Project Management Change

Virgil Howard

QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY:

**+ years of experience in management: Program, Project and People.

10+ years of coaching and advisory in Program/Project; setting people/orgs up for success and growth.

Technical background in infrastructure, software development, and package implementations.

Strong track record of managing multiple projects simultaneously in multiple industries and cross-functional environment.

Seasoned in partnering and executing projects with all key business functions.

Leveraged thought leadership, change management, best practices to drive program/projects to desired outcomes.

Strong presence and relationship management experience.

Known “as Mr. Green by my PMO colleagues”, as I drive projects to be on-time and on-budget.

IT LEADERSHIP SUMMARY:

Results-driven professional with extensive experience in delivering complex, high-impact strategic programs/portfolios across diverse industries.

Skilled in orchestrating teams, developing/maintaining program plans, managing MM$ budgets, and quality IT solutions to enhance operational efficiency and drive business outcomes.

Specialize in enhancing project management frameworks, change management, and fostering culture of continuous improvement/communication.

Proficient in Agile, SAFe and Waterfall methodologies, with track record of optimizing processes, tracking KPIs, mitigating risks, and aligning IT initiatives with organizational goals.

Adept at stakeholder engagement, resource management, and leveraging data analytics to enable informed decision-making.

Excel in fast-paced environments, leveraging expertise in tools, like MS-Project/Server, JIRA, Asana, and Salesforce to drive desired outcomes, with demonstrated history of managing intricate program dependencies and fostering cross-functional teamwork.

EDUCATION:

Master of Business Administration, Information Management, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN

Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN

CERTIFICATIONS:

PMP, Project Management Professional, Credential ID: 61098 (active)

Google AI

Microsoft Certified, Azure Fundamentals

AREAS OF EXPERTISE:

Project Management

oLeads multiple projects directly

oEstablishes governance/Steering to inform key leaders of project status

oEstablishes Multi-channel Communication

oDevelops best practices

oDevelops detailed project plans

oProactively Manages risks, issues, changes, and decisions

Team Leadership / Development

oExperienced People Manager

oProvides guidance and mentorship

oFosters collaboration and continuous improvement

oSkilled at setting team up for success

Stakeholder Management

oSkilled communication across multiple audiences

oPartnered with all primary cross-functional teams in Medical Device industry

Continuous Improvement

oActively contributes/establishes best practices

oLeads retrospectives and post- project reviews

Risk and Issue Management

oProvides risk identification and mitigations

oReports risks to key stakeholders and escalations as needed

Governance and Communication

oCreates presentation quality project materials for executive leaders

oProvides executive level presence while presenting to leadership

oCreates/establishes governance models

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Lionpoint Group (An Alpha FMC Company), FTE, New York 09/2022 – 01/2025

Sr. Manager, Project Manager, Portfolio Manager

Lead project and program teams in development and implementation of Anaplan Programs for top-tier clients in Private Equity and FP&A sectors.

Implement solutions using both Waterfall, Agile and SAFe methodologies for seamless integration.

Drive delivery teams in utilization of JIRA/Kanban boards during scrum and sprint sessions to enhance project progress. Craft and refine process improvement strategies, including user story template optimization.

Facilitate delivery of project components by employing tools, like Excel, JIRA, Asana, and Salesforce for insightful data analysis and reporting. Manage diverse portfolio of Financial Services and Insurance projects to meet and exceed client expectations.

Fostered culture of continuous enhancement by improving Program Management frameworks.

Administered $4M annual budget, ensuring prudent financial stewardship and resource allocation.

Boosted client productivity by spearheading connected planning initiatives, thereby enhancing operational efficiency.

Pioneered program and project management best practices, resulting in minimized regulatory and financial risks for clients.

Mattel, Contract through Beacon Technologies, Madison, WI 02/2022 – 09/2022

Program Manager/RTE

Oversaw development and deployment of World-Wide Sales Forecasting model at Mattel, while integrating Anaplan, Informatica, and Agile methodologies to manage $3M budget. Directed core team of Project Managers, Technology Experts, and Organizational Change Management personnel to navigate inter-dependencies, risks, and issue resolution. Streamlined executive communication channels with Steering Committee, IT, and Business sponsors to align strategic priorities, project roadmaps, and risk management strategies. Implemented performance reporting system utilizing Excel and JIRA to foster data-driven decision-making and operational excellence.

