Project Manager

Project Management Life Cycle
Resource Planning & Management
Budgeting, Tracking & Reporting
Contract Development & Negotiation
Quality Control Management
Processes & Procedures Design
Client, Team & Partner Relations
Multi-Disciplinary Team Leadership
Performance Tracking & Improvement
Team Training & Mentoring

• Successful 8+ year career planning, tracking, and managing high-profile projects for The Home Depot, Bose, Art Guild, Dollar General, Harbor Industries, Lowe’s, Darden Restaurants, CH Robinson, and Wal-Mart clients.
• Strength in partnering with clients, teams, and vendors to identify needs, evaluate risks and issues, and drive the on-time, within budget, and quality delivery of projects with minimal disruption to business operations.
• Organized, take-charge professional with exceptional follow-through ability and detail orientation; able to plan and coordinate all aspects of multiple, simultaneous projects with high customer satisfaction.
• Expert presenter, negotiator, and communicator able to forge solid relationships with customers, teams, and vendors.
• Member of Project Management Institute (PMI).

Professional Experience

Confidential – Lincolnwood, IL
Project Manager – Visual Merchandise (2011)
Contracted to help secure high-profile projects for the holiday season. Procurement and cost analysis of vendors worldwide. Creative product solution and prototype design for various retailers. Developed processes for the production of retail props multiple vendors. Evaluated modes of product completion methods.

Confidential (2009-2010) – Plymouth, MI
Maintenance / Events Technician while planning relocation to Chicago.

Confidential (2000-2008) – Novi, MI
Built an impressive record of achievements through a series of increasingly responsible positions for this provider of transportation, distribution, logistics, and project management services.
Senior Project Manager (2006-2008)
Advanced into highest project management position within the organization to plan, define, and drive the full life cycle delivery of client transportation, warehousing and installation projects for all divisions within the organization. Collaborated with clients to identify needs, assembled and scheduled efforts of internal resources and subcontractors, defined project plans and schedules, forecasted and managed budgets, communicated status to customers, and ensured appropriate resolution of issues. Established and enhanced relationships with customers and vendors to ensure optimal satisfaction and business growth. Recruited and directed team of 5 to support key projects.
Selected Projects & Achievements:

• Selected by management team to manage company’s largest, high profile projects based on consistent contributions to on time and quality delivery, revenue and profit growth, and client satisfaction and retention.
• Led the freight management, warehousing, and installation of fixtures and equipment to support new restaurant openings.
• Managed Asset Recovery projects. Planned and coordinated the removal, packaging, scanning, warehousing, consolidation, and shipment of technical assets.
• Managed the transportation, warehouse staging, and installation of furnishings, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) at new high-end hotel chains throughout North America.

Confidential

• Assisted in creating vendor database to provide a centralized means to access and track core data for a multitude of local vendors for client projects.

Project Manager – Retail Services Solutions (2004-2006)
Promoted and given additional responsibility to manage all aspects of multiple, simultaneous product transportation and installation projects, from initial service request and scope of work definition through delivery, status reporting, vendor and resource management, and overall customer satisfaction. Forecasted, tracked, and managed project budgets; selected and coordinated efforts of new contractors; obtained special permits; planned and scheduled all aspects of logistics; and ensured the on time and within budget completion.
Selected Projects & Achievements:

• Selected to assist leadership team in creating service delivery and project management standards and best practices, encompassing project monitoring systems, execution methods, and control procedures. Collaborated in recruiting, training, and mentoring new project managers to ensure unified vision of goals.
• Requested by key customer to personally manage $1.2 million project to install displays in 500+ of the most profitable stores in the United States and Puerto Rico. Coordinated efforts of installers, fire suppression professional, and electricians to ensure the on time build out of new super counter top displays, increasing profit margins by 6%.
• Based upon outstanding communication and relationship building, requested by customer to assume additional responsibility to schedule and manage efforts of 9 other vendors and 375 companies associated with the key project. Defined master project plan that enabled the achievement of 10-month delivery deadline, resulting in being chosen by customer to manage all future awarded projects.
• Led major project to install 250+ digital projectors, CPUs and displays at 100 retail malls throughout the United States. Obtained permits, and sourced and oversaw team of union contractors in mounting, installing, and programming digital media platforms.

Operations Specialist (2000-2004)
Originally recruited to define cost effective plans to warehouse, inventory, transport, and install products for clients throughout the United States. Challenged to identify and establish new partnerships, negotiate favorable contracts, and define strategies to launch new service offerings and expand revenue growth.
Selected Projects & Achievements:

• Pivotal role in positioning organization to achieve Vendor of Year Award from FedEx client based upon on-time and within budget delivery, outstanding customer service, and effective problem solving. Planned and organized the receipt, inventory, delivery, and installation of FedEx drop boxes at appropriate locations.
• Defined and coordinated all aspects of logistics projects for the transportation and delivery of more than 30,000 manuals to manufacturing customers.
• Key contributor in defining effective procedures and processes to manage the delivery of services to clients as company grew from 6 to 30 employees within 4 years. Assisted in interviewing all new hires.
• Secured and built profitable relationships with partners to enable the launch of asset recovery, FF&E solutions, food service, hospitality, retail services, and digital media solutions service offerings.

Education & Credentials

Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communication
Confidential– Kalamazoo, MI (1998)

Member, Confidential

Technology Proficiency
MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), MS Project, Totaltrack Logistics System