Sara Schmidt, Vice President
BA(Hons), post graduate Diploma in Applied Psychology, Chartered Occupational Psychologist
Sara has over 17 years' experience as a business psychologist and leader, working across public and private sectors in North America, as well as the UK and Europe. She has specialized in building psychometric assessments for deployment across regions, designing and delivering user training to facilitate implementation as well as creating custom international assessment/development processes on an individual or group basis.
Sara joined SHL in the UK in 1989, where she managed the creation of the ability test norms library, trained clients to use assessments and developed tailored competency models. She also customized rule-bases to automate the interpretation of assessment results for hiring managers.
In 1991, Sara joined SHL Europe in Paris as a Consultant/Management Trainee where she focused on building tests for the various European institutions and managing international client projects. In 1993, she moved back to the UK and managed the development of a suite of assessments targeting sales and customer service staff (including ability tests, work styles questionnaires, a 360 feedback tool and a Competency Based Interview Guide.)
After moving to North America in 1996, she spent a few months working with SHL's Canadian business before joining SHL USA Inc. In addition to managing sizeable client engagements over the past decade, Sara has had responsibility for Training, the Client Services team (inquiry handling, product print production, inventory and integrity), the Sales & Customer Service Practice, product marketing, account management and the US assessment consulting business. She worked with clients in a wide range of industries in the US including banking, insurance and financial services, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, chemicals and fragrances, high tech, logistics, airlines, and utilities.
In her most recent role as Vice President of Consulting Solutions for the US, Sara had general management responsibilities for assessment consulting typically targeting Fortune 100 and 500 organizations. She and her team provided business-focused solutions including developing and implementing assessment tools and processes for selection, promotion, development, performance management, succession planning, team effectiveness and re-deployment delivered on either an individual or group basis (including Assessment & Development Centers). These engagements have spanned all levels within organizations - from front line employees to 'C' level executives. One highlight during this time was being instrumental in scoping and directing a $2.7m merger-integration project for international utility involving the assessment and re-deployment of 665 employees in four locations within three months.
Sara started her career as an intern with the Manpower Services Commission in 1987 as an Occupational Psychologist, where she researched Action Planning which impacted the design of "Employment Training" - a national governmental program for the Long Term Unemployed. Sara graduated from Nottingham University in 1989 with an honours degree in Psychology (first class), the departmental prize for her dissertation and a post graduate Diploma in Applied Psychology. She is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist.