Stephanie Cook — Mentor profile, Title: VP, Process Server Network, Company: ABC Legal Services, Industry: Legal | Management, Mentor Type: Albers

Background

Job Description

I lead the strategy, operations, and performance of ABC Legal's nationwide process server network, a core part of a national legal-services platform backed by private equity. I built and unified what had been several disconnected teams into a single operating model spanning supply growth, marketplace strategy, performance and support, and process-server experience.

My focus is on the things that matter most to any distributed network: making sure the people in it have what they need to succeed, that standards are clear and consistent, and that customers can count on reliable, high-quality service every time. I also launched a Process Server Advisory Council to give frontline professionals a direct line to executive leadership, and I partner across Product, Engineering, Legal, Finance, and Sales to turn what the network needs into company-level priorities.

Company Description

ABC Legal Services, founded in 1974 and headquartered in Seattle, is the nation's leading provider of service of process, operating in more than 40,000 jurisdictions and trusted by law firms, corporations, and government agencies, including as the official process server for the U.S. Department of Justice. The company operates a tech-enabled platform connecting tens of thousands of clients with a network of 10,000+ process servers across all 50 states, offering service of process, eFiling, skip tracing, and other legal support solutions.

Employment History

I've spent more than 20 years figuring out the “how” behind hyper-growth: building the systems and teams that let a big vision become real. My path hasn't been a straight line; I moved from training and leadership development into field operations into executive leadership, and every stop taught me something the last one couldn't. If you're trying to figure out your own path, I'd love to talk about mine.

Immediately before ABC Legal, I spent several years as a VP of Operations, first at Inspectify, a venture-backed company built on a network of independent field professionals, and earlier at TransWest, where I joined the executive team to help build the infrastructure required for national expansion and accelerated growth. Across both roles, I sharpened a playbook I still use today: find where a business is scaling faster than its systems, and close that gap before it becomes a crisis.

That playbook took root at Lyft, where I built and led the team responsible for the success of 800+ field professionals across the U.S. and Canada, at a company whose entire business model depended on a distributed, independent workforce. Outside of that role, I founded the Seattle chapter of UpLyft Women, a program built to strengthen and empower women at Lyft by creating real pathways to develop and demonstrate leadership.

Before Lyft, I spent a decade on the people side of the business, leading learning, leadership development, and launch functions across three very different companies: Amazon, AAA Washington, and PACCAR. At Amazon, I managed the Operations Leadership Institute, guiding thousands of new employees through onboarding in one of the most demanding environments in the world. I also led customer experience and launch operations for Amazon's first retail presence on college campuses, early proof that I do my best work where a bold new idea meets the operational work of pulling it off.

Education

Stephanie earned her M.Ed. from Seattle University and has served as mentor for students of Albers School of Business for the past decade. She received a B.A. from Kent State University.

No civic involvement entered

Mentoring Objectives & Scope

I expect students to take an active role to select discussion topics and show up prepared to get the most out of the mentoring experience. Students can expect to meet once per month.

Some topics I've enjoyed discussing with students include:
- operations management
- scaling and growth strategies
- LinkedIn and resume review
- leadership development
- navigating corporate culture

I’m comfortable to support students in any of these areas.

- Resume review, interview prep, LinkedIn branding
- Career exploration, matching interests and talents with professions and industries
- Student transition from college to first professional role
- Building technical or subject matter expertise (hard skills)
- Improved communication and interpersonal skills
- Development of leadership skills, confidence, and executive presence
- Expanding a network, building connection, navigating an organization
- Helping entrepreneurial students define a business or product and business plan
- Career Pivot - transition to new role, career, and industry

When and where do you hold meetings with your students?

A mixture of in-person and virtual. Onsite at my office/operations locations or virtually. I'm flexible to meet when students are available.

No objectives entered