Project Manager Quality Assurance
Resume:
George B. Ballester
Manchester, MD 21102, USA
Cell: 410-***-****
Email: ******.*********@*****.***
OBJECTIVE: A Challenging, Senior Business Analyst/Project Manager Position
that employs my Business Analyst Experience, Global Custody Operations
Experience, SWIFT Message Knowledge and SWIFT STP Skills, and Trade
Processing System Development Experience.
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
Experienced SWIFT Product/Project Manager
Experienced Global Custody Operations Manager
Detailed SWIFT Message Knowledge, both ISO 7775 and ISO 15022, Generic
Requirements, Market Practice Requirements and Subcustodian Specific
Requirements
Proven SWIFT STP Improvement Techniques for Investment Managers and Global
Custodians that result in High 90's STP Rates
Significant Trade Processing System Development Experience
Effective Writer, Speaker and Teacher
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Senior Business Systems Analyst, T. Rowe Price, Baltimore, MD (January 2007
to May 2009): Supported the STI product - COAC (Corporate Actions
Processing) - for the Corporate Actions Department. From SWIFT message,
Bloomberg and FT/IDC feeds, COAC created mandatory and voluntary, CA events
for further processing. COAC runs in a UNIX, Sybase environment.
Documented database table usage to develop functional specs for Business
Objects reports. Installed and tested major COAC releases and minor COAC
SWIFT releases. Member of committee to find replacement for COAC.
Consultant Business Analyst, JP Morgan Chase Private Bank, NYC, three
month assignment (August thru October 2006): Did Business Analysis to
convert Rockefeller Family Office investment feed from ISO 7775 Pseudo-
SWIFT to ISO 15022 SWIFT.
Senior Business Analyst, Xcitek Solutionsplus (February 14, 2005 to April
2006): Did Product Management, Product Analysis, Quality Assurance and
Client Support Tasks for Corporate Actions SWIFT in XSP- a Global Custody
Corporate Actions Software Product. Developed ISO 15022 CA SWIFT
Requirements for Generic CA SWIFT, Published Market Practices, Unpublished
Market Practices, Custodian Practices, Euroclear, Clearstream and Fidelity
Data Xchange.
Assistant Vice-President and STP Project Manager in Communications
Management, Mellon GSS (January 2003 to December 2004): Analyzed Monthly,
Subcustodian SWIFT STP Reports. Identified STP Problems. Worked on their
resolution through Software Changes, Improved Cross Reference File
Maintenance, Better Trade Entry Training and Presentations to Investment
Managers about STP Problems with their Automated Trade Feeds (SWIFT, MINT,
Mercator, ISITC, Proprietary, etc.). Wrote Business Requirements, wrote
Functional Requirements, wrote Test Plans, conducted both Internal and
External Software Testing and Signed-off on Production Installation
Approval for Software Changes. Used Microsoft Project, Visio, Excel and
Word to manage the work. This work increased both SWIFT STP and SWIFT
Processing Automation, significantly decreasing the number of manual
operations staff required. Created and maintained STP Statistics - (1)
Subcustodian SWIFT STP Rates by Highest Volume Markets, (2) Subcustodian
STP Rates by World Region, (3) Subcustodian STP Problem Tracking, (4)
Monthly SWIFT STP Improvement Summary Report, and (5) Investment Manager
SWIFT STP Errors by Operations Group. Worked to automate this process as
much as possible with Mellon Standard STP Reporting Formats for
Subcustodians from which software tools could extract STP Error data. These
STP Tracking Tools became part of a Performance Metric for Trade Processing
Efficiency. Helped with installation testing of SWIFT Alliance. Learned to
use SWIFT Alliance. Prior to the decision to switch to SWIFT Alliance from
ST400, attended meetings in NYC at IBM NY and Abn Amro NY to evaluate the
possibility of switching to the IBM SWIFT Interface and MQ Series.
Assistant Vice-President and Project Manager in Global Custody Network
Management, Mellon GSS (September 1999 to January 2003): Managed Risk
Management Team. This three-person team wrote, edited and distributed for
Global News Updates to Clients, Market Profiles and Depository Risk
Analyses. Publication was by Email, CD-ROM and Internet Posting. Involved
in Web Content and Format Design. Gathered materials and participated in
Federal Reserve, Banking, KPMG and Mellon audits. As part of Mellon-wide
Risk Team, identified and documented Network Management Risks and their
Mitigation. Managed the SWIFT ISO 15022 Conversion between Mellon and
Subcustodians for Network Management. Directly managed the MT54n
Conversion. Identified and documented Generic, Market Practice and
Subcustodian-Specific, MT54n Requirements. Arranged for Software
Development, conducted Internal and External Testing and Approved
Production Installs. Coordinated the same process between Subcustodians
and the Security Recon (MT535, MT536) and Corporate Action (MT564, MT565,
MT566, MT567, MT568) Teams. Wrote and distributed detailed surveys of
SWIFT issues to all subcustodians and compiled the results in a spreadsheet
format. Organized numerous conference calls with Subcustodians to reach
mutual agreement on the correct interpretation of SWIFT, Generic
Requirements and to better understand differences in Market Practice.
Attended SWIFT NY Meetings to coordinate the ISO 15022 Conversion. Mellon
had a very successful, problem-free conversion to ISO 15022.
