Gary (Lenny) Chesser, MBA

Shawnee, KS ***** 913-***-**** ad4po7@r.postjobfree.com linkedin.com/in/lennychesser/

LEAD PRODUCT OWNER

Strategic, resourceful, results-driven technologist offering expertise in spearheading product development and delivery, leveraging systems analysis, design, SCRUM, and Agile while aligning Information Technology (IT) solutions with organizational strategies and program priorities. Innovative business partner, effective communicator, and problem-solving project manager known for cultivating and maintaining positive, productive relationships to analyze market trends and customer feedback to define product vision, strategy, and roadmap aligned with business goals, facilitate collaboration between development teams, stakeholders, and end-users to build consensus, drive continuous improvement, and deliver solutions that exceed expectations. Collaborative leader and team contributor with demonstrated success in directing diverse, cross-functional teams to manage stakeholder expectations / prioritization, execute backlog grooming, and deliver features that meet customer needs, attain business goals, and drive product success.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Project / Vendor Management Product Iteration Planning Best Practices Continuous Process Improvements Budgeting Reporting Training Research Audits

TECHNICAL PROFICIENCIES

Agile Development Backlog Refinement Users Stories Requirements Development Business Systems Analyses

Requirements Assessments Troubleshooting Quality Assurance Risk Identification / Mitigation Compliance Analytics Metrics Legal / Regulatory Guidelines

EXPERIENCE

WALGREENS, Deerfield, IL 2022 – 2024

Lead Product Owner

Champion the product vision and manage the product development process. Define Features and User Stories, prioritizing the backlog with inputs from Product Managers, Architects, other Product Owners, and Scrum Masters.

Led and ensured alignment and quality of the work of multiple Product Owners.

Partnered with Scrum Masters to facilitate the PI planning process, clarifying scope, identifying dependencies, and risk identification and mitigation.

Participated in weekly Scrum of Scrum meetings with other Lead Product Owners to identify and mitigate dependencies, risks, and potential blockers.

BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF KANSAS CITY, Kansas City, MO 2015 – 2022

Product Owner Solution Designer

Facilitated daily stand-up calls and conducted user story grooming sessions for Agile development with business stakeholders and Scrum team members.

Managed the product backlog, ensuring the development team was refining stories according to the priority defined by the business stakeholders.

Planned and prioritized stories, features, and epics with stakeholders to ensure work was aligned with the product strategy.

Provided backlog management, iteration planning, refinement, and elaboration of user stories.

Collaborated with the Scrum Master to identify impediments and mitigate risks that may impact the completion of sprints and iterations.

SPRINT CORPORATION, Overland Park, KS 2003 – 2014

Project Manager

Partnered with Stakeholders, Product Owners, and Scrum team members, facilitating daily stand-up calls, and conducting user story grooming sessions for Agile projects. Met with business users to define business requirements for new enterprise-wide project management and reporting systems.

Facilitated root cause analysis and after-action reviews to identify process improvements.

Delivered weekly executive-level presentations, communicating project progress, status, and issue-mitigation strategies.

Created processes and quality programs that improved efficiency where none existed previously.

Gary (Lenny) Chesser, MBA ad4po7@r.postjobfree.com Page 2

ADDITIONAL RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

SPRINT CORPORATION, Overland Park, KS

Project Manager Business Analyst

Managed cross-functional teams conducting complex internal and external system audits. Developed SQL queries and MS Excel pivot tables for data manipulations, analysis, and reports. Defined business requirements for system audits and productivity enhancements.

Reduced error rates in Enhanced 911 Automatic Location Identifier (ALI) databases from 15% to less than 0.5% by managing Audits of Sprint, Sprint Partners, and ALI Provider databases and overseeing root cause analysis and corrective action plan creation / implementation.

Developed project schedules and budgets and identified resource requirements for multiple Agile and Waterfall projects for the new Project Management Tracking System, ensuring the project was completed on time and within budget.

IT Release Manager

Coordinated testing, training, and implementation of large-scale software releases.

Managed IT system releases and change control for projects on corporate-wide IT systems, generating up to $1B per month in revenue and cost savings.

Led risk assessment meetings, mitigating risk and ensuring timely issue resolution.

Established and led implementation war rooms to ensure successful, timely system upgrades while minimizing disruption to the business.

FREELANCE

Technical Writer Project Manager Business Analyst, Independent Consultant / Contract Assignments

BIRCH TELECOM, INC.

Manager, Data Provisioning

EDUCATION

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Ottawa University, Overland Park, KS

Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration

Ottawa University, Overland Park, KS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Certificate of Systems Analysis and Design, University of Kansas, Overland Park, KS

VOLUNTEER AFFILIATIONS

Boy Scout Troops 123 / 358: Merit Badge Counselor Committee Member

Cub Scout Pack 3551, Cubmaster, 2010 – 2017

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