Shalini Sorlie

Led product development strategy, overseeing the entire product lifecycle with a focus on customer satisfaction and operational improvement.

• Product Strategy and Roadmap: Developed and managed a strategic product roadmap aligned with customer feedback and business objectives.
• Customer Wishlist: Managed a prioritized Customer Wishlist, ensuring high-demand features were integrated into the product roadmap.
• Feature Design & Development: Created specifications for UI modernization, dashboard enhancements, and the Trust Accounting Module, tracking development progress in Jira.
• Project Leadership: Led a CiiRUS One Testing Task Force, managing cross-functional teams to address system issues, which improved product stability and user satisfaction.
• User Transition Project: Oversaw the migration of users from the legacy Windows App to CiiRUS One, developing a transition plan and supporting users throughout the migration.
• System Resolution Meetings: Conducted 1:1 meetings with escalated users to address concerns, regain confidence, and improve satisfaction.

Key Initiatives & Achievements: Department-Wide Key Achievements:

Oversaw and optimized workflows across four key departments: Data Migration, Onboarding and Training, Implementation, and Technical Support (Tier 1, 2, and 3). Focused on enhancing efficiency, building scalable systems, and fostering cross-functional collaboration to improve customer experience and operational effectiveness.

Data Migration:

• Collaborated with Data Migration Specialists and Development to automate data migration, minimizing manual entry for Property Management Companies (PMCs).
• Developed data import tools to ensure essential data was readily available for onboarding, requiring minimal input from PMCs.
• Led the development of a Reservations Audit Tool to verify the accuracy of imported financial data for end-of-month processing.

Onboarding and Training:

• Trained and onboarded a new Onboarding Success Manager to support increased sales targets and prevent pipeline bottlenecks.
• Conducted weekly pipeline review meetings to identify disengaged accounts and re-engaged clients as needed to ensure steady progress.
• Developed an interactive Onboarding Journey embedded within user accounts, delivering a tailored onboarding experience for each client.

Implementation:

• Designed a collaborative process among Data Migration, Onboarding, and Implementation teams to coordinate go-live dates, reservations imports, and channel connections for seamless client activation.
• Streamlined communication and execution, ensuring timely and accurate implementation for all client accounts.

Technical Support (Tier 1, 2, and 3):

• Established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to set clear expectations and accountability.
• Partnered with HR to hire and onboard 4 new Tier 1 Support Specialists, addressing increased ticket volume.
• Defined roles for Tier 1, 2, and 3 Support Agents, creating a structured escalation pathway for complex issues.
• Created a comprehensive Support Training and Onboarding Program, focusing on software knowledge and industry expertise.
• Implemented a round robin ticket distribution system in Zendesk to balance workloads based on team members’ expertise.
• Held daily team meetings to review ticket assignments, offering hands-on training that enhanced technical skills and customer service standards.
• Launched a Support Help Center, simplifying ticket submission and eliminating arbitrary support email usage.
• Centralized Support, Onboarding, Training, and Implementation within one Zendesk account, streamlining operations and communication.
• Created Zendesk SLAs for ticket response times and developed tutorials and macros/templates for frequently asked questions.
• Rolled out LiveChat and Phone Support with structured schedules to prevent agent overload, followed by a Weekend Support rollout.
• Conducted weekly check-ins with Tier 2 and Tier 3 teams to resolve complex issues and ensure knowledge sharing.
• Implemented detailed ticket categorization in Zendesk, tracking issues by feature or module to analyze trends and inform product improvements.

• Automated data migration processes, reducing manual entry and enhancing data accuracy.
• Expanded and trained Onboarding and Technical Support teams to meet rising demand and eliminate bottlenecks.
• Streamlined onboarding, support escalation, and account management processes, improving client experience.
• Launched interactive onboarding tools and centralized workflows in Zendesk for efficient support.
• Established SOPs, SLAs, and KPIs that improved response times, ticket management, and overall service quality.
• Introduced LiveChat, Phone, and Weekend Support, significantly enhancing customer support availability and satisfaction.

Key Initiatives & Achievements:

Led the Customer Success department, managing a team of 3 Onboarding Success Managers to optimize the onboarding experience, drive user engagement, and improve overall product adoption. Fostered a customer-centric culture and focused on retention strategies to enhance client satisfaction and long-term growth.

