Meet Maureen Corcoran - Senior Account Director

Maureen Corcoran is a Lessen Senior Account Director, which means she personally manages the overall health of Lessen accounts. She is based in Chicago.

Tell us about your job.

I tell my clients I am your voice at Lessen. If you need someone to advocate for you in any capacity, contact me. I make sure all the pieces are firing in the right direction to satisfy our clients.

Why is that kind of advocacy so critical?

The role is critical because we have so many verticals – The client shouldn’t be expected to spend an entire day contacting 10 different people at Lessen to get an update on all our processes. Instead, they can go directly to me. It’s my job to hunt down the right people for them and get the answers they need.

What do you like about your role?

I love my clients. I love being able to help them achieve their vision for their programs and making sure everything they need is taken care of so they can spend time running their businesses and focusing on their customers.

Tell us what you did before you came to Lessen.

Before Lessen, I held similar role at a competitor. I also have a long history in retail. Having been that frontline person – you know, the person who must explain why something is broken or is confronted about why a service is not available – I know how to work through a system to achieve successful conclusions.

The example I always use is being cashier at McDonald’s and having to explain why the ice cream machine is not working. No one should ever explain to customer why they can’t have something they should expect from your business. So my job is to make sure that things don’t break for our clients. They should always expect an experience that is professional, seamless, and satisfying.

How does your retail experience inform what you do today at Lessen?

When you think about retail management, it’s all about operational excellence and brand standards. In other words, the experience you have at one retail location impacts your attitude about the entire brand. Typically, if a person has a good experience, they tell one person. But if they have a bad experience, they tell 10 people.

I approach operational excellence with that mindset. I want to drive a successful experience for our clients in everything we do for them.

Why is having a vendor network important?

We spent a lot of time building strong and trusting relationships with our vendors. I have vendors I know I can call at 8 o’clock on a Saturday night because there’s an emergency. Having those relationships helps us better serve our clients.

What’s unique about Lessen that sets us apart from competitors?

Honestly, it’s the people. We build strong teams, we build strong environments, and we build opportunities for talented people to move forward. We recognize hard work, dedication, and experience and reward it. There’s incredible value in that.

What do you do outside the office?

I spend a lot of time working in community theater. I’m currently working with a company that’s in the process of getting up on its feet. I enjoy using the skills I learned in business to help artists fulfill their vision. I’ve helped very small theater companies put successful productions together and I also stage manage productions from behind the scenes.

What do you like about your role at Lessen?

I’m very passionate about what I do. Solving problems for my clients brings a lot of joy to my day. I don’t think I’ve accomplished anything until I make a client happy.

Can you describe your typical day?

There really isn’t a typical day because every day is different. For example, during the California wildfires in January, I was reaching out to our partners there to see if they needed anything and if they did, I helped facilitate in some way. I can also be found helping our clients manage their billing, budgeting, high profile work orders, portal issues, team expectations, and making sure they have the right vendor where and whenever they need them. That’s the best thing about my job. Every day is different and I get to see results.