SAJEESH KAKKAT, MBA, PMP, CSM, CSPO

**** * ***** **, ******* AZ 85023 480-***-**** acz2xr@r.postjobfree.com

SENIOR PRODUCT MANAGER-PROGRAM MANAGER-SCRUM MASTER

Product Management Program Management Project Management Agile Management

Leading complex Business Programs that maximize Profits and Relationships, Promote Efficiency and Quality & Build Client Satisfaction

Proactive, performance-driven professional with 18 years’ progressive expertise in Fortune 500 firms driving on time, cost-controlled programs helping the organizations realize full potential. Strong leadership, problem solving and relationship-building strengths combined with successful project management using agile methodologies, software development and diverse industry experience.

Accomplished servant-leader capable of delivering large-scale software and Web development projects on time and on budget by effectively collaborating, facilitating, leading and coaching multiple Scrum teams. Expert at driving the adoption and enforcement of Scrum rules, removing impediments and fostering self-management. Capable of bringing overwhelming enthusiasm and awareness to projects, applying expert judgment to the removal of impediments, keeping teams focused and delivering success in rapidly evolving and dynamic environments.

Recognized for leadership and commitment to agile practice striving for continuous process improvements ensuring Business and IT adopt agile best practices. Transitioning and mentoring Engineering and Product teams on Agile using Scrum framework.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

ALPHASCRUM LLC October 2016-Present

Senior Product Manager/Scrum Master (October 2016 – April 2017) Scottsdale, AZ

Consulting at International Cruise & Excursions which provides a unique integration of travel experiences using innovative travel products

pricing, and time-integrated plans for product introdu

Product Development process thought leader integrating process innovations, collaborative project management techniques, and cross-functional business process improvements for improved product and project portfolio success. Manage product teams as a Scrum Master with diverse technology platform utilizing Microsoft Azure Cloud Services, Service Fabric, .Net, Angular JS, SSRS, SSIS, SQL Server, Document DB, Service Bus, Java, Ruby on Rails and XML/JSON

Facilitate scrum ceremonies (grooming, sprint planning, retrospectives, daily stand-ups, etc.). Assisted team with making appropriate commitments through story selection, sizing and task definition and participated proactively in developing and maintaining team standards, tools and best practices reducing development time

Manage the lifecycle of code development, from ideation to sprints to deployment. Coordinate and manage code releases and shared APIs with other IT groups. Communicate with other management, engineers, product managers and support specialists on product issues.

Leading, managing, and coordinating product and project management for the development of travel products. Improve product and project portfolio success through alignment of product and service attributes with business goals and objectives and led the Product Development for Partner Onboarding with multiple product lines and Core Integration API.

Write complete and detail-oriented product requirements documents, ensuring clear communication of those requirements to the business, design, usability and development teams using Aha! Product management tool and Visual Studio Team Services.

Reviewed and managed the products for an assigned area of responsibility, to understand and ensure achievement of service level agreements set, and direct vendors or internal support to achieve operational excellence.

Participated in project initiation decisions, developing business cases to evaluate and prioritized projects (this includes interviewing stakeholders to determine business requirements and translating those requirements into key performance indicators), recommending those requirements where the customer's expectations can be fully met or exceeded.

Prepared initial time and cost estimates, managing feasibility studies, assist stakeholders in understanding and obtaining project entitlements. Took ownership and accountability for the performance of pro-forma against budget and commitments, and the project schedule.

Forged a strong, multidisciplinary, and distributed team to overcome organizational boundaries and create product strategy and roadmap for two major brands in line with the product vision and priorities on essential feature set.

INEIGHT INC. September 2015-September 2016

InEight is a leading provider of technology solutions that connect owners, operators and contractors to people, information and projects.

Project Manager/Scrum Master (September 2015 – September 2016) Scottsdale, AZ

Scrum Master and Project Management

Project portfolio management of .Net based Product Development, including managing project priority, capacity planning & balancing, forecast future workload and staffing levels using Microsoft Team Foundation Server. Scrum Master across multiple Product teams organizing Daily Standups, Sprint Planning, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospectives.

Instrumental in campaigning for the use of Agile methodology in the program and driving the Business and Technologies teams to adopt Agile/Scrum practices including supporting the Product Owners on grooming and maintaining the Product Backlog.

Conducted customer workshops for discovery of product requirements for a Platform as a Service suite and managed new product and services life cycle from strategic planning to tactical activities.

Deployed Project Management Office (PMO) structures based on corporate standards and new Enterprise Project Management IT system. PMO structures aligned with Business Unit processes and adapted to BU specific business model / customer base.

Managed multiple cross functional teams from solution concept through to successful release, managing each investment stream to maximize financial returns and revenue growth.

Led, design and developed the Business Intelligence solution for Project/Sprint Reporting using Microsoft’s PowerBI/TFS Cube/SSRS/SSIS.

