M. Allen Charles
Victoria
Summary
Senior executive with 15+ years of experience leading enterprise digital transformation initiatives for Fortune 500 companies across healthcare, retail, and financial services. Proven track record delivering AI and automation solutions, modernizing telephony platforms, and driving digital innovation while building high performing teams. Demonstrated ability to align stakeholders, influence without authority, and implement execution frameworks that translate strategy into measurable enterprise outcomes.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Vice President, Customer Operations Transformation
U.S. Bank
Minneapolis, MN
05.2025 - Current
- Defined and led the execution of a multi-year strategic roadmap to transform the Merchant Services voice and chat platforms, driving 80% IVR containment, 30% growth in digital self-service adoption, and 20% reduction in call transfer rates within one year.
- Projected $1.5M in annual savings through strategic process improvements, workflow automation, workforce optimization, AI-enabled solutions, and operational efficiency initiatives.
- Led the redesign and deployment of the Merchant Services flagship Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, directing a cross-functional team of UX, engineering, product, and business insights, resulting in a 10%+ increase in Net Promoter Score (NPS).
- Led the deployment of an innovative AI-enabled solution that automatically generates call summary notes, resulting in a 35% reduction in average handle time and significantly enhancing agent experience.
Vice President, Technology Portfolio Management
Ameriprise Financial
Minneapolis, MN
06.2022 - 03.2024
- Accountable for the strategic planning and execution of a $100M+ capital expenditure portfolio to transform service center operations through systems modernization, workflow automation, and AI-enabled solutions.
- Led a global team of 30+ employees, including four director-level leaders across multiple functional areas, including project management, portfolio governance, vendor management, and data and insights,
- Led a $50M telephony migration to a cloud-based platform, transitioning 13,000+ employees and enhancing communication channels for over 3 million clients worldwide.
- Recipient of the Enterprise Innovation Award for implementing a comprehensive automated portfolio governance framework, providing real-time project updates and visibility into critical deliverables.
Senior Director, Omnichannel Platform Management
UnitedHealth Group
Eden Prairie, MN
01.2014 - 04.2022
- Led the enterprise contact center product portfolio, directing a global team of 100+ employees, including 8 senior-level managers, and developing the strategic roadmap for telephony platform modernization across all Optum business units.
- Achieved a 5% NPS increase for Optum Health by optimizing the member experience and leading enterprise-wide deployment of advanced technology solutions, including Conversational AI, intelligent call routing, and predictive personalized experiences.
- Led the strategy and execution of a $20M migration from the legacy telephony infrastructure to a modern cloud-based platform, enhancing scalability, reliability, and operational efficiency.
- Facilitated employee experience initiatives using survey insights, driving a 30%+ increase in engagement while sustaining manager effectiveness scores above 90%.
Education
MBA - Business Administration And Management
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MNBachelor of Science - Social Sciences
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KSSkills
- Strategic portfolio leadership
- Leading global teams
- Proficiency in AI concepts
- Organizational change management
- Financial management
- Vendor management
- Digital transformation strategy
- Contact center operations
- CCaaS platform expertise
- Lean Six Sigma methodology
- Agile methodologies
- Stakeholder management
Additional Experience
Target Corporation - Senior Program Manager
Best Buy Corporation - Business Project Manager
Certification
Project Management Institute
PMP - Project Management Professional
Credential ID 1351666
Northwestern Kellogg School of Management
AI Strategy for Business Transformation
Expected Completion: April 2026
Timeline
Vice President, Customer Operations Transformation
U.S. Bank
05.2025 - Current
Vice President, Technology Portfolio Management
Ameriprise Financial
06.2022 - 03.2024
Senior Director, Omnichannel Platform Management
UnitedHealth Group
01.2014 - 04.2022
MBA - Business Administration And Management
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Bachelor of Science - Social Sciences
Kansas State University