My Career Highlights

Hello Everyone,

Here I draw key experiences as a working professional and a business owner.?

I started working in the year 2000 in Toronto Canada for a call center that sold Canadian goods in the US. I was a Sales Executive at the time and clocked in the highest sales on the shop floor. It was at this time I envisioned starting a company where I could teach professionals on how selling is done. I was a natural at it. I then went on to work at Royal Bank of Canada in their Customer Service division as an Executive placed at a call center. I had to conduct research surveys on customer experiences with RBC. It was a bit of mundane work - great for professionals that enjoy routine. I then worked at a restaurant as a Supervisor managing the catering business for York University at that time. I was working part time in all the 3 assignments as I was completing my Diploma for higher schooling from Toronto Canada. Earl Haig high school is a public school in Toronto and was known as the best Fine Art School in Canada. Clearly, I completed my Double Major in Fine Art and Performance Art with distinction. I performed for the Toronto Music Festival and was shortlisted by BMG to cut a record with them - which I declined to pursue higher education.?

I then went on to study a Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Psychology from Saint Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia Canada.?I returned to Dubai UAE in 2003.?

In 2004 I joined ICICI Bank. I was the 1st recruit of their call centre that were into 2 functions - 1. Generating Meetings for Financial Consultants and 2. Customer Service for existing NRI customers of the bank. I was tagged the Star Performer in ICICI Bank by Mr. Chetan Mehra who was 2nd to the Head of GCC at the time. I moved from Retail Banking to Priority Banking and then went on to take on Private Banking as a Customer Service Manager. But before I became a CSM, I was called back by my family to India for 11 months. I lived in Gurgaon - I was the 1st recruit in Yes Bank for their current CPC - Central Processing Centre for the Customer Service division?in Cyber City.?As a CSM, I would open 30 bank accounts per day as support operations. I was clocking in the highest account openings per day. Before I returned to Dubai, UAE - I even put my hands into Human Resources for Educomp. As a Management Trainee, they asked me to develop SoPs for the initiation of new joiners. I did and was appreciated for it. I thank Venky Sir for that exposure. 11 months passed. I returned to Dubai UAE and I contacted Mr. Mehra for taking me back to ICICI - he did and I worked well, with the processing of the highest number of processed applications per day.?

Then I was recruited by Mr. Mahen Allirajah and Mr. Vikram Dhawan for their NRI business unit. As Senior Advisors, they guided me and developed me in Client Relationship Management - CRM. They gave me the opportunity to Book Meetings for their Advisory Services and developed me by?teaching me how to make a business plan for the NRI business Unit. I created it, and till today carry the knowledge of how to create a financial business mix. They gave me a blue print of a capital appreciation calculator and asked me to recreate it on excel with formulas. I did a decent job of it, they used my calculator as reference to their further Advisory Services. I learned under their Leadership on how to conduct a Fact Find on the phone itself and give them a base before they met prospective customers for conversions. After Sales was handled by someone else. I was selected as one of the Top CRM Award winners globally in Financial Partners Group at the time - associated with Mondial. I then sat for exams to become a Financial Advisor through Synergy Financial. Happy to say I passed those exams but didn't pursue Financial Advisory in the investment space.?

Instead, I thought the same skills can be transferred into Automotive Financial Services. So I then worked with Al Habtoor Motors - Mitsubishi as a Finance and Insurance Specialist managing a panel of 15 Banks. I had a Branch Manager Mr. Sriram Iyer and 10 Sales Executives reporting into us. My Team were brilliant! We collectively generated AED 95 Million in 3 months from 1 shop floor as revenue, the prime shop floor on Sheikh Zayed Road. I was then promoted to Business Manager for all of UAE for their Prestige Franchise - Bentley. I reported to the General Manager - Mr. George Duncan at that time.?

Then I moved on, got back into retail automotive financial services at Al Futtaim - Honda. I had a team of 12 Sales Executives as a Business Manager. We logged the highest the branch achieved in a very long while before I resigned. I was the youngest Business Manager at the time for Al Futtaim, the HR Banding for the role was between the age of 38 to 45. I was only 29 at that time. All said and done, Mr. Donovan Manual and Mr. Roberto DSilva worked closely with me. As a support Team. Ms. Vanessa Anes worked closely with me. She and I became close friends thereafter when we realized that 1+1 wasn't 2 but 11 with both of us.?

I then worked at Pioneer Wealth Management under the Leadership of Mr. Guneet Pal Singh. He was shocked to learn that I was going to start my business called SkillMaker with a key focus on Learning and Development. He played a role in my future progress as well. I thank him and all who have supported me.?

I started SkillMaker, my first client was my ex employer- Al Habtoor Motors. Thanks for Mr. Karl Hamer and The Habtoor Family for this opportunity, I delivered a customer charter for them. Combining a tightened and new process with soft skills for meeting a customer promise from the company. I Trained over 500 employees, in fact their entire staff strength at 1800. It was a delightful experience and I loved doing that work. Profits improved from 15% to 26% in 3 months and retention improved by 10% in 3 months. The effect of the Charter lasted 3 to 5 years. I am so glad I was given this opportunity. Their franchises are many - Mitsubishi, Chery, JAC, Bentley, Bugatti, McLaren. They did well. I then trained across industries in soft skills. Was the finalist for the Stars of Business Awards - Middle East in the category of professional services in 2015. Companies like the popular?Jumbo Electronics were contenders in that Award Ceremony. I then published a book titled Beyond Frontline Excellence and was the 1st in the globe to write on Spirituality in Business for Frontline Professionals published by Partridge, Penguin.?

I moved to India as my family relocated 5 years ago. I established SkillMaker in India. Continued to be a part of BNI - the International Business Network in their Gurgaon Chapter to continue business. I trained various business leaders and employees on Frontline Leadership, Etiquette and Selling.?

Covid -19 happened and I then put the interactive workshops on hold, I started Oneclean Concierge Private Limited with my Business Partner - Mr. Avishek Bhattacharya. We clocked in the highest revenue as a startup in 6 months of being in the industry. We acquired a 10,000 square feet factory. By then I completed a Master of Science in Strategic Human Resource Management from University of Roehampton in the UK on Scholarship.?

In course of running SkillMaker Consultancy, I delivered a project with Sakshi as their Senior Director - Human Resource Management for over a year. I had to interact with Ministries and Government Officials at the highest levels. Thank you to Ms. Smita Bharti for recognizing me, Mr. Amit Bhargava for the introduction extended and Ms. Naina Kapoor for accepting my work. I had the privilege to work with Mr. Sanjiv Sharma the brain behind Crime Petrol TV show amongst other such shows. I experienced the Brilliance in India through Sakshi.?

Finally - if I sum up my experience - I was finally selected as a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute incorporated by the Royal Charter in the UK to contribute to their Leadership and Management Forums. The Royal Charter is established by Queen Elizabeth and King Charles in the UK. A great honor.?

On the other hand, I sold my Art as NFTs and Physical Canvas Art as well. I have signed a contract with a company in Dubai UAE this year to sell my Art for an average of USD 100,000/- per painting. A blessing. It is yet to be officially launched.

These are brief insights into a world of experience I bring to the global economy. The way forward is surely going to be exceptional as well. As a woman, I am a creator - wherever I have worked, I have created and developed. I seek opportunities to create and develop. This is the greatest gift as an opportunity an organization can give me.?

Thank you,

Anchal Andrews?

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