Instructed and modeled core Agile principles of collaboration, prioritization, team accountability and visibility; ensured consistent application of scrum methodologies across the enterprise

Designed effective change control procedures and processes that are efficiently used to maintain control on scope and process/tools.

Built credibility, established rapport, and maintained communication with stakeholders at multiple levels, including coordinating deliverables with customer organizations.

Direct Performance management of 5 personnel in the organization and indirectly managing the contribution of 10 project members.

PROKARMA June 2015-September 2015

ProKarma is a leading provider of IT Services harnessing emerging technologies to drive impact and growth.

Scrum Master/Project Manager (June 2015 – September 2015) Scottsdale, AZ

Scrum Master and Project Management at InEight, Inc.

Project portfolio management of .Net based Product Development, including managing project priority, capacity planning & balancing, forecast future workload and staffing levels using Microsoft Team Foundation Server Ensure project plans implemented in accordance with the project methodology, through proposal scoping and through project start up, execution and completion.

Actively participated in all PMO initiatives and key liaison for all Weekly Reports for R&D and Professional Services Teams.

Coordinated Daily standup meetings, Sprint Planning, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective across key Product Teams.

Ensured the project goals and objectives are achieved within the project timeframe and guidelines established by the stakeholders and management committees. Ensured effective change control procedures and processes are efficiently used to maintain control on scope and schedule.

MINDTREE LTD. August 2013-June 2015

Mindtree delivers technology services and accelerates growth for Global 1000 companies by solving complex business challenges

Principal Consultant– Program/Project Management and Scrum Master (August 2013 – June 2015) Phoenix, AZ

Management of Digital Travel Record and Travel Benefits program at American Express Global Business Travel

Ensure consistent and integrated implementation of service initiatives across customer segments and business units. Collaborate with all stakeholders to plan business and technology initiatives and budgets. Use formal and informal networks to accomplish program objectives. Managing multiple projects of Java based apps, Web Services, SOA Based Architecture, SSRS, SSIS, Agile, Web and Mobile Development, capacity planning, forecast future workload and staffing levels.

Successfully led the Digital Travel Record Program for Global Business Travel with 10+ cross-functional project teams including American Express Third-Party Business partners on a budget of $1.5 million.

Instrumental in campaigning for the use of Agile methodology in the program with Rally Software and driving the Business and Technologies teams to adopt Agile/Scrum practices as a Scrum Master including supporting the Product Owners on grooming and maintaining the Product Backlog. Successfully migrated more than 25 projects from Waterfall to Scrum within 6 months

Met goal (<10%) of budget variance keeping it under 5% through precise monitoring of program costs and rapid action on expected vs. actual metrics. Improved margins by strengthening budget analyses and monitoring staff spend.

Utilized the business area and technology roadmaps to provide the business area with feasibility studies, time and cost estimates and to establish and implement new/revised application systems and programs

Assisted in creating performance and metrics reporting to effectively support the team and coordinated with steering committee to review plans and financials, report on progress and seek assistance for matters that require their intervention.

Achieved seamless migrations and integrations that were transparent to client customers, accomplished with no unscheduled downtime and delivered by as much as $50K under budget.

Manage multiple projects and global product Measure, monitor and determine future performance goals and opportunities for all integrating hotel commission partners(Pegasus) and GDS(Sabre, Amadeus and Travelport).

Improve operational efficiencies and effectiveness and worked with partners and internal IT to troubleshoot and resolve production issues between third party connectivity and internal systems.

COGNIZANT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS August 2006-July 2013

Fortune 500 company providing information technology, consulting and business process outsourcing

Manager - Projects (August 2009 – July 2013) Phoenix, AZ

Management of large Transformation programs at American Express and Reengineering projects at Coventry HealthCare (Aetna)

Project portfolio management of Java based apps, Web Services, SOA Based Architecture, Agile, Web and Mobile Development, including managing project priority, capacity planning & balancing, forecast future workload and staffing levels using Clarity Project Management Tool. Ensure project plans implemented in accordance with the project methodology, through proposal scoping and through project start up, execution and completion. Proactively work with subject matter experts within the IT portfolios and other IT organizations.

Successfully led the Digital Transformation Program for International markets working with 30+ cross-functional project teams with 100+ team members directly responsible for a budget of $3 Million with a timeframe of 2 years.

Successfully led several development and support initiatives in the IM Transformation program (BI project with Micro strategy and Teradata) as a project manager for B2B Transformation(Teradata), Operational Excellence on Event Engine and Informatica.

Defined processes and tools best suited to each project. Moved between Agile and Waterfall approaches depending on project specifics and client goals, creating detailed project road maps, plans, schedules and work breakdown structures.

Manage large-scale initiatives involving the transition of programs to new platforms and the merger of disparate systems from acquired client companies.

Defined and initiated projects, and assigned Project Leads to manage cost, schedule, and performance of component projects, while working to ensure the success of the overall program.