• Onboarding Pipeline Management: Managed a 70-account onboarding pipeline, distributing accounts based on size and complexity to balance workloads. Oversaw enterprise-level and critical accounts directly, while the team handled small to mid-sized accounts.
• Team Training and Development: Fostered a culture of continuous learning within the Customer Success team by promoting regular professional development opportunities. Trained team members on the Accounting Module to enable independent management of critical onboarding processes.
• Customer-Centric Advocacy: Championed a customer-centric approach within the organization, driving culture shifts that emphasized prioritizing client needs across departments and influencing product enhancements to reflect client feedback.
• Process Streamlining: Reduced the onboarding pipeline from 70 to 20 accounts by implementing process efficiencies and team training, significantly improving throughput and reducing bottlenecks.
• Onboarding Journey Optimization: Enhanced scalability by reducing one-on-one training sessions from 10 to 6, allowing the team to serve more clients effectively without compromising quality.
• Customer Retention and Churn Reduction: Identified root causes of customer churn by analyzing account data, implementing targeted strategies to address specific pain points, and re-engaging previously lost clients to improve retention and revenue growth.
• Client Relationship Management: Developed and maintained long-term client relationships, resulting in increased client retention and contributing to overall revenue growth.
• Product and System Improvement: Collaborated with Product and Development teams to address system gaps, simplify menus, remove unused modules, and standardize terminology, creating a cleaner and more intuitive user experience.
• Learning Groups Webinar Series: Created and launched the Learning Groups webinar series, hosting live sessions with the team to provide in-depth training on all software features and modules, boosting user engagement and product knowledge.

Key Initiatives & Achievements:

Brought a combination of expertise in operations, customer success, and product management to establish and lead the Australian office, aligning processes and products to the specific needs of the Australian market. Managed Support and Onboarding teams while driving product localization and regulatory compliance for optimal market fit.

• Establishment of Support and Onboarding Teams: Built and led Support and Onboarding teams in Brisbane, training staff in customer service best practices, onboarding procedures, and aligning team culture with CiiRUS values to foster a customer-centric approach.
• Cross-Functional Role Adaptation for Market Needs: Leveraged a blend of product management, customer success, and operational expertise to address unique challenges in the Australian market, ensuring seamless integration of processes and solutions tailored to local requirements.
• Development of Market-Specific Trust Accounting Module: Spearheaded the creation of the Trust Accounting Module, a legally mandated feature for Australian property managers.
• Collaborated closely with PMCs to understand trust accounting requirements, industry practices, and local legal standards.
• Developed detailed product specifications and worked with the head developer to implement the module, ensuring it met both functional needs and compliance standards.
• Conducted beta testing with select users to validate module functionality, gathering feedback to refine and optimize the product.
• Partnership with Certified Accounting Firms for Compliance: Ensured compliance with Australian financial regulations by collaborating with certified accounting firms, integrating essential reports like the three-way reconciliation to meet legal standards.
• Onboarding Pipeline Optimization: Managed the onboarding pipeline, overseeing client engagement and the achievement of onboarding milestones to promote successful product adoption and satisfaction among Australian users.
• Identification and Resolution of System Gaps: Worked with local PMCs to identify software gaps specific to the Australian market, collaborating with Product and Development teams to address these needs, simplify interfaces, and ensure product alignment with user expectations.

Key Initiatives & Achievements:

Developed and led comprehensive onboarding and training programs for new clients, including enterprise accounts, ensuring seamless implementation and maximizing user adoption of the CiiRUS platform.

• Onboarding and Training Program Development: Created a structured onboarding and training program covering:
• Data Migration: Facilitated accurate data transfer for clients transitioning to the CiiRUS platform.
  Configuration: Guided clients through platform setup to align with business processes.
  Day-to-Day Operations: Trained users on daily platform usage for effective property management.
  End-of-Month Owner Accounting: Provided specialized training on financial reporting and owner accounting for accurate monthly reconciliations.
• Internal Training Program: Designed and delivered an internal training program to equip staff with the necessary skills and knowledge for effective client support and platform expertise.
• Onsite Training for Enterprise Clients: Conducted in-depth, onsite training for enterprise-level clients in Aspen, the Carolinas, and South Florida, ensuring a seamless onboarding experience and successful software implementation.
• Enterprise Account Management: Managed relationships and onboarding for key enterprise accounts, including: Contempo Vacation Homes, IPG Professional Management, Feltrim Resorts, Encore / LRR.
• Support and Training Alignment: Partnered with Technical Support to analyze ticket volume from recently onboarded users, identifying and addressing training gaps to minimize support tickets and improve client self-sufficiency.
• Industry Knowledge and Best Practices: Stayed informed about industry trends and emerging best practices in talent development and training, ensuring that CiiRUS maintained a competitive edge in workforce capabilities by integrating new techniques and training materials.
• Product Management and Enhancement: Collaborated with enterprise accounts to identify specific product requirements, working closely with the development team to implement tailored solutions.
  Identified complex areas of the platform through user training, creating Assistants (guided workflows) to simplify processes and improve user experience.