Richard Baker, Director

Richard Baker has more than 30 years of internal and external consulting experience that includes hands-on experience managing people, processes, technology, and budgets, as well as expertise in the fields of manufacturing, telecommunications, higher education, and R&D. As a director for Business Intelligence Solutions (BIS), he is a key member of the consulting team, with a specialty in working with financial service firms to improve margins and retain customers.

Richard’s extensive background and skills include the following core competencies:

• Redesign business processes to improve throughput, reduce waste, and improve margins;
• Analyze operations to determine if technology can reduce cost and improve service levels;
• Improve productivity, quality, and customer service;
• Build staffing models to justify headcount and overtime;
• Develop and implement cost reduction programs;
• Conduct activity-based costing studies to assess customer profitability;
• Project and program management;
• Manage day-to-day financial service back room operations.

Prior to becoming a BIS director, Richard established his own consulting business and provided independent consulting assistance to the Institutional Brokerage Group of Fidelity Investments, among others.

Other examples of Richards accomplishments include . . .

• Fidelity Investments, Corporate Compliance. Richard achieved a $4.5 million cost reduction through process redesign, automation, outsourcing and establishment of productivity and staffing metrics.
• Boston Financial Data Services, Operations Support Services. Richard led efforts to reduce staff by 21 percent in this 24x7 operation using metrics, staffing models, span of control analyses, and acquisition of new equipment; achieved ROI in less than one year; reduced day-one financial transaction defects by 40 percent; improved the bottom line by $3.3 million; and increased revenue 28 percent.
• Fidelity Investments, Internal Consulting Group. Richard redesigned firm-wide brokerage and mutual fund new account processes and identified $3.1 million in cost reduction opportunities; consolidated the Boston and Dallas bond and money market processes, and relocated both operations to Merrimack, NH; quantified over $10 million in cost savings associated with migrating only 10 percent of customers from paper-based to electronic-based communications and services.
• Enterprise Computing Institute, Inc., Controller. Richard managed Finance and Administration functions for this high performance advanced computing research and development start-up firm.
• Coopers & Lybrand, LLP, Senior Associate
• Lear Siegler Inc., Corporate Productivity Services

Richard received his B.A. in Business Administration from Whittier College.

What's the Right Solution for You?
Contact Business Intelligence Solutions president and founder, Sharon Botwinik to explore a regulatory, technology-related, or competitive issue that your company is facing. We welcome the opportunity to recommend an approach that's right for you.

(Photo by George Pennington )