Assisted project managers with day-to-day project management tasks apart from leading own project team anticipating delivery issues and providing direction on development efforts. Managed child projects including the overall master project plan with MS Project.

Direct Performance management of 10 personnel in the organization and indirectly managing the contribution of 22 project members.

Project Manager (June 2008 – July 2009) Los Angeles, CA

Management of IT development and enhancement projects at 20th Century Fox including infrastructure projects at Toyota Motors.

Project Management for Java based apps, Web Services, SOA Based Architecture, SSRS, and Web Development. Charged with delivering cutting edge IT solutions by customizing industry standard claim processing applications (client/server, J2EE, Oracle, WebSphere).

Experienced in Workers Compensation as it relates to ICD-10, bill review, care management and pharmacy benefit management including claims processing, document management, pharmacy authorizations, medication lookup and pharmacy partner searches

Charged with managing the transition from department’s homegrown Coventry Connect tool to the newly reengineered Coventry Connect portal. Built consensus among key thought leaders, developed transition plan, and acquired experts for user training.

Created, optimized, and drove structured schedules and project plans for projects using MS Project in alignment with the PMO. Worked with the PMO to create a cost management sheet to closely manage budget that was eventually distributed across all project managers.

Supervised the setup of firewalls and MPLS links at each of the 20th Century Fox IT locations in US and India, and managed the installation of application software on Citrix servers in parallel to leading the setup of Virtual machines and Software Installations for the Offshore Development Center(ODC)

Led discussions with Fox and Cognizant infrastructure teams, brokered agreements about key hardware suppliers, and developed next steps to consolidate redundant networks, saving the company 10% annually by leveraging corporate buying power, reducing support costs.

Direct Performance management of 3 personnel in the organization and indirectly managing the contribution of 12 project members.

Project Manager (August 2006 – May 2008) Bangalore, India

Management of Software Development and Enhancement projects for United Healthcare and New York Times.

Plan, schedule and organize projects using MS Project for redesign and redevelopment of the data access framework in B2B for integration with SAP. Tasked with rescuing a phase of the project that was crisis-driven and stabilize the process.

Delivered three subsequent releases using formal development methodology, implemented project management processes that reduced timeline from 8 weeks to 20 days, and yielded a 15% improvement on product quality.

Gained additional bottom-line profit (3%), turning around challenged project within 6 months by rebuilding trust among client and team members.

Facilitated employee development and increased morale through creation of goals, setting expectations, giving performance feedback periodically.

Ensured team member goals align with project objectives, facilitate team decisions within guidelines, and effectively communicate business issues.

Experienced in Healthcare Information Management as it relates to Individual and family benefits and claims; Finding a doctor, dental or vision care, or mental health resources; Locating a pharmacy; Creating and viewing Personal Health Record, HIPAA.

Managed 30+ team members and created two separate agile teams with scrum masters to maximize effectiveness of quarterly project releases.

Improved knowledge sharing by facilitating training sessions and conducting daily project reviews to discuss technologies, process, risks and issues.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

Project Lead, IBM Global Services, Bangalore, India October 2000– July 2006

Led Projects to build Java/J2EE/XML/XSL/XSL-FO based printing solution running on WebSphere/zOS platform for IBM Global Enterprise clients in USA, EMEA, ASEAN and ANZ regions in multiple languages. Coordinated design and implementation of application, collaborating with the project managers, engineering teams and client representatives to ensure on-time completion of project deliverables.

Sr. Software Engineer, INDIAINFO.COM PVT. LTD., Bangalore, India June 2000– September 2000

Designed, developed software modules using Java (Servlets/JSP), HTML, JavaScript deployed on Apache Tomcat/Oracle 8 for the various channels and affiliates of www.indiainfo.com. Managed scope, assisted in channel manager negotiations, supported system testing, and designed/delivered training materials.

Software Engineer, CHURCHILL SOFTWARE SERVICES, Bangalore, India April 1999–May 2000

Developed customized UI components, Middleware Components(EJB), Interfaces for Database Interaction(JDBC) on the J2EE platform integrating other Web and Database technologies such as HTML, XML, Javascript, Developer 2000 and Oracle 8.

LPG Operations Officer, BHARAT PETROLEUM CORP. LTD., Bhubaneswar, India August 1996– June 1998

Managed Operations per ISO 9002 for Production, Maintenance and Budgeting in an LPG Bottling Plant with an additional role of Gas Safety Inspector. Supervised technicians directly and managed plant operators in a highly unionized environment.

EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS

Master of Business Administration in Global Management - Thunderbird School of Global Management, Phoenix, Arizona 2013

Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical Engineering) - Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, India 1996

Leading Product Innovation – Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts 2017

Certifications: PMP (Project Management Professional), CSM (Certified Scrum Master) and CSPO (Certified Scrum Product Owner)

Technical Proficiency: Aha, Rally, Confluence, JIRA, MS Office, Project, Visio, TFS, PowerBI, SharePoint, Clarity

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