DEBRA J. SMEJA

Fort Myers, FL ***** ● 414-***-**** ● ac0yv7@r.postjobfree.com

Project Manager

Program & Project Management ● Strategic Planning & Roll Out ● Staff Mentoring Coaching

Senior Project Manager with 12 years of enhancing enterprise-wide IT functionality for IT and Marketing departments by guiding strategic planning, problem-solving, risk minimization, change management, and relationship building. Experience aligning with partners on all organizational levels, including stakeholders, senior management, vendors, multiple business lines, and business clients. Passion about uniting people and resources by identifying and removing barriers to progress and improvement.

Core Competencies

Program & Project Management Relationship Building Team Leadership & Mentoring

Agile Scrum Waterfall High Quality Deliverables Cross-Functional Leadership

IT & Marketing Planning Conflict Resolution Data Gathering & Analysis

Creative Problem-Solving Stakeholder Client Expectations Strategic Recommendations

Record of spearheading large programs and projects to implement improvements across Marketing, HR, Investment Products & Services, and Wealth Management.

Proven ability to minimize corporate risk factors and proactively guide the organizational change management process to reduce negative impact on the corporate image, business lines, and clients.

Successfully transitioned internal teams and external vendors from Waterfall to Agile/Scrum methodology through continuous communication and ensuring alignment of key factors with methodology principles and practices.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Senior IT Project Manager & Senior IT Program Manager Northwestern Mutual, Milwaukee, WI – 2016 to 2017

Drive successful enterprise level programs and projects for Human Resources, Investment Products & Services, and the Wealth Management Company. In charge of the full program life cycle spanning risk management, estimating, resource allocation, and business expectations. Interact with stakeholders and senior management regarding progress status and critical KPIs. Coordinate systems release planning. Leverage Agile approach to ensure program success.

Selected Accomplishments:

Accountable for full project life cycle of corporatewide system enhancements including management, analysis, testing, release, and ongoing support.

Headed successful execution of multiple enterprise-wide programs in alignment with corporate and senior management strategic goals and objectives, adding long-term value to the business and the field.

Implemented system improvements to enhance field and home office efficiency and to increase the number of integrated professionals selling insurance, investments, and advisory products.

Chaired stakeholder and advisory leadership committee meetings on top of participating in strategic planning discussions with investment and advisory leadership.

Navigated cross-functional teams of up to ten people, including Project Managers, Business Analysts, global strategic vendor partners, and on/offshore allies to deliver vendor systems and software enhancements for investment operations.

Senior IT Project Manager & Scrum Master Northwestern Mutual, Milwaukee, WI – 2015 to 2016

Promoted to infuse project management expertise and consultation for initiatives impacting the Marketing, Planning, and Sales business lines while managing budgets of up to $1M. Developed internal and external relationships with stakeholders, management, vendors, and business partners. Drove development, delivery, and support of comprehensive IT business solutions. Managed project scope, scheduling, cost, and quality. Charted project plans, timelines, and execution strategy for each business sector. Handled full range of project management across estimating, resource allocation, risk management, and business expectations.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE (CONTINUED)

Selected Accomplishments:

Served as Scrum Master, facilitating Scrum ceremonies, removing obstacles, and mentoring members of the Technical Development Team on top of coaching the development team to ensure adherence to the Scrum framework, enabling the team to focus on delivering value across business lines.

Guided the Business Plan Scrum Team in generating high-quality features and delivering a more robust business platform for the field to sustain and improve financial representative growth.

IT Project Manager & Business Consultant Northwestern Mutual, Milwaukee, WI – 2013 to 2015

Directed projects and offered expert business consultation to the Marketing, Planning, Sales, and Agency business units with the goal of strengthening their relationship management, delivery, and support functions. Kept lines of business informed on current and upcoming best practices, procedures, and general project delivery plan of action.

Selected Accomplishments:

Piloted multiple successful small and medium-sized projects from concept to completion, hitting all milestones regarding deadlines, budget, and desired results.

Analyzed facts and defined processes and best tools for each project, leveraging Agile and Waterfall methodologies based on specific project objectives and business goals.

Headed the Quick Estimator Application Project, using Agile techniques to lead PMO and multiple IT technical team members, achieving to high-quality results and client satisfaction.

Internet Marketing Content Consultant Northwestern Mutual, Milwaukee, WI – 2010 to 2013

Selected for this position to fine-tune IT processing and strengthen corporate branding through corporate and field website content enhancements and lead generation. Initiated decisions impacting business initiatives, marketing campaigns, and regulatory requirements. Partnered with stakeholders to confirm business strategy and marketing initiatives aligned with current and long-term enterprise goals. Oversaw daily activities and performance. Guided team through long-range vision and decisive leadership.

Selected Accomplishments:

Monitored and immediately resolved daily website issues while ensuring minimal downtime for the consumer.

Streamlined delivery of output to clients by implementing websites in partnership with enterprise leadership, yielding cost savings to the company.

Marketing Systems & Project Consultant Northwestern Mutual, Milwaukee, WI – 2005 to 2010

Controlled enterprise-wide content on the corporate and field websites to meet business client needs. Consulted with IT to verify and meet project goals, deadlines, and KPIs. Recommended content guidelines to ensure up-to-date content delivery for consumers. Gathered and analyzed business requirements as well as initiated testing and execution of system enhancements.

Selected Accomplishments:

Developed and implemented strategic direction for new content management system (CMS), providing greater flexibility and scalability to maintain site content.

Point person for daily management of projects, process improvements, defects, and issue management for the marketing financial representative websites.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

Market Development Specialist, Northwestern Mutual, Milwaukee, WI – 2000 to 2005

Advanced Planning System Advisor AA, Northwestern Mutual, Milwaukee, WI – 1998 to 2000

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, WI

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