CURRENT RESUME

auburn rutledge

auburn.rutledge@gmail.com • linkedin.com/in/auburnrutledge • auburnrutledge.com • https://calendly.com/auburn-rutledge

LEADERSHIP • COACHING • PROGRAM MANAGEMENT • OPERATIONS

Creative leader, coach, operations & program manager with 12+ years leading teams, building scalable programs, and developing exceptional customer & partner experiences across multiple sectors. I bring a deeply human-centered approach to every team I build and every system I design.

After completing an MA in Creative Leadership (Minneapolis College of Art & Design), I am intentionally reimagining my career toward mission-driven, values-aligned roles that combine strategy, partnerships, leadership, and relationships and have a positive impact on communities. I am working toward an MS in Creativity & Change Leadership (Buffalo State University) as of summer 2026 to deepen my work in systems change, culture, and organizational transformation, and am also pursuing my International Coaching Federation accreditation to strengthen my capabilities in leading, strengthening relationships, and creative problem-solving.

I also serve as Board Secretary, Co-Chair of our Curatorial Advisor, and as a member of the Development Advisory for Future Front Texas, a 501(c)3 arts & culture organization, supporting community programs that empower creatives and makers from underrepresented groups.

I am especially energized by work that:

• Bridges strategy and human experience

• Supports learning, community, and social impact

• Builds inclusive, thoughtful systems that help people thrive

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Program Design & Facilitation

• Operations, Process, & System Design

• People Leadership

• Program & Project Management

• Coaching & Professional Development (including Facilitation & Workshops)

• Stakeholder & Partner Relationships

• Cross-Functional Alignment & Change Management

• Data-Informed Decision-Making, Planning & Reporting

• Ecosystem & Network Development

• Customer Experience Strategy & Lifecycle Management

• Mission-Driven & Community-Centered Work

WORK EXPERIENCE

CAREER COACH | Randstad RiseSmart, Remote MAY 2026 – PRESENT

Working with professionals navigating career transitions and professional development with a coaching methodology that is personal, collaborative, and compassionate.

• Provide 1-on-1 coaching across job search strategy, interview preparation, offer evaluation, and next steps.

• Build customized coaching strategies, acting as an accountability partner through their transition.

• Partner with resume writers and job concierge specialists to deliver a full-circle support experience.

BOARD SECRETARY | Future Front Texas, Austin, TX APR 2026 – PRESENT

Board officer of award-winning arts and culture 501(c)(3) for underrepresented creators and small business owners. 20K+ annual visitors, 1,500+ artists served yearly, $1M+ distributed to Texas creatives since 2014.

• Shape org communications strategy and the annual strategic plan; contribute to fundraising and donor cultivation, maintain governance records, bylaws, and policy. Co-chair the Curatorial Advisory Board. 

• Designed and facilitated the creative leaders collective, a 4-part workshop series for underrecognized leaders, built on a five-stage experiential model, hosted as part of Summer Community Clubs.

• Development Advisory Board (2024-26), Volunteer (2018-present). Contributed to strategy, comms, fundraising, and planning, and supported programs to expand opportunity for artists and creators.

PERSONAL COACH | sun empress coaching, Austin, TX OCT 2025 – PRESENT

Liberation-centered coaching practice focused on narrative-based 1:1 and group coaching. Pursuing International Coaching Federation ACC accreditation through Lumia Coaching. 

• 55+ clients coached across RiseSmart and sun empress focused on career development and creative leadership.

• Practice informed by 15+ years of leadership experience across technology, operations, and community arts.

CONSULTANT | Minneapolis College of Art & Design (MCAD), Remote OCT 2025 – PRESENT

Consult, facilitate, and coach for the MA Creative Leadership program across the 2025-26 cohort: facilitate multiple leadership sessions and support students through planning and executing their capstones.

• Coach adult learners with reflective and goal-setting practices aligned with leadership development.

• Partner with program leadership on curriculum grounded in equity, creativity, and relational leadership.

• Apply human-centered and systems-thinking methods to educational environments.

SR. MANAGER, PARTNERSHIPS & LIFECYCLE OPERATIONS | Electronic Arts (EA), Austin, TX OCT 2024 – OCT 2025

Primary operations and partnership lead connecting emerging business partnerships to Customer Experience teams, while evolving the lifecycle operating model across EA’s game launches.

