilots* Executed editorial content and produced 70-90 editorial pages on a bimonthly basis.* Conceptualized and assigned stories to freelance writers and copy editors and coordinated outside photo shoots; maintained stringent production quality while adhering to a tight budget.

    • Time Inc. Content Solutions

      Apr 2007 - Feb 2010
      Account Manager

      * Relationship marketing/custom-publishing platforms enabling clients to create and sustain profitable relationships with their customers through custom content; billed ~$8.6 annually. * Lead in creating Birmingham satellite office, served as chief liaison with NYC team, and played pivotal role in establishing progressive leadership; led team of six employees.

    • Rackspace

      May 2010 - Mar 2020

      Managed a Customer Success team up to 14 Service Delivery Managers and Windows and Linux Support Engineers, 80+ Mid-Market/Enterprise accounts, and ~$4M MRR.* Held direct relationships with customer C-suite for collaboration, improvement, and influence on their strategic business decisions. * Motivated team of high performers in stressful roles; active career mentor and coach; encouraged self-motivation and reinvention of work and roles based on changing needs of the company.* Resumed responsibility for areas beyond role to positively impact the company, growth of team, and book of business. Show less

      • Manager, Fanatical Support

        Jan 2014 - Mar 2020
      • Strategic Account Manager

        May 2010 - Dec 2013
    • USAA

      Sept 2020 - now
      Program Manager
  • Licenses & Certifications

    • Azure Sales Fundamentals

      Microsoft Azure Certification Exams
    • Google Cloud Sales Credential

      Google
    • Integrating Generative AI into the Creative Process

      LinkedIn
      Mar 2025
      View certificate certificate
    • AWS Business Professional

      Amazon Web Services (AWS)
    • Learning SharePoint 2016

      LinkedIn
      Sept 2020
      View certificate certificate
    • Certified Project Manager (CPM)

      Project Management Leadership Group, Inc.(PMLG)
    • ITIL, v4

      AXELOS Global Best Practice
    • AWS Technical Professional

      Amazon Web Services (AWS)
    • Program and Portfolio Management (PPMC)

      Project Management Leadership Group, Inc.(PMLG)
    • Learning Program Management

      LinkedIn
      Oct 2020
      View certificate certificate
  • Volunteer Experience

    • Education Volunteer

      Issued by Sea Turtle, Inc. on Aug 2018
      Sea Turtle, Inc.Associated with Chris Laak, MPPM, PPMC, CPM, ITILv4