Hello, I'm Lori Williams.
Spearheaded control and governance strategy for global operations to ensure enterprise-wide alignment with risk and regulatory frameworks. Strengthened governance maturity by leading cross-business integration, support audits, risk reviews, and regulatory inspections. Oversaw risk management programs for product lifecycle compliance and efficiency. Direct Reports: 1 onsite and 4 offshore leaders in India → Established rigorous monthly business review process to ensure all nonstandard business, including securities, 401(k) plans, and international funds, met risk parameters and secured BNY President’s approval. → Partnered with executive leadership, compliance, and legal teams to align operational controls with business goals spanning policy oversight and risk remediation.
Details
- Professional CategoryOperations, Logistics, Customer Support
- Location
- Years of Relevant Experience15-20 years
- Seniority LevelExecutive
- Consulting Rate (Hourly)100
Experience
Director, Governance and Controls
BNY MellonJuly 2024 - June 2025Spearheaded control and governance strategy for global operations to ensure enterprise-wide alignment with risk and regulatory frameworks. Strengthened governance maturity by leading cross-business integration, support audits, risk reviews, and regulatory inspections. Oversaw risk management programs for product lifecycle compliance and efficiency.
Direct Reports: 1 onsite and 4 offshore leaders in India
→ Established rigorous monthly business review process to ensure all nonstandard business, including securities, 401(k) plans, and international funds, met risk parameters and secured BNY President’s approval.
→ Partnered with executive leadership, compliance, and legal teams to align operational controls with business goals spanning policy oversight and risk remediation.
Head of Service Operations
Farmers InsuranceDecember 2011 - September 2023Directed all aspects of service operations nationwide, including finance and HR administration, to meet project deadlines, manage key business risks, and maintain strong relationships with customers, vendors, and strategic business partners. Monitored performance to identify and capture opportunities for business processes and productivity improvements.
People: 300+ employees | Direct Reports: 10 Directors | Budget: $15M annually
→ Doubled 3% YoY profitable growth target with average 6% annual growth rate for 11 consecutive years by identifying and eliminating unprofitable business lines while support strategic growth initiatives.
→ Offshored high-volume, repetitive work to vendors in Dominican Republic and Caribbean, enabling significant cost savings while creating value for international economies. Consulted with legal team to ensure compliance.
→ Eliminated ancillary business expense by divesting small business independent agent book of business to company focused on independent agent sector. Reassigned all 150 impacted employees to internal / external roles.
- Led gradation process to identify and retain highest performers, representing 23% of impacted people.
→ Consolidated and centralized insurance processing operations from 4 operating units to shared services organization with nationwide coverage capabilities, minimum viable product (MVP), and industry-standard practices.
- Leveraged Agile methodology to streamline processes and procedures, implement customer service queue system, and eliminate duplicate, redundant work.
Vice President — Operations
Zurich Insurance ServicesDecember 2004 - November 2012Promoted from Director of Billing, Zurich North America to manage effective, efficient implementation of complex enterprise projects and strategic initiatives across nationwide operation. Partnered with senior management team to achieve long-term business goals. Reported on KPIs, forecasts, and strategies to investors and shareholders.
People: 500 Licensed Agents across 50 States | Direct Reports: 15 Directors and Senior Managers
→ Orchestrated relocation of commercial service operation to Michigan, resulting in 20% cost efficiency and productivity improvements. Launched organization from ground up to call center with 300 seats in 12 months.
- Partnered with HR and local hiring sources in Michigan to hire and onboard leadership team and staff.
- Collaborated with Training and Development team to implement people systems and technologies.
→ Optimized service delivery across customer lifecycle by instituting Salesforce and Agile methodology to eliminate antiquated legacy processing systems and foster collaborations between operations, underwriting, and sales teams.
→ Launched comprehensive risk management procedures that minimized risk exposure and ensured compliance.
Industry
- Consumer Services
- Financial Services
- Professional Services
Specific Jurisdictions That I'm Qualified In or Can Cover
United States: Florida
Language(s)
- English
Education
University of Phoenix
MastersBusiness AdministrationOctober 2021 - February 2024
Morgan State University
DegreeBusinessAugust 1984 - July 2021
I am interested in
- Career Opportunities