SUMMARY:

• SAFe/Agile Release Train Engineer and PMP - certified Senior Project Manager offering 20+ years of experience leading complex software development and implementation projects for customer-facing internet and mobile applications, banking applications, and auto and fire quote and underwriting. Passionate advocate of and mentor to team members in Agile methodologies; demonstrate initiative in training and developing software engineers to ensure projects are on time and within budget. Committed to delivering high-quality software that positively impacts client business. Excellent skills in critical thinking and problem solving. Certified SAFe Agilist and Certified Scrum Master. Key areas of expertise include:
• SAFe/Agile methodology| Process Improvement | IT/Business Alignment | Impediment Discovery/Removal
• Project/Program Management | Servant Leadership | Training/Team Development | Cross-functional Collaboration

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Confidential, IL/Dunwoody, GA

Project Manager - SAFe/Agile Release Train Engineer

• Release Train Engineer for start-up Agile Release Train that consisted of five scrum teams across two locations and 100+ members. Piloted introduction of SAFe/Agile methodology for effort to roll out online fire quote and purchase application country wide. Led to increase in quotes applications and purchases.
• Volunteered to pilot department’s Agile Transformation Initiative on how to adopt Agile into IT Risk Management Practices area. Trained, coached, and acted as Product Manager for team, resulting in executive leadership declaring pilot a success and using team as model for adoption and execution. Increased visibility of hardware assets to enable risk management reporting and compliance.
• Recognized as one of the earliest adopters of Agile methodology. Rapidly developed company’s first mobile web application, added features with frequency due to continuous delivery. Enabled business to change priorities and adapt quickly.
• Led large, complex projects through full software development life cycle (SDLC), from conception through implementation of multiple initiatives in auto and fire underwriting, web and mobile development, banking, and risk management.
• Developed and controlled project plans to meet scope of projects. Managed schedules, people, budgets, and vendors.
• Monitored team performance; coached and mentored individual team members and provided feedback. Trained and coached on Agile and SAFe methodologies.
• Led Mobile Auto Quote application development, the first effort at State Farm to develop and deliver an application using responsive web design, resulting in high degree of usage and acceptance among customers and increase in auto quotes. Over 25% of auto quotes were coming through mobile auto quote app.
• Built trust and credibility with senior management to help them understand feasibility of commitments and to promote realistic expectations for project deliverables.

Confidential, St. Louis, MO

Senior Project/Program Manager

• Oversaw software application delivery and support for several clients, including Anheuser-Busch, Sara Lee, and Kellwood. Served as Delivery Manager/Program Manager to project managers and application support teams.
• Maintained client relationships and led proposal and business development activities, software sales, and support.
• Managed up to 30 analysts, developers and external vendors. Exceeded targets for software development and sales.
• Delivered B2B solution in 120 days that was requested by one of the country’s leading retailers for use between it and distributors of the US’s largest brewery. Developed and implemented application within urgent time frame, resulting in praise from client and the retailor.
• Client dashboard for recording client satisfaction ratings raised to highest level.
• Produced additional account revenue and saved clients’ money by selling third-party software using Confidential ’s discounts.
• Developed strong internal and external stakeholder relationships by promoting cooperation and collaboration among groups and addressing performance issues.

Confidential, Bloomington, IL

Consultant Project Manager

• Led initiative that consisted of eight distinct projects totaling $10M+ that added automation to auto underwriting and policy transaction changes and new policy applications.
• Managed project scopes, plans, schedules, and budgets and supervised 30 staff.
• Problem-solved concern that criteria allowed for automated issuance of certain policies may be too restrictive to deliver expected automation percentage results.
• Secured approval to pause project to manually review incoming applications and step them through logic and specifications being built into knowledge-based system; proved adequate percentage would pass logic and be issued automatically.
• Achieved implementation with automation rate exceeding expectations and creating significant reduction in underwriters’ workload; leadership elevated effort to one of top three priorities for Auto division.

Confidential, IA/Bloomington, IL

Systems Engineer Manager ( 9) Systems Engineer Supervisor ( )

• Hired as System Engineer to migrate a classified United States Air Force system to a new platform.
• Developed proposal and pricing for multi-year, fixed-price Block 3A software development contract for Combat Ammunition System-Base. Promoted to Systems Engineer Manager to deliver effort.
• Implemented process improvement and quality controls modeled on CMM (Capability Maturity Model), which resulted in on-time and under-budget delivery and recognition from client for unprecedented quality.
• Acted as Business Unit Leader for Confidential at Alliant Energy and led business unit to highest year-over-year gain in client satisfaction for this account.
• Managed program and business relations for Confidential in relation to start-up of State Farm Bank to include coordinating with three vendors and integrating banking applications with client.
• Hired and managed up to 35 staff members, including systems engineers, system engineer supervisors, functional analysts, technical writers, and configuration management specialists. Managed performance and administered compensation.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Methodologies: Agile, SAFe, Scrum, SDLC

Development Tools: COBOL, Pacbase, C, Visual Basic

Microsoft Applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Project

Other: Trac, Skype, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome