Customer Service Project

CAROL M. BLANK, M.A.

***** ** **** **. • Bellevue, WA 98008

Phone: 425-***-**** • **********@**********.***

CAREER SUMMARY

Project Manager and Senior Producer with 16+ years experience in PC/Mac software project

management with an educational background in foreign languages and translation.

Project management expertise in documentation, project scheduling and budgeting, asset

tracking, localization, contracts and milestones, liaising with external clients to meet their project

needs and requirements, team and vendor management, and maintaining interdepartmental

relationships.

Proven experience driving the production process from initiation through to 35+ successfully

shipped titles in English, the majority with 8 localized versions each.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

REALGAMES / GAMEHOUSE PARTNERS, Seattle, WA. January 2007 – December 2009.

Senior Producer, Lead Producer

• Upon hire, took the initiative and assumed leadership of the fledgling Intellectual Property (IP)

games production group, hiring 4 IP producers, managing the IP product roadmap, and establishing

internal processes and goals – the result being a well-coordinated, successful production group – all while

simultaneously producing 2 – 3 IP game titles at a time.

• Mentored the IP producers, regularly providing weekly feedback on performance, creating and

delivering official performance reviews every 6 months, and monitoring employees on performance

improvement plans.

• Established and maintained solid, trusting relationships with our IP partner representatives at

Mattel and Hasbro. Worked closely with our IP partners to establish production processes; negotiate

roles; agree upon approval guidelines and schedules; coordinate publicity activity; and design derivative

games based on their most popular brands.

• Coordinated project-based tasks and maintained relationships with multiple internal departments

including Marketing, Brand, Quality Assurance, Accounting, Localization, Post-Production, Legal, Metrics,

Reporting, Deployment, Customer Service, Promotions, Upper Management, and other internal game

production departments.

• Evaluated and sourced external developers around the world for projects, negotiated contract

details, and tracked milestone deliverables per project.

• Managed project budgets ranging from $100,000 to $200,000.

• Managed milestone phases to ensure delivery of high quality products on time and within budget;

most projects spanned a 6- to 9- month period.

• Received 5-star ratings (highest possible, CEO approval required) in all goals and categories on

yearly review for 2008 and for Communication category in semi-annual review for 2009.

• Shipped 6 casual games based on Mattel and Hasbro intellectual properties. A list of shipped

titles is available upon request.

WILDTANGENT, INC. Redmond, WA. 2003 – August 2006.

Producer

• Managed the development of custom-published 3D online and downloadable casual games

(“advergames”) for clients such as DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Company, Fox Network, Honda, and

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Carol M. Blank, M.A.

Novartis, as well as a variety of other projects, from concept through testing and deployment on the host

website, always ensuring that all project and client requirements were fulfilled -- and that each game

design offered the best possible player experience.

• Produced 2 – 4 advergames simultaneously while leading internal and external production teams

of up to 5 people and outside vendors, including developers (US, China, Chile), sound effects designers,

composers, animation houses, art contractors, website hosting companies, and usability testing

coordinators.

• Coordinated project tasks and requirements with 13 WildTangent internal departments including

Marketing, Database, Metrics, Reporting, Customer Service, Sales, Platform Engineering, Website

Engineering, Website Hosting, Content QA, Operations, Partner Liaison, Accounting, and Upper

Management, as well as client entities which included external creative agencies, ad agencies, hosting

partners, publicists, and internal client stakeholders.

• Worked with internal and external web developers to design, test, and deploy host websites for

individual games.

• Negotiated total vendor contract fees, determined vendors’ responsibilities, and set milestone

deliverables and payment schedules; created a developer contract milestone document which was

adopted for use throughout the studio.

• Managed the retrofit of 39 versions of 24 individual games with up to 36 technical and functional

updates per game, interfacing with 6 internal developers and 2 external development groups

simultaneously. Greatly exceeded retrofit expectations by delivering 29 games by the first deadline (as

opposed to 8 – 10 games.)

• Developed global and task-specific production schedules using Microsoft Project and managed

the schedule to ensure delivery of all products on time; most projects spanned a 2- to 5-month period.

• Created and managed project budgets ranging from $20,000 to $600,000.

• Produced and shipped 15 different casual games in genres from puzzle and arcade to car racing

and sports. A list of shipped titles is available upon request.

DISNEY INTERACTIVE. Glendale, CA. 1995 – 2002.

Producer

• Managed the development of CD-ROM products for children from concept through shipping,

acting as primary project interface with the Marketing, Accounting, Promotions, Legal, Localization,

Online, Quality Assurance, and Customer Service departments, as well as Upper Management and other

Disney divisions, to ensure all project needs and requirements were fulfilled.

• Led internal creative and production teams of up to 10 people, in addition to multiple outside

vendors, including developers, sound effects designers, writers, composers, animation houses,

consultants, educational advisors, and usability testing coordinators, in all phases of production.

• Led the “Girl Games” production team to design and produce original games specifically for girls

based on Disney Princess intellectual properties; titles included Disney Girlfriends, Jessie’s Wild West

Rodeo, and Little Mermaid II Return to the Sea.

• Developed global and task-specific production schedules using Microsoft Project and managed

the schedule to ensure delivery of all products on time; most projects spanned a 12-month period.

• Established and maintained working relationships with vendors and 3rd party developers,

negotiated total vendor contract fees and royalties, determined vendors’ responsibilities, and set

milestone deliverables and payment schedules; developed a detailed contract milestone document which

was adopted for use throughout the PC games department.

• Created and managed project budgets ranging from $100,000 to $2.5 million.

• Developed global and task-specific production schedules using Microsoft Project and managed

the schedule to ensure delivery of all products on time; most projects spanned a 12-month period.

• Instrumental in providing project management tools for the PC games department, including a

detailed format for writing functional specification documents and a comprehensive asset tracking

database, both of which had global application for individuals, internal teams, and external vendors.

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Carol M. Blank, M.A.

• Participated in or led production teams on more than 15 published Disney Interactive titles and

promotional demos on Windows and Macintosh platforms. A list of shipped titles is available upon

request.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Certification: SCRUM-certified (Agile Project Management).

• Relevant Employer-Sponsored Classes:

Topic: Leadership

o Situational Leadership II

o Coaching for Performance

o Motivating Employees

o Creative Problem Solving

o Conflict Resolution

o Management Diversity Workshop

o Delegation

o Behavioral Styles

Topic: Project Management

o Cadence Project Management Training (24 PMI credits)

o Management Journey (4 day seminar)

o Winning Negotiations

EDUCATION

• Master's Degree. Russian Language. University of California at Davis.

• Bachelor's Degree. Russian Language. Graduated with Highest Honors from University Honors

Program. Portland State University, Portland, OR.

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Carol M. Blank, M.A.

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