Project Management,Agile, Scrum Master, Product Owner, PMP trainer

Michael Chertes

** ********** *****, *******, ** 06854 • 203-***-**** • ad5syr@r.postjobfree.com

Summary

Michael boasts a broad spectrum of management experience addressing intricate business, technological, and organizational challenges. Renowned for deploying impactful solutions that yield quantifiable results and favorable outcomes. An energetic and seasoned leader with a robust project and operations management background, enriched by over a decade of ascending leadership roles. Proficient in Predictive, Agile, and Hybrid methodologies, adept at navigating and thriving in multifaceted project environments.

Professional Experience

FDM Group – New York, NY December 2013 – April 2024

International IT services provider in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia. FDM provides services in the Project Management Office,

Business Analysis, Data & Operations, Testing, Development, Production Support, MX.3 Production Support and Client Training.

Change and Transformation Coach

•Elevated over 30 team members across virtual, cross-regional Agile software internal development teams, boosting team velocity, streamlining project delivery, and elevating product quality through expert coaching and mentorship of Agile team members.

•Directed up to 8 teams, comprising a total of up to 100 professionals, in the company’s innovation PODs. Spearheaded diverse projects focused on developing internal applications that bolstered critical processes for key business activities, demonstrating strong leadership and project management acumen.

•Spearheaded the product strategy and vision, successfully aligning multiple Scrum teams to deliver cohesive and high-value product increments, significantly enhancing product coherence and accelerating delivery time.

•Organized Scrum of Scrum and other events, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and effective sprint execution. Mentored junior Scrum Masters, enhancing team agility and ensuring adherence to Agile principles, contributing to a 15% increase in successful sprint completion rates and a 20% improvement in team performance metrics.

•Facilitated key stakeholder meetings, workshops, and presentations to effectively communicate project progress, gather valuable feedback, and drive consensus on key decisions, thereby enhancing project outcomes and stakeholder satisfaction.

•Orchestrated seamless collaboration among developers, Product Owners, Scrum Masters, Business Analysts (BAs), and Quality Assurance (QAs) team members, establishing clear User Acceptance Criteria for backlog items.

•Directed the successful migration of project requirements from Monday.com to Jira, enhancing project tracking and collaboration tailored to the specific needs for development. Orchestrated comprehensive training sessions for teams, ensuring a smooth transition and proficiency in the new project management tool.

•Led planning sessions and monitored project progress using Jira and MS Project, ensuring alignment with sprint and release plans and facilitating timely adjustments as needed.

•Regularly monitored expenses to identify trends and prevent budget overruns. Leveraged data analysis to make informed decisions and optimize resource allocation. Tracked relevant metrics and benchmarks to adjust strategies effectively.

•Delivered comprehensive reports to stakeholders and management, detailing key performance metrics, identifying potential issues and risks, and highlighting significant achievements. This strategic communication facilitated informed decision-making and contributed to improved allocation of resources.

•Identified and managed project risks and issues, ensuring adherence to best risk mitigation and resolution practices. Developed and implemented strategies to address identified risks and issues, collaborating with cross-functional teams to mitigate potential impacts on project timelines and deliverables.

•Conducted regular performance reviews, identifying challenges and improvement areas. Delivered strategic guidance and recommendations to enhance processes, leveraging key performance indicators (KPIs) for data-driven decision-making.

•Equipped IT Associate consultants with a broad range of technical and soft skills, preparing them for challenging assignments with blue-chip companies worldwide.

•Provided professional training and mentorship, successfully preparing in-house consultants for IT industry-recognized certification exams in Project Management, Business Analysis, Software Quality Assurance ISTQB, Networking, and IT Service Management/ITIL before their consulting assignments with the company’s clients.

Tutoring Services, LLC – e-Commerce / IT – Stamford, CT June 2008 – December 2013

Digital media startup, an education-centered platform for connecting subject matter experts with prospective clients, and an advertisement portal for distributing published printed & digital instructional materials.

IT Project Manager

•Conducted targeted analysis and market research to uncover key business development opportunities, leading to the formulation of a strategic marketing plan that significantly contributed to the startup’s market entry and growth.

•Expertly planned and managed web application development and systems integration projects, adeptly utilizing both Waterfall and Agile methodologies to ensure timely delivery and integration success.

•Evaluated and integrated JIRA/Confluence to address the company’s technological needs, enhancing project tracking and collaboration. Managed a JIRA-based Help Desk, ensuring prompt issue resolution and utilizing KPIs for performance tracking, leading to improved support efficiency and user satisfaction.

