Charlie Cleal

I'm a proactive and adaptable professional with a strong background in incident management, client relations, and operations. I've worked across both financial services and hospitality, which has given me a unique blend of problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and the ability to stay calm under pressure, it is also important to note here (amongst other things), they both greatly helped my social and communication skills. At Diligenta, I led the resolution of multiple incidents, ensuring things ran smoothly while keeping stakeholders in the loop. My time at Hargreaves Lansdown also helped me develop new systems for managing complex processes and client accounts, while creating training materials and improving team efficiency. I’m proud of how quickly I’m able to learn and adapt, which was reflected in my early progression into high-level client-facing roles.

On top of my corporate experience, I’ve spent years working in hospitality, including at places like The Shard, Claridges, and the Hilton Waldorf. These roles sharpened my communication skills and ability to thrive in fast-paced, high-pressure environments. I have worked with huge crowds as a barman at various big festivals and also delivering exceptional service at high-end venues. Whether I’m managing incidents or working directly with clients, I’m driven by a passion for making things run smoothly and always striving for improvement. I feel my diverse experiences have given me a flexible approach to problem-solving, and I’m always looking for feedback and also ways to learn and grow.

Work Experience:

Incident Manager Diligenta, Bristol

November 2023 to November 2024

The primary responsibility of this job was the overseeing multiple incidents concurrently, effectively acting as a project manager for those. I was there to ensure that once an incident is identified and has been allocated to myself, I would then spear-head the tasks that needed to be performed to 'fix' the incident.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Incident Oversight: Manage all incidents from initiation to resolution, ensuring that each stage is meticulously tracked and documented.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Set up and conduct frequent meetings with key stakeholders from senior management to share my findings, provide updates, and proposing strategies for what I feel needs to take place.
• Root Cause Analysis: Identify the underlying issues contributing to incidents, implementing measures to prevent future occurrences, and also ensure that any necessary post-closure activities, will be monitored.
• Data Management: Assess what information is needed and formally request necessary data extracts or reports to aid in the decision-making processes.
• Diligence and Compliance: Maintain the highest standards of diligence, particularly when handling sensitive data, ensuring compliance with industry regulations and best practices.
• Compensation Consultation: Provide insights on appropriate compensation measures when incidents occur, promoting fair resolution protocols.
• Operational Excellence: Adhere to all the given KPIs in relation to my incidents.

Operations Associate Hargreaves Lansdown, Bristol                               August 2021 to September 2023

My time at one of the largest financial services companies in the UK was spent in the ‘Client Accounts- Withdrawals' team. My position was unique, in that I was covering a wide array of questions/tasks internally and externally, whilst undertaking daily operational duties, and it being a client facing role.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Taking the initiative in developing training materials for some of our most complex processes, which are materials now being used in official training for various teams and new starters.
• Demonstrating my competence and ability to learn incredibly swiftly. This was acknowledged in the form of me being approved to converse directly with high net worth clients 3 months earlier than would usually be expected.   
• Finding the solutions in ensuring process changes are acknowledged and understood by all members in the team. Due to issues with team members not always being able to attend our huddles, and emails being missed, we were repeatedly faced with colleagues not adhering to new process changes. To combat this I created weekly sign off spreadsheet, this in turn created a mechanism for accountability, coupled with a safe space for colleagues to raise any questions/concerns they may have not felt comfortable speaking in a 10+ person meeting.
• As I was a senior member in the team, my responsibilities included dealing with complex queries, both telephone and written. I was then recognised for my astute problem solving, and started to become someone who would frequent be asked to provide my opinion on what certain complaints' compensation should have been.
• One of my core duties was to implement and oversee a vast array of withdrawal requests from instruction to they funds being received by the customer.

Hospitality Assistant Various, London                              

August 2013 to September 2021

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

During my time at university and multiple occasions after, I spent a lot of time working in the hospitality sector. These work experiences have been in bars, clubs, festivals and restaurants.

Examples:

• The Shard (also as a bar back)
• Claridges
• The Hilton Waldorf (barman)
• The Connaught
• Boomtown Festival
• Glastonbury Festival
• Shangri-La
• A host on the London Party Pub Crawl

The University of Central Lancashire

       2:2 - Music Production - (SSR London Branch) 

Norton Hill School

3 A Level’s - (Politics - B, French - C, ICT - C)