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Cynthia Bruce

Success-driven 8+figure annual revenue earner offering a history of infusing a culture of innovation and cohesion when energizing direct and indirect teams to deliver peak performance - all while operating at a level consistent with an organization's risk tolerance and appetite, values, and goals. Wield subject matter expertise in all aspects of the responding / business development side of the procurement process (including, but not limited to, RFP lifecycle, product / technology / software selectioning, enhancement planning, & solutionning, client presentations, relationship building and business development, communications & press releases) to support, operationalize, and lead a proposal’s total lifecycle to assess impact and viability… ultimately to comply with client requirements and deliver well-thought-out solutions that contribute to an enhanced customer journey. 

Key Skills

Leadership
Empathy
Budget Control
Relationship Management
Adaptability and Flexibility
Strategic Planning & Tactical Execution
Learning & Development Facilitation
Operational Improvements
Data Governance & Integrity Maintenance
Procurement Response Strategy
Operating Model Implementation
Project, People, & Change Management

Professional Experience

Nov 2015
Present
Proposal Development Associate Director
Precise ParkLink Inc. Toronto, CA
  • Rose from Senior Proposal Writer to Associate director, leading a rapidly growing department and to provide RFP / RFx-recognized processes and procedures; assumed responsibility for training, team growth, and day-to-day management of the RFx side of the business 4 years later, freeing the Director to support leadership with special projects and national corporate strategies. Represent the business on initiatives regarding proposals, quotes, product development requirements, pursuing new business, building strategic relationships with key accounts, solutioning, and process improvements. Lead, motivate, and inspire a team of 6 direct and indirect reports. 
  • Implemented processes, procedures, tracking, reporting, and tools to permit the business to respond to and support over 400 RFx, quotes, and proposals annually with a team varying from 2 to 6. 
  • Generated - as a key member - over $1B in revenue (upfront, life of contract, recurring and upgrades) since Dec. 2015, having built tracking mechanisms, provided training, standardized and organized a content library, and grown to the team. 
  • Played an integral role in automating the RFP/x response process in 2022 and 2023 by researching and investigating RFP automation software tools, and working with the team to guide the rewriting and reorganization of all current library content, allowing the AI and machine learning tools optimize the automation. 
  • Infused a much-needed shift in team dynamics and organizational culture by encouraging diversity in hiring, identifying gaps in gender equality, ensuring that the company is representing itself more broadly, and creating a safe and open give-and-take environment within the Proposal Development team. 
  • Leveraged change management methodology to restructure how the team and company handled the proposal development and response lifecycle by going paperless, instituting weekly update meetings, ensuring communication and regular structured and ad-hoc discussions on all current RFx responses in progress (there are always multiple at any time), monitoring and reporting on RFx and quote and proposal statuses, and creating a central and networked repository for all opportunity files, folders, and emails. 
Nov 2015
Present
Corporate Company Security Officer
Precise ParkLink Inc. Toronto, CA
  • Created a brand-new Security department to handle federal, provincial, and private security clearance requirements, implementing all the security protocols and structure required to safeguard documents and meet stringent government requirements.
  • Security clearance with Federal Government
Dec 2012
Nov 2015
Bilingual Tender Specialist
Global Upholstery Co. Inc Toronto, CA
  • Assumed responsibility for managing the entire RFx lifecycle for all Qubec opportunities, including kick-off, updates, shredding, creation of matrices (compliance and assignment), content planning, production templates, colour review meetings.
  • Directly increased win rate in Qubec from ~8% to consistently over 35% by following up on the status of RFPs, participating in debriefs and post-mortems, and tracking the bid values of every proponent on every bid, allowing us to accurately adjust our pricing to ensure we won.
  • Improved offer effectiveness by optimizing bid/no bid decisions and timing by further leveraging data. 
  • Accurately tracked tender response to ensure compliance with proposal and time restraint requirements. 
Dec 2009
Nov 2012
Territory Manager (acting) / Account Executive
Primex Wireless, Inc. Newmarket, CA
  Stepped into Territory Manager role when a gap was formed due to a corporate restructuring, while maintaining both AE and proposal response functions. 
  Provided structure and organization to allow Account Executives the capacity to assume RFP response responsibilities, leading to an increase in sales volumes by introducing the leadership to various bidding portals, teaching and guiding the response process, and demonstrating value of this new revenue stream. 
  Increased sales volumes, doubled (roughly) RFP response success rate, and forged new customer relationships. 

Education

Aug 1995
Jan 1997
Business Management in Humber College

Certifications

2023
CF APMP
APMP

Languages

English
(Native)
French
(Native)

Get in touch with Cynthia