Achieved significant reduction of excess inventory, contributing directly to healthier balance sheet and leaner operations.

Demonstrated strong leadership in facilitating the Scrum/SAFe process, enhancing team agility and timely value delivery.

Improved performance reporting mechanisms to increase project transparency and stakeholder decision-making capabilities.

Integrated 12 incoming datasets and 5 outgoing datasets for pilot in EMEA, facilitating unprecedented view of sales data.

Medtronic, FTE, Mounds View, MN 02/2007 – 02/2022

Sr. IT Program Manager, PMO and Business Solutions Architecture 06/2019 – 02/2022

Orchestrated execution of complex, multi-faceted technical programs for leading business solutions firm to enhance systemic efficiencies and advance organizational objectives. Integrated SAP Ariba and ServiceNow applications to streamline procurement workflows and contribute to seamless operational framework. Guided cross-functional Program Managers in SAP and data warehouse integration efforts, ensuring alignment with strategic enterprise goals. Acted as IT Program Director, navigated high-stake initiatives, secured pivotal $29M funding, and effectively bridged technology solutions with Finance and Manufacturing division needs.

Championed data-driven decision-making by leveraging tools, such as PowerBI and Excel for insightful analytics and reporting.

Delivered IT framework for IBP IT program, spearheaded from C-suite, with focus on aligning with corporate vision and strategy.

Earned recognition for driving productivity and business continuity during a global health crisis, ultimately achieving $71M in operational savings during program pilot phase.

Utilized proficiency in data manipulation and visualization to provide strategic insights, enabling informed decision-making and identifying opportunities for process optimization.

Received 2021 Medtronic Mission First Award and Star of Excellence Award for leading development and implementation of Remote Programming for hospitals during COVID-19 pandemic.

Sr. IT Program Manager, R&D IT 08/2016 – 05/2019

Directed integration of IoT solutions for MDT's commercial products, focusing on optimizing client interoperability and building robust information delivery systems to healthcare providers. Orchestrated IT development initiatives within R&D Core Teams, while offering guidance and leadership to drive forward technological advancements. Deployed Hardware Security Modules and developed secure connectivity infrastructures for Reveal LINQ II device. Spearheaded creation of supporting infrastructure to enable seamless pairing between Android applications, implantable devices, and associated databases. Coordinated team of integrators to ensure successful implementation of project objectives within established timelines.

Fostered collaborative environment for team of integrators dedicated to delivering innovative healthcare IT solutions.

Provided leadership and project execution for active management of capital equipment to provide software updates and mitigate risks presented by threat actors.

Boosted medical device sales revenue by deploying connected medical device monitoring solutions used in clinical settings.

Implemented Hardware Security Module to establish connectivity for Reveal LINQ II, elevating patient data protection standards.

Championed release of Relay and SmartSync commercial products, enhancing communication capabilities with hospital systems and impacting device management.

Business Relationship Manager, R&D and Manufacturing IT 05/2009 – 07/2016

Managed strategic IT initiatives within R&D Global PMO Council to enhance efficiency and ensure regulatory compliance for manufacturing and R&D operations. Directed IT representation on council, influencing key roadmap decisions to align with organizational objectives. Oversaw successful launch of new regulatory reporting processes to improve submissions to FDA. Engineered adoption of R&D Resource Management systems across MDT, including development of Excel-based prototypes before transitioning to PDWare. Led technological integration in manufacturing environments to orchestrate IT changes with focus on seamless factory operations.

Implemented prototype for R&D Resource Management using Excel and VBA, which streamlined the transition to PDWare.

Drove discovery, definition, development, testing and release of MES system changes to keep Supply Chain running at 7 manufacturing facilities.

Championed demand management for IT R&D Cardiac Portfolio, enabling greater project prioritization and resource allocation.

Conducted an in-depth Stakeholder Analysis for the Cardiac Rhythm BU, establishing a clear meeting cadence with key leaders to maintain project alignment.

Spearheaded the rationalization of PDP Landscape, project, and resource management.

Senior Principal IT Business Analyst, Research Labs 02/2007 – 05/2009

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:

Business Consultant, Target Corporation, Minneapolis, MN

Software Engineer/Operations Manager, Intertech, Inc, Eagan, MN

Programmer Analyst/Software Developer, Ecolab, St. Paul, MN

Technical Support Specialist, Network Services, Cargill, Eddyville, Iowa

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