• Ran operations and partnership coordination across 20+ launches per year, translating partner goals into cross-functional roadmaps and keeping teams aligned on what was due and when.

• Built performance and tracking systems that gave leadership clear visibility into progress and accountability.

• Turned partner insight and emerging trends into action by routing them to the right teams for execution.

SR. MANAGER, CX STRATEGY & LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT| Electronic Arts (EA), Austin, TX JAN 2022 – OCT 2024

Led the team that designed and executed customer experience strategy across EA’s portfolio, shaping how millions of players were supported through deep cross-studio partnership.

• Built the studio relationships and program frameworks that lifted engagement 10–20% and resolved issues earlier, reducing repeat contact within a year.

• Developed operational frameworks and SOPs that cut onboarding time 30% and accelerated time-to-competency.

• Created and managed yearly and quarterly OKRs across a global team.

SR. MANAGER, ESCALATIONS WORLDWIDE CX | Electronic Arts (EA), Austin, TX JUN 2020 – JAN 2022

Built the strategy and team structure that let 1,000+ frontline staff resolve the most complex, highest-stakes situations, across three specialized teams (consultation, investigation, executive relations).

• Designed a new escalations strategy, operating framework, and voice-of-customer reporting that drove faster, more consistent resolution (+10% resolution rate year over year).

• Led 3 managers and 40+ specialists supporting 1,000+ frontline staff.

• Drove escalation insight into org-wide reporting that improved processes, products, and services.

• Mentored 12 participants in the Mentor Program (2021-25), Global Board Member of Disability ERG (2021-23). 

SR. MANAGER, PARTNER SUCCESS | VRBO (Expedia Group), Remote DEC 2018 – MAY 2020

Led the North American Partner Success team and the managers who supported a large partner ecosystem.

• Built and led a team supporting a combined portfolio of 10,000+ partners with $5-250K in annual revenue.

• Established KPIs, cross-department initiatives, and goals to improve partner performance and satisfaction.

• Coordinated across operations, strategy, training, and product to advocate for partner needs.

DIRECTOR, CLIENT SUCCESS | Social Solutions (now Bonterra), Remote JAN 2018 – DEC 2018

Mission-driven team leader serving nonprofit and social-sector organizations that used Social Solutions’ tools. 

• Established a Client Success department in six months: structure, SOPs, processes, and hiring plan.

• Led team of 5 supporting health and retention of 1,000+ clients with $5-250K in annual operating revenue.

• Streamlined issue resolution (cut timelines 20%) and sustained a 90%+ retention rate within a year.
  

EARLY CAREER EXPERIENCE

CLIENT SUCCESS & OPERATIONS | Spiceworks | OneSpot | Adlucent 2010 – 2018 PRESENT

Progressively advanced through leadership roles in customer success, client operations, and strategic account management, building a strong foundation in leadership, systems thinking, & partnership strategy.

• Built and led high-performing teams of 6-10 across client success and operations.

• Designed new departments, organizational structures, and operational frameworks to scale teams and client support, managing strategic partnerships and portfolios ranging from startups to enterprise accounts. 

• Developed lifecycle programs to improve engagement, driving year-over-year revenue growth.

EDUCATION

Developed skills in human-centered and innovative leadership practices, inclusive coaching and team management, design-informed and creative problem-solving, strategic and regenerative organizational practices.

• MS, Creativity & Change Leadership | Buffalo State University, Buffalo, NY 2026 - 2028

• MA, Creative Leadership | Minneapolis College of Art & Design, Minneapolis, MN 2024 - 2025

• International Coaching Federation Level Ii Program | Lumia Coaching, L.A., CA 2025 - 2026

• BFA, Film & Television | New York University, NY, NY 2005 - 2008

TOOLS & SYSTEMS

• MS Office Suite

• Google Workspace

• Slack

• Collaboration tools (Miro, Mural)

• Project Management tools (Asana, Wrike, Trello, Smartsheet, Jira, Notion)

• Tableau

• Salesforce

• Canva

• AI Models (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Microsoft CoPilot)