Mark Ferrick
**** ******** *****, **** ******, NC 27587
Phone: 919-***-****: ***********@*****.***
Career Overview
Highly motivated RAS / Systems Assurance Engineer / Project Manager with experience in leading, developing and implementing critical product designs as well as quality / technical reviews for critical programs. This includes experience that branches out to new product offshore manufacturing across multiple portfolios. Work history in other areas such as mentoring and training in the Project Management arena including Systems Assurance Engineers. A resourceful problem solver with a specific focus in the technical delivery platform for Mainframes, Servers and Desktops. A collaborative team player with a demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast paced, matrix organization and work cross functional team environments. Qualifications
RAS (Reliability/Availability/Serviceability)Engineer
Prioritize Multiple Commitments
Hardware System / Quality Assurance Engineer
Product Development
Leading Local and Remote Teams
Project Management
Customer Advocate / Support
Brand Design Requirement Validation
Effective Communications
Problem Determination / Corrective Action
Leadership and Team Building
Quality Management
System Analysis
Process Audits
Technical Skills
Operating System Knowledge Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista/7/8/10 ; Linux – Fedora / Centos-Redhat / Debian
Office Software Knowledge Microsoft Office ; OpenOffice
Database Software MySQL
Web Server Knowledge Apache ; MediaWiki
Hardware x86; Atmel AVR
Programming Languages MS VBA; Bash; C; MySQL
Accomplishments
Developed innovative Excel VBA tools for RAS requirements validation and process execution efficiencies.
Subject matter expert in the field of server system assurance. Mentored and trained other engineers to be proficient in this field.
Lead System Assurance Engineer responsible for the launch of multiple generations of x86 Servers. Managed technical and technology design peer reviews to identify design flaws and points of failures.
Developed new process for managing the early customer problems on IBM Flex Systems, which is backwards compatible with Blade and Standard servers.
Validation of new products for adherence of brand design requirements.
Key member in the Product Development Team (PDT) / Offering Development Team (ODT) meetings bringing the voice of customer quality.
Providing status on committed deliverables and highlighting those deliverables at risk for missing scheduled dates.
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with personnel at all levels.
Able to prioritize multiple comments.
Proven initiative, works well independently or in a team environment.
Senior Technical Project Manager directly responsible for numerous IBM PC Desktop within the product portfolio. Professional Experience
Senior Engineer, RAS / System Assurance and Quality, xSeries Development • CTG – RTP, NC July 2014 – Sept 2015
Voting member representing Development and Field Quality to the ODT / PDT at Lenovo / IBM.
Responsible for the RAS (Reliability Availability Serviceability) aspects of IBM/Lenovo High Performance, Mainstream, Entry and Blade Server Products
Ensured that the servers maintained the highest availability of the industry through improved reliability and serviceability and key subsystems are redundant.
Created several innovative excel tools that ensured the accuracy of the matrices used and increased productivity.
Created and maintained the department linux server. This server acted as the data repository for all our product data. This server was also the distribution method for some of our internal customers of the RAS data.
Collaboration with other key senior department members, we are creating tools and porting the data from an excel base to an SQL base. This will improve the overall accuracy of the data and improve the group’s efficiency.
Mentored and trained other System Assurance Engineers for Lenovo system x Senior Engineer, System Assurance, xSeries Development • IBM – RTP, NC November 2004 – March 2014
Responsible for the development quality of IBM xSeries Servers (High Value, Blade Center and Flex Systems).
Provided expertise and guidance to the technical members to the development teams during the development process.
Led and chaired design and technology reviews with product developers and senior engineering peers; highlighting and driving issues and exposures to closure.
Expert in test defect reviews and bringing the customer perspective into the resolution.
Authored and released a ship support position prior to each product release.
Chaired over 100 of these reviews and have driven thousands of issues to closure.
Created and chaired the expanded early customer product review. Led a team of subject matter expects to review customer problems and parts replacements on the new Flex System, looking for trends, code problems, systemic problems and reported these findings to executive management.
Key processes and procedures owner for product and early customer reviews. Senior Engineer, Product Test Lead, xSeries Development • IBM – RTP, NC May 2003 – November 2004
Developed and executed master test plans to qualify xSeries servers through the development process. Responsibilities include entry and exit criteria for each test phase, intra-company and inter-company test selection and criteria, monitor progress and led the different teams to maintain schedule and successful test execution.
Responsible to drive test defects to closure and gain concurrence on test exit. Director, Project Management and Operations • Inprimus / Ener1 – Delray Beach, FL May 2000 to May 2003
Responsible for the Project Management of all phases on all products in the company. Products were set top boxes / custom back room servers that delivered internet and streaming media in the Hospitality and Hospital sectors. Major customers were Sprint / Koolconnect, Lodgenet, AOL and National SemiConductor.
Led other Directors to create schedules and compiled into a master companywide schedule, highlighting where resource allocation changes were required in order to maintain cost and schedule.
Responsible for the Quality Assurance of our product line. Managed a team of engineers and technicians to develop and execute test plans, track defects and close issues highlighted during the development / test process.
Managed a team responsible for the day to day operations of the IT infrastructure, and validity of the engineering databases for the business.
Directly responsible for the manufacture of our products in both US and China based ECAT and box manufacturing. Advisory Engineer, Senior Project Manager, IBM PC Development • IBM Corporation – Boca Raton, FL; Raleigh, NC April 1988 to May 2000
Technical Project Management of IBM Desktop PC's. This included PS/2, PC100 and ValuePoint Desktop PCs. Responsibilities include technical ownership of all aspects of the desktop, including HW, Firmware, Preloaded software and Publications.
Lead a team of functional managers that are responsible to maintain schedule, work resource allocation problems and close technical issues that develop.
Provided weekly status to executive management.
Manager, IBM308X / 3090 Product Engineering • IBM Corporation – Poughkeepsie, NY April 1985 to April 1988
Led a team of Hardware and Software Engineers to provide expert engineering level support to the Large Systems Support Center. Responsibilities included root cause analysis and fix resolution to various customer issues relating to IBM Main Frames 308X and 3090.
Expert technical support to the Project Office for on-going customer issues. Product Engineer, IBM 308X Product Engineering • IBM Corporation – Poughkeepsie, NY May 1982 to April 1985
Subject matter expert, providing engineering level support to the Large Systems Support Center on 303x Channel Subsystem problem. Responsibilities included root cause analysis and fix resolution to various customer issues relating to IBM Main Frames 308X.
Provided technical support to the Project Office for on-going customer issues. Test Technician / Engineer • IBM Corporation – Poughkeepsie, NY June 1977 to May 1982
Test Technician / Engineer executed test cases and recorded defects on the IBM 308x Channel (IO) Subsystem on the Advanced Engineering Test Floor.
Worked with senior engineers to debug issues for root cause.
Created test cases to debug failing hardware at system speeds. Awards
Outstanding Technical Achievement 2
Division 4
Informal (Major) 5
Informal (Minor) 4
Cost Effectiveness 1
Peer (Minor) 13
Education and Training
Dutchess Community College 1977
Poughkeepsie, NY
Electrical Engineering Technology
Associate of Applied Science
George Washington University 1997
Raleigh, NC
Masters Certificate in Project Management