Conducted ISO 15002 Testing with New Subcustodians to ascertain that they
met Mellon SWIFT Requirements. .Did Analysis of Monthly Subcustodian SWIFT
STP Reports and Directed Efforts to Improve SWIFT STP. Assisted Mellon
Trust University in the development of internal SWIFT Training Courses .Did
a Detailed Study of Messaging Techniques - Telex, Fax, Email and Internet
Web Site - that could be used as an alternative, back-up method to SWIFT
Transmission. The study involved research trips to AT&T, MCI WorldCom and
Expedite, followed by presentation of a written recommendation.
Assisted Network Managers with RFPs, SLAs, and Service Reviews for
Subcustodians. Organized and chaired presentations by SWIFT, Euroclear,
Clearstream and Subcustodian representatives for Global Custody Teams.
Assistant Vice-President and Manager of Global Custody Network
Communications, Boston Safe Deposit and Trust, now Mellon GSS (June 1994 to
September 1999): Managed nine-person, Network Communication Room Team,
responsible for control, monitoring, receipt and delivery of inbound and
outbound SWIFT via ST400, Euclid PC, Cedcomm PC, Telex and Fax. This
included both automated and manual transmissions. The Communications Room
was the focal point of Trade, FX and Currency Movement Transmissions.
Developed the ability to work calmly and forcefully in a fast-paced,
stressful environment; Developed and documented Business
Resumption/Disaster Recovery Plans for the Network Communication Room. Used
them to address real business disasters; Developed Mellon SWIFT Message
Formats, addressed SWIFT Message Problems and did SWIFT STP Analysis;
Assisted Mellon Sales and Client Service in Marketing Presentations to both
current and prospective clients in the US and UK; Attended U.S. National
SWIFT Securities Subcommittee Meetings, SWIFT IUGM Meetings in Europe, and
some ISITC Meetings in the U.S. Wrote and presented Meeting Summaries
focusing on the impact to Mellon
System Consultant in CMS for External Interfaces (SWIFT, Euroclear, Cedel
and Telex) at Boston Safe Deposit and Trust, now Mellon GSS (July 1988 to
June 1994): As Project Leader, using SDLC Methodology, developed Global
Custody SWIFT and Euroclear Message Processing System in CICS Cobol, VSAM
and DB2; assisted in Development of ISITC SWIFT System to process trades
from investment managers; and assisted in Development of SWIFT Message
Processing System (CARP) for Harvard Management. These efforts became the
foundation of SWIFT Processing at Mellon GSS.
Senior Programmer Analyst for Brokerage Systems at Fidelity Investments
(1987 to 1988): Worked on Security Master Database, COBOL/IDMS CICS ISC
Project, and did CICS Technical Support, Command-Level and Macro-Level, for
Brokerage Systems.
Senior Programmer for Client Software Installation and Support for
Pegasystems (1985 to 1987):
Clients included Bank of America, First Chicago, Kemper and Citibank.
Received very good reviews from clients. Did PL/I Programming for the
Claims and Trace System. Wrote a PL/I Program that used templates and
parameter tables to create custom IBM JCL for the client.
CICS/IDMS Database Consultant for ETA International (1983 to 1984): Clients
included McCormack and Dodge, Wang and Gillette.
CICS Technical Support and Programmer at Stone and Webster Engineering
(1981 to 1983, 1984 to 1985): CICS Technical Support. COBOL/IMS Database
Programming.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS:
Writer: Numerous Published Articles on both the Financial Industry and
Computer Topics (See attached list).
Public Speaker: Frequent Conference Speaker (See attached list). Have
addressed conferences in Boston, New York, Copenhagen, Anchorage and
Toronto.
Part Time Teacher: Taught Macroeconomics and Microeconomics at Jefferson
State College, Birmingham, AL (Fall 2005 Spring 2006); Taught Securities
Processing and Mutual Funds courses at the New England Institute of Finance
(2000 -2001); Visual BASIC at Fisher College, Malden Campus (Early 1990's);
Introduction to Data Processing at Mass Bay Community College (Early
1990s); MIS Courses - BASIC, COBOL, Systems Analysis and Introduction to
Database - at Northeastern University (1980's);and History of Science and
Technology at the University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, Papua New
Guinea, South Pacific Island Nation with History of Cannibalism and Tribal
War (1976).
Professional Qualifications: Certified Data Processor (1983).
Professional Organizations: IRMA, ACM where I was the Editor of the ACM/GBC
Newsletter, Life-Member of the Oxford Union Debating Society.
EDUCATION:
Computer Courses at Boston University in 1979-1980: Pascal, COBOL, IBM
Assembler.
MA, History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, Oxford University,
1973, supervised by Rom Harre. Incomplete D. Phil Thesis on "Early UK
Darwinian Theories of Animal Behaviors and Their Political Application,"
supervised by the late Wilma George (1974-1976).
Woodrow Wilson Fellow (1971-1972) at the London School of Economics
studying Logic and the Scientific Method under Imre Lakatos, the successor
to Sir Karl Popper. Lakatos was jailed by Stalin.
BA, Summa cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa, Philosophy, University of New
Hampshire, 1971, where I was on the UNH Debating Team.
Contact this candidate