•Tracked websites’ performance utilizing Google Analytics & Webmaster Tools, assessing the effectiveness of targeted keywords and marketing campaigns.

•Proactively sourced and secured key talent essential for project success and operational excellence. Directed virtual, globally distributed teams of up to 12 business and IT professionals, including project leads, business analysts, designers, application developers, and marketing and quality assurance specialists, driving high-performance outcomes.

Bridgewater Associates, LP - Westport, CT July 2010 – July 2011

World’s largest Hedge Fund that manages approximately $120 billion in global investments for a wide array of institutional clients

IT Network Operations Center Associate

•Responsible for daily management of 10 Network Operations Center (NOC) personnel 24/7 schedule and mapping of critical tasks to support the operations of the organization’s departments and services.

•Designed and implemented a new scheduling system that organized and integrated numerous scheduling documents from multiple sources into a single, color-coded, visually comprehensive document.

•Implemented a video library with recorded tasks performed by the NOC using Comtasia Studio software to create a new hire training process. The library streamlined the new hires' learning process and significantly decreased the trainers' involvement.

•Responsible for monitoring and troubleshooting business-critical processes utilizing Spectrum, Solarwinds, Ehealth, and in-house developed software. Also responsible for extensive documentation of written procedures and network diagrams.

•Ensured accuracy of networking equipment, servers, and associated dependencies by reviewing requests for changes and performing database maintenance using Remedy.

•Performed incident management utilizing an established framework with initial assessments of the impact, identification of the parties involved, and coordination of activities to restore services.

Lord & Taylor - New York, NY

Lord & Taylor is a leading North American retailer. Based in New York City, is the oldest upscale, specialty-retail department store chain

Operations Manager – Danbury, CT March 2005 – July 2008

Assistant Operations Manager – Stamford, CT November 2003 - March 2005

Area Sales Manager – Stamford, CT January 2001 – November 2003

•Promoted to Operations Manager, with the responsibility of improving the performance of the 80,000 sq. ft. store, which was experiencing excessive costs and inefficient operations.

•Coached and counseled an executive team of 7 and over 100 sales and sales support associates. Conducted performance reviews and appraisals. Established strong communications with Area Sales Managers and other senior store executives.

•Took control of key expenses, including payroll; developed effective manpower schedules that brought payroll in line.

•Exceeded payroll goals by constantly monitoring and projecting hours used vs. sales trends.

•Ran safety and shortage reduction programs to keep operating costs low while realizing maximum savings; reduced inventory shrinkage by $37,000. Reduced store expenses and achieved savings of $140,000 below the YTD plan.

•Ranked #4 out of 54 stores in customer service; worked as a team with store executives to raise the priority of customer service. Modeled excellent service by treating associates as customers.

•Played a key role in the overall management of a $55M store; worked closely with the senior executive team and area sales managers to ensure appropriate support was in place to ensure that the store functioned optimally.

•Played a significant role in all phases of a major store renovation (180,000 sq. ft.) throughout 2004. Worked closely with contractors, assisting with space preparation; disseminated renovation updates to executives storewide.

Education

Boston University – Boston, MA

Graduate Certificate – IT Project Management, 3.85 GPA

September 2014

Sacred Heart University – John F. Welch School of Business - Fairfield, CT

MBA, Strategic Management, 3.89 GPA

December 2012

Western Connecticut State University - Ancell School Of Business - Danbury, CT August 2010

BBA, Management Information Systems (MIS), Concentration - Information Security Management, 3.87 GPA

Norwalk Community College - Norwalk, CT August 2008

AAS, Computer Security, 3.81 GPA

Certificate, Networking, Cisco Certified Network Associate Certificate

Certifications

Project Management Institute, Project Management Professional (PMP) Certified, 2013 - Present

Project Management Institute, Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), 2013 - Present

Scrum Alliance, Scrum Certified Professional Scrum Master (CSP-SM) & Product Owner (CSP-PO), 2015 - Present

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Managing Projects with Microsoft Project 2010, 2013 - Present

ACS, Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundation Certified, 2013 – Present

BCS-ISEB, Foundation in Business Analysis, 2013 - Present

ISTQB/BCS Certified Tester Foundation, 2014 - Present

Comp/TIA, Network + Certified, 2001 – Present; CISCO, Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), 2002-2005

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