Ross Kaplan
Senior Director of Project Management & Engineering
****.******@*******.***
Summary
Dynamic Technology professional with over 20 years experience in Managing Operations, Product Development, Sales Engineering, and Public Relations. Responsibilities include project design and engineering, troubleshooting, prioritizing client spending to meet business objectives, and developing solutions that improve the efficiency of IT operations. Proven record of success reducing downtime, improving security, saving costs, and improving customer satisfaction. Background includes business-to-business, business-to-consumer, and eCommerce activities. Experience
Senior Director of Product Management
January 2015 - Present
Developed and supported corporate-wide client projects in the selection, delivery and management of new technology and product development. Oversaw the public relations, actions of departmental teams encompassing engineering, product design, technical support, quality control, and pre/post sales engineering. Supervised traditional management functions including fiscal responsibility, resource management, project management, and administrative detail. Provided project leadership on projects including: New product development: From inception to product manufacturing and logistics, oversaw all aspects of bringing new and innovation products to market. After development, provided technical sales engineering internationally.
Conducted sales and marketing strategies to companies in order to boost sales to multi-million dollar customers and distributors.
Provided manufacturing and electronic engineering support to entire company including building industrial testing equipment and software for QC purposes. Data Warehousing System: Implemented data warehouse for Procurement Department to provide easy access and analysis of inventory data with viable reporting tools. Successfully delivered project under budget. MS Open Office suite, Access, SQL, Oracle. Page 1
Web Design: Guided development and deployment from initial phase through company-wide roll- out. Placed technical support manuals on-line to allow easy access by all users which reduced help desk volume by 20% in three months. HTML, Java, Apache. Technical Support: Designed programs for staff and management during the implementation of internally written modules.
Opened and maintained international vendor relationships including upkeep of SQL tracking database.
Owner & Operator
January 2010 - October 2015 (5 years 10 months)
Owned and operated European auto repair corporation with over 1200 clients. Specialized in mechanical, hydraulic, and electronic services.
Boosted gross yearly sales from $235k to $555k in under 18 months. Prepared program operating budgets, budget reports and other financial performance reports. Exceeded sales goals by at least 12% for 5 quarters in a row. Drafted the budget for 3 different departments and monitored expenditures. Developed methods to establish and clarify customer objectives. Created market and customer-specific marketing solutions for managed brands. Director Of Information Technology
November 2006 - December 2009 (3 years 2 months)
Multiple areas of responsibility, which include business management activities such as profit and loss, identify and secure new clients, assemble, monitor, and complete domestic and global IT projects on a consulting basis. Accounts represent the retail, healthcare, finance, engineering, manufacturing, and logistic industries. Developed and supervise project teams consisting of network specialists, database administrators, help desk staff, and other project managers. Negotiate contracts that range from $10,000 to $750,000. Interacted with IT directors, chief operating officers, chief executive officers, company presidents, executives, and regional technology managers.
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Reduced costs by creating business development relationships with Internet service providers and staff contracting services, such as a 35% reduction in hourly contract fees for programmers. Saved client 50% in costs by recognizing and implementing measures to eliminate database crashes, maximize application performance, and repair data, which was completed in a timely manner while concentrating on developing the database in preparation for building and constructing eCommerce services.
Reduced 4 months off a $475,000 eCommerce solution project for client by establishing timetables, goals, and milestones, providing technical leadership, and maximizing efficiency. Reduced maintenance time, increased security, and significantly reduced travel expenses to over 1000 locations in the United States and one in Canada by a cohesive cross platform Windows/Unix network architecture for client that allowed end-users to be centrally managed for data capture and reporting.
Improved reliability and performance of desktops for clients by establishing a integrated network solutions, and optimized and resolved issues with financial information services. Director of Technology Systems & Support
April 2002 - October 2006 (4 years 7 months)
Directed the development of IT projects to support new existing applications at more than 10,000 retail outlets across the United States and Canada to administer federal and state regulated tax credit and incentive programs.
Supervised a thirty-member team of help desk staff, programmers, and network specialists. Served on a management team overseeing field representatives to insure program integrity through both maintenance and support. Worked with executive management to determine departmental budgets. Negotiated with hardware and software vendors to purchase equipment, managing a
$450,000 annual budget.
Grew the business to over $2 million in annual revenue by securing various accounts within three years.
Improved application performance by 40% by recognizing failures in existing system and upgrading database.
Saved thousands of dollars in support costs and improved client satisfaction by standardizing the configuration of software and hardware solutions with governmental agencies. Page 3
Director Of Technology Operations at Nova Southeastern University- College of Psychology January 1999 - March 2002 (3 years 3 months)
Promoted by the Chief Information Officer to develop the University Internet strategy, presence and provide IT support, served as a liaison for large engagements for IT integration. Supervised a team, including network and telecom engineers, help desk staff, computer operators, and developers.
Developed the company's first multi-platform LAN and WAN to support end-users at all locations across the United States and to integrate different academic and administrative departments. Saved $1 million from the IT budget by using meticulous project management methodologies, creating cost saving strategies which were monitored through monthly reports. Reduced downtime by 75% and increased user satisfaction by establishing a complete helpdesk department and remotely resolving client issues through the use of network management products.
Managed the development of Windows NT server infrastructure through the design of a multiple master domain backbone to support university administrative and Internet initiatives. Developed internet based interactive audio and visual systems for remote teaching practices in academic departments.
Provided design and implementation of educational programs for off site user support. Local and Wide Area Network Manager
June 1994 - December 1999 (5 years 7 months)
Hired as a manager, visiting university sites and managing teams involved in the installation and integration of company's educations management and network software applications. Promoted to Director of Technology, serving as a point of contact to determine university department needs, perform facility assessments, develop proposals, create strategies, and determine network feasibility and impact on LAN's, WAN's, and existing systems. Contributed significantly to the university's realization of highest technological standards in academics and distance learning.
Developed the technology for one of the first end-user online conference, dedicated to integration course training and knowledge to students.
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Education
Nova Southeastern University
Concentration in Engineering, Psychology, and Augmentative Communicaltion, Engineering, 1994 - 1996
University of South Florida
Concentration in Medicine and Computer Science, Engineering, 1992 - 1994 Activities and Societies: Zeta Beta Tau, Society of Engineering Page 5