Chelle Morgan

Chief of Staff to the Co-Founder & Interim CEO, APAC, Ryan Walsh.

• Drove Strategic Direction: Defined and drove the company's strategic vision, goals, and key initiatives in close partnership with the Co-Founder and Interim CEO.
• Managed Performance: Directed the quarterly OKR process, ensuring clear alignment, and reported on progress and key performance metrics to the APAC executive team.
• Informed Decisions: Provided data-driven decision support to leadership through comprehensive analysis and synthesis of information.
• Enhanced Efficiency: Identified and implemented process improvements to boost efficiency and productivity across the organisation.
• Continued Responsibilities: Continued to manage key tasks from my previous role, including internal event execution, regional communication strategy, and workplace experience.

Responsible for driving the business strategy and directly leading a team of 8 across a dynamic group of functions for the APAC Region (Australia, New Zealand, and South East Asia). These functions included Talent Acquisition, Talent Development, Workplace Experience, and Studios.

Achievements:

• Rapid Workforce Expansion: Led the hiring, onboarding, and training of 300 full-time employees over a three-year period, significantly expanding our regional footprint and capabilities.
• Innovative Talent Development: Designed and implemented learning and development programs specifically for the APAC market. Five of these programs were later adopted and launched globally, showcasing the success of our regional approach. Also seamlessly integrated global corporate programs into our region, ensuring our employees had access to world-class resources.
• Global Training Lead - Workday Implementation: Led the global training initiative for a major Workday implementation, designing and delivering all training content for 1,700 full-time employees.
• Regional Infrastructure: Successfully established and managed three office locations in Brisbane, Auckland, and Manila. This included overseeing all aspects of office setup and ongoing operations to create productive and engaging work environments.
• Corporate Apartments: Set up and managed six corporate apartments across Brisbane and Manila, providing essential support for our mobile workforce and executives.
• Event Management: Executed all internal events for the region, including the annual APAC and ANZ Sales Weeks, quarterly team-building activities, executive off-site's, and end-of-year celebrations in Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
• APAC Studios: Created and implemented the APAC Studios function to produce region-specific content and communications. This initiative was crucial for driving revenue growth and strengthening partner engagement through localised and relevant messaging.
• Internal Communications: Served as the host and producer for the APAC All Hands meetings, a key internal communication platform for the region. I was asked to collaborate with the global communications team to elevate the standard of the global All Hands meetings to match our regional success. As a result, the APAC town hall was globally recognised and voted as the best-produced internal event.

• Strategic Talent Acquisition: Hired the first 100 employees in just nine months, building the foundational workforce for the APAC region.
• Process Leadership: Created and implemented all APAC recruitment processes and policies, which were later adopted by the global organisation due to their effectiveness.
• Recruiting & Sourcing: Partnered with hiring managers to define job requirements, evaluated resumes, and conducted interviews to present qualified candidates.
• Data Management: Managed Greenhouse (ATS) to monitor all openings, applicants, and interview activities, refining recruiting strategies with data-driven insights.

Responsible for leading the talent strategy and recruitment for over 200 centres across Australia and New Zealand, focusing on attracting top talent, fostering a positive work environment, and driving employee engagement and satisfaction.

My project management and operational skills were recognised, leading me to spearhead several key initiatives:

• Paternity Leave Policy: I created and implemented a paternity leave policy, which was considered the gold standard within the storage and retail industry.
• COVID-19 Response: I developed, implemented, and managed all policies and processes to ensure effective center operations and employee well-being throughout the pandemic.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): I oversaw the implementation of a new EAP provider, giving all employees access to a trusted and reliable resource for mental health and well-being support.

Responsible for the development and execution of talent strategies across ANZ, encompassing 3 Support Offices, 10 brands, and 430 stores. I directly led a team of four recruitment specialists, focusing on attracting and retaining top talent to meet the diverse needs of the business.

• Strategic Talent Leadership: Developed and executed talent strategies tailored for a large, multi-brand organization across ANZ.
• Team Leadership: Directly managed and mentored a team of four recruitment specialists, overseeing their performance and professional development.
• Recruitment Strategy: Defined and implemented recruitment policies and processes to attract top talent and manage a high volume of hiring activity.
• Stakeholder Management: Partnered with leadership and hiring managers across all brands and offices to understand business needs and build effective talent pipelines.
• Talent Retention: Implemented strategies to improve employee engagement and retention, ensuring the business could attract and keep key talent in a competitive market.

Successfully launched and implemented the COS brand in Australia, leading its expansion from our flagship store in Melbourne to five total locations. As the key leader on the ground, my responsibilities for establishing and scaling our presence included:

• Leadership: Directly managed a leadership team of 7 and an operations team of over 50.
• Strategic Operations: Launched, coordinated, and drove all local business initiatives, ensuring they aligned with COS's global culture and Australian market objectives.
• Global Collaboration: Served as the key liaison with the East Asia Area Team and London Head Office to integrate new business ideas and strategically build COS's reputation as an employer of choice in Australia.

Multi site leadership of 11 stores across the Gold Coast, Brisbane & Regional NSW region.

• Operational Management: Directed all store operations to ensure consistency, efficiency, and adherence to company standards across all 11 locations.
• Financial Performance: Managed store budgets, analysed sales data, and developed strategies to drive revenue growth and profitability for the entire region.
• Team Leadership: Led and mentored store managers and their teams, fostering a culture of high performance, accountability, and professional development.
• Customer Experience: Ensured a consistently high level of customer service and brand representation across all stores.
• Strategic Planning: Developed and executed regional strategies for sales, merchandising, and staff management that aligned with broader company goals.

Responsible for the full spectrum of sales and service training across Australia and New Zealand, ensuring a consistent and high-quality customer experience.

• Program Facilitation: Delivered key programs, including the "C.A.R.E. (Customers Are Really Everything)" program and all sales and service workshops to internal and external clients.
• Leadership Development: Mentored and coached middle management, including Area Managers, through one-on-one sessions, webinars, and on-site visits to improve their leadership skills.
• Content Development: Conducted research to create and update training content and materials, ensuring they were current and effective.

Business Development

• Client Acquisition: Sourced and secured new clients and accounts to expand our business footprint.
• Performance Analysis: Delivered and actioned insights from mystery shopping reports to improve client performance.
• Client Management: Arranged and conducted client meetings to build strong relationships and identify new opportunities.

Recruitment and Induction Specialist

I identified a significant gap in the market and proactively built a new recruitment and induction service. This role involved:

• End-to-End Recruitment: Provided full-cycle recruitment services, including writing job advertisements and managing online campaigns.
• Strategic Onboarding: Created and implemented specialised induction programs and onboarding practices to help clients effectively integrate new hires.
  
  Clients include: Topshop, Cosmetics Cubed (Mecca, Mecca Maxima & Kit), Green With Envy, Oroton Group, Alderton Enterprises, Crabtree & Evelyn, Bikini Island, Hype DC, Ninewest Group, Manning Cartell, Crumpler, King Furniture, Tigerlily, Glue, Showcase, Livelife Group, Ella Bache, Helly Hansen and Hairhouse Warehouse.