23 Apr Fleet Response Announces Internal Promotions
Fleet Response prides itself on creating an environment that fosters opportunity, integrity, and excellence. So, as our organization continues to grow, we work hard to hold on to these family roots.
In the first few months of 2019, four employees have received promotions to Supervisor positions; Irina Baez to Call Center Supervisor, Dan Chahulski to Claims Supervisor, Marianne Kucinski to Business Development Supervisor, and James Ruffing to Client Engagement Coordinator. All four have spent part of their tenure at Fleet Response in either the Claims or Call Center Departments.
Marianne Kucinski has spent 11 years in the Claims Department in varying roles. She brought her vast knowledge of the claims function to the Business Development Department and will now focus more on Safety programs. Before transitioning to her new role, Marianne says her biggest success was “Building and maintaining a solid relationship of trust and confidence with my representatives.” In talking to Marianne, she states that she is most excited about the opportunity to learn more of the Safety program and the sales processes. Marianne adds, “I feel like there is so much more to know and can’t wait to get to continue to learn”.
Marianne says that she is “mainly looking to expand my knowledge of the company and our products and to grow professionally”; as to why she chose to apply for the Business Development Supervisor. She also mentioned that “I have also always been interested in reporting and the data behind it and intend to pursue more formal education in these areas. I’m very much a numbers person and love that I get to do more of that in this role. This part of the company has always interested me and I’m very excited to be part of the team.”
With looking forward to the good things, there are also challenges Marianne expects to see in her new role. “My biggest challenge is taking a step back from Claims. I was in Claims for 11 years in varying roles and it’s a major adjustment being hands off with the day-to-day (in Claims) and switching gears to only handling what I should be for them as part of my new role. I’m getting better at knowing and doing what I SHOULD versus what I CAN, but it takes effort.” Marianne says.
Dan Chahulski has enjoyed a diverse experience in his six years at Fleet Response, holding positions in the Call Center, Claims, and Subrogation Departments. Related to his most recent previous role, Dan says “My biggest success story in my previous department was probably leading the department in recoveries two out of the first six months that I was in the role.”
After gaining experience in multiple departments, Dan feels that “Each of the departments are important and crucial to our success as a company. I applied for the Claims Supervisor position because I think that this is the department that truly epitomizes who we are as a company and I want to help impact things for the better as much as possible”.
Dan is looking forward to helping the Claims Department with its overall efficiency and balance and looks to foster better communication to and from the group. “We can maintain or improve our claim quality as our company continues its growth so that we never lose what makes us great” says Dan.
In talking to Dan, he mentions possible challenges that he’s ready to tackle “It’s an exciting challenge to go from an individual contributor role to a leadership role. I’m working to go from full control over my success to delegation and training in order to achieve our goals.”
Irina Baez like Dan, started in the Call Center, later transitioning to the Claims Department. She has been with Fleet Response for almost six years and is currently succeeding in her first few months as the Call Center Supervisor. Irina reflected on her biggest success and said, “My biggest success was re-evaluating the training process within the Call Center and having the ability to revamp it and make it more effective for new hires.”
With her transition to the Call Center Supervisor role, Irina brings forth many strategic plans towards improvement from a Call Center Representative’s perspective. “I felt if, given the opportunity, I could better assist in continuing to help grow the department and better understand the needs of the representatives on the floor on a more personal level. Also, with being a rep within the Claims Department helped me better understand how the job within the Call Center plays such an important part in how efficient a Claim Representative can be in their day-to-day work if the initial claim intake process is handled accurately.”
Irina mentions that she is most looking forward to “learning the business on a higher level” and to assist in helping create stronger and more efficient operations within the Call Center. However, she foresees the most challenging aspect of her new position to be understanding that she is in a position where she is not only responsible for herself and her daily work duties, but also those on the floor and making sure that they are as successful in what everyone accomplishes.
James Ruffing was recently promoted to Client Engagement Coordinator, which follows his 16 years of commitment to the company. Starting in the Call Center, James was later selected to assist in the creation and administration of a client-specific claims management program. James’ experience with creating and managing processes allowed for opportunities to assist with the review and revision of various other internal processes within the organization. He has gained a wealth of knowledge and experience through his work in the Heavy Equipment Claims and Subrogation Departments, and through his most recent role as the Maintenance Department’s Lead Representative.
Looking forward to his May 2019 transition, James says “I am very excited for the opportunity to contribute to the organization’s continued growth by way of this newly created role. I hope to apply the experience I’ve gained in Operations to help create innovative, useful, and valuable tools for our clients.” As the Lead Representative of the Maintenance team, James served as the point of contact for the day-to-day needs of the Maintenance clients, among other duties. James commented “The part of the Lead role that I have most enjoyed is the direct interaction with our clients and our collaborative efforts to employ cost-effective maintenance solutions for their assets. In my new role, I look forward to the opportunity to not only maintain the company’s current partnerships but to cultivating relationships and partnerships with new clients.”
CONGRATULATIONS TO MARIANNE, DAN, IRINA, & JAMES
MORE ABOUT MARIANNE
“I LOVE going to concerts, big or small it is hands down one of my favorite things to do. My sister and I try to go to at least a handful every year. I’m also a total TV junkie, so if I’m not out and about, you can typically find me engrossed in a TV series or Movie Collection.”
MORE ABOUT DAN
He is a big sports buff – football, basketball, baseball, loves to watch and play all of it whenever he can. Dan recently welcomed his first son into the world on 3-14-2019. Dan says, “I cherish any time that I get to spend with him.”
MORE ABOUT IRINA
Irina is a mother of four children who range from the ages of 4 to 17 years old. “I enjoy being a cheerleader to my children in all they do- school, sports and in their daily lives. I enjoy listening to music Salsa Music is my favorite! Along with playing softball and traveling on an annual trip!”
MORE ABOUT JAMES
James holds a Bachelor of Science in Insurance Studies with a concentration on Property and Casualty Insurance from Kent State University. He looks forward to the completion of his graduate program in May 2019, earning a Masters of Business Administration from Franklin University. James has also earned his Associate in Claims (AIC) and Associate in Claims- Management (AIC-M) designation. James has a passion for all things automotive, as well as his recently renewed hobby of building and riding mountain bikes. He also enjoys traveling and spending time with multiple nieces and nephews.