Chitra Lekha (FCS, FCMA, LSS Black Belt)

Experience

• 

  HSBC

  May 2002 - Nov 2009

  • Lead process improvement ideas / projects directed at core business process areas within the organization.• Implemented over 25 Lean ideas resulting in annualized saving of $131,460.• Proactively promote continuous improvement (through Lean & Kaizen) of the internal processes in order to increase efficiency and effectiveness.• Conducted Six Sigma Yellow Belt and Green Belt training across the Cards vertical.• Preparing clear & explanatory documents such as Standard Operating Procedures, Case studies etc., along with writing technical and management systems reports. Show less • Led a team of 15 dynamic executives, effectively addressing corporate customer inquiries via phone and achieving key business performance targets. ▪ Compiled and analyzed critical Management Information reports, identifying subtle discrepancies and implementing corrective actions to minimize potential financial risks to the bank. ▪ Fostered strong communication within the department, across sites, and with business areas to ensure seamless operations and efficient workflow. ▪ Spearheaded a successful Customer-Centric complaint resolution initiative, significantly reducing operational losses for the department. ▪ Developed and executed a tailored Performance Development Plan based on individual competencies, experience, and growth potential, providing coaching and mentoring to drive optimal outcomes. ▪ Ensured that key controls were established and maintained to prevent errors in processes. ▪ Championed internal control and group audit standards, ensuring full compliance and adherence. ▪ Guaranteed business continuity during contingency situations, maintaining smooth operations under challenging circumstances. Show less ▪ As an accredited call coach, mentored customer service executives to enhance both call quality and transaction-level performance, ensuring strict adherence to business-defined coaching standards. ▪ Played a key role in adapting the call monitoring format to meet evolving customer demands. ▪ Customized feedback mechanisms and formats to align with the changing needs of the business. ▪ Analyzed performance trends among agents and provided actionable recommendations for improvement to team leaders. Show less

  • Quality Manager

    Aug 2008 - Nov 2009

  • Assistant Manager - Operations

    Apr 2005 - Aug 2008

  • Quality Assurance Officer

    Apr 2005 - Aug 2008

  • Voice Coach

    Sept 2003 - Apr 2005

  • Customer Service Representatitve

    May 2002 - Sept 2003
• 

  DuPont

  Nov 2009 - May 2022

  ▪ Led the Accounts Payable workstream for the end-to-end Source-to-Pay Automation Transformation project. ▪ Led the reverse transition of 125 FTE payables processes in-house from a third party service provider ensuring customer delight ▪ Collaborated extensively with tech teams to create business requirement documentation and approve data migration, playing a pivotal role in the overall automation initiative. ▪ Led the Global Accounting Improvement Team (GAIT), identifying 19 significant improvement opportunities and contributing to the creation of project charters and benefit estimates. ▪ Partnered with renowned external consultants on benchmarking and process transformation efforts. ▪ Actively participated in the Request for Proposal process as a key stakeholder, aiding in the selection of a vendor for a large-scale automation project. ▪ Led several process deep dives and data analytics initiatives to identify continuous improvement opportunities, conduct fit-gap analysis, and proposed future process designs.▪ Collaborated with Procurement and IT teams to enhance end-to-end processes and implement system improvements. ▪ Contributed to corporate-wide divestitures, mergers, and spin-off projects, focusing on shaping the future-state organization. ▪ Actively participated in the DowDuPont Spin Project Orion, designing Accounts Payable process metrics, KPI dashboards, and related processes Show less • Led global Accounts Payables transformation initiatives from Q4 2016 through 2017, resulting in the release of 16 FTEs. ▪ Contributed to initial integration efforts with Dow during the IBM visit, gaining valuable insights into processes and benchmarking against DuPont’s internal operations. ▪ Played a key role in external benchmarking activities in collaboration with KPMG and Wipro - McKinsey. ▪ Partnered with renowned external consultants like Accenture to explore Robotic Process Automation in the Accounts Payable space. ▪ Led the development of a Center-wide Scorecard, KPIs, and Dashboards to monitor process and people performance. ▪ Actively participated in the launch of an interactive Global Payables Dashboard (AP Insight Tool) using BI tools such as Tableau and Power BI. ▪ Engaged in all internal and external audit processes across the organization. ▪ As a member of the Center Leadership Team, spearheaded multiple center-wide internal control and compliance initiatives Show less ▪ Cultivated a strong quality culture by delivering Lean & Six Sigma training to 100% of staff. ▪ Designed and implemented a robust Six Sigma governance framework for the center. ▪ Led a high-performing 40+ member team supporting the Finance Center, specializing in Accounts Payables Audit & Compliance and MIS Reporting. ▪ Developed and implemented a comprehensive Center-wide KPI and Balanced Scorecard to measure and communicate Finance Center performance. ▪ Successfully executed and mentored 35+ Sigma Green Belt projects, generating 10 FTE hard benefits and 15 FTE soft benefits. ▪ Implemented 158+ Lean initiatives, delivering 11 FTE in soft benefits over a five year period. ▪ Championed the use of quality tools such as Process Mapping, Value Stream Mapping, FMEA, and Measurement System Analysis (Gage R&R) to enhance process efficiency. Show less

  • Assistant Vice President @ DuPont

    May 2019 - May 2022

  • Senior Manager @ DuPont

    Sept 2016 - May 2019

  • Quality Manager

    Nov 2009 - Sept 2016
• 

  Amazon

  May 2022 - now

  Finance Manager @ Amazon

  • Established and led the Global Invoices on Hold (IOH) team achieving 10% reduction in overall holds, meeting annual goals and improving related payment accuracy metrics by 0.5%. Delivered a 20% productivity improvement while maintaining exceptional service standards. ▪ Successfully launched IOH Program 2.0, achieving the agreed-upon goals, released 6.3 FTE savings by implementing a standard escalation model across Service Centers and eliminating non-value-added work. ▪ Continued to drive upstream and technology-dependent initiatives. ▪ Spearheaded the implementation of global metrics and dashboards, ensuring strong stakeholder collaboration ▪ Conceptualized and launched the AP Customer Experience Summit, fostering a customer-obsession culture within FinOps AP teams. ▪ Acted as the Single-Threaded Leader for the Accounts Payable Workbench (APW) implementation, contributing to the development of the Business Requirement document and designing the to-be process. ▪ Ensured strong compliance mechanisms in place and introduced a recertification process for manual payments requests through CREATURE tool. Show less