Senior Director Project Management
Resume:
Wayne Lifshitz, PMP, CPB
202-***-**** / ********@*****.*** / LinkedIn
Senior global business leader and trusted advisor with 18+ years of success driving growth, innovation, and aligning strategy, operational excellence and people across Fortune 500s, startups, government, and nonprofits. PMP-certified, multilingual, and open to relocation.
• Strategic growth leader: Scaled programs and business units, drove over $230M in new revenue, developed and launched 3 innovative SaaS platforms, and led P&L management across domestic and international markets – turning insights to growth.
• Trusted advisor: Served as Chief of Staff, COO, Board member, strategic advisor and on leadership teams aligning cross-functional teams to deliver measurable results.
• Operational excellence driver: Scaled operations for high-growth companies by leading cross- functional teams, integrating systems, and streamlining processes—cutting inefficiencies, and delivering consistent on-time performance.
• Global operator: Directed complex client initiatives in 20+ countries across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, often in challenging environments—turning around underperforming teams, stabilizing operations, restoring client trust, and managing crisis response.
• Mentorship and innovation: Advised and mentored 100+ startup founders, translating strategic vision into tangible growth, raising over $5M in investment; awarded patents and media acclaim for product innovation.
• Educator & communicator: Taught at George Mason University, hosted Shark Tank-style pitch events, and designed learning experiences that demystify complex topics. CERTIFICATIONS
Project Management Institute, PMP, Project Management Professional 06/2009 Partnership Brokers Association, Certified Partnership Broker 03/2008 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Senior Director July 2018 – Present
Chemonics International Inc., Washington DC
• Promoted from Director to Senior Director in 2021
• Achieved quarterly business targets for $25M+ P&L across 7 Asian markets, overcoming logistical complexity by leading 80+ globally dispersed staff through optimized operational processes.
• Won $230M+ in new business, overcoming highly competitive international bidding conditions through strategic relationship building and innovative proposal development.
• Developed and launched 3 SaaS analytics platforms, increasing sales opportunities and streamlining real-time monitoring across 30+ global offices by harnessing advanced data analytics.
• Created a supply chain maturity model now used in 30 countries, helping teams benchmark their systems and track improvements with new KPIs and dashboards.
• Repaired a key client relationship in Nepal by stepping in as interim Country Director during a crisis, building trust by delivering key milestones on time and hands-on leadership for 18 months.
• Trained 40+ startup founders by leading workshops on strategy, marketing, and financials—bridging knowledge gaps and building confidence in early-stage entrepreneurs.
• Led diligence and integration planning for 2 mergers, identifying financial and operational risks early and mapping steps to align systems and teams.
• Advised senior teams across the company on using AI tools, incorporating innovation, reducing risk, and strengthening partnerships.
Chief of Staff (Fractional) January 2018 – July 2018 AstraZeneca Inc., Gaithersburg MD
• Supported the VP of Innovation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to launch a proprietary LLM database, resulting in a 20% market share and 65% client acquisitions increase.
• Improved product rollout plans by using data to guide decisions and fine-tune go-to-market strategies.
Wayne Lifshitz CV Page 2 of 3
• Strengthened executive communication by leading cross-team efforts and ensuring key updates were clear and strategic.
Start-up Executive Advisor / Mentor August 2016 – Present lablabNEXT.ai / Founder Institute / UNLEASH+ / ASME / ASU FELL / Bridgewest Ventures NZ / MassChallenge / Piranha Tank
• Mentored 100+ tech and consumer product startups through various innovation accelerators and incubators move from idea to execution by advising on leadership, operations, product design, product market fit, go to market strategy, pitch development, and financial modeling. Founder August 2016 – January 2018
Kennin Co. LLC, Washington DC
• Advised 20+ founders operationalize their strategic vision, business strategy, and special initiatives by offering hands-on strategic coaching and raising $5M+ from investors.
• Taught courses in ecommerce, innovation and start-up management for George Mason University and DC Inventors Association making complex topics approachable.
• Led a start-up pitch competition and show (like Shark Tank) in the D.C. area giving aspiring entrepreneurs a platform to promote their solution and secure investments. Senior Account VP May 2014 – August 2016
ecoAmerica Agency Inc., Washington DC
• Increased executive involvement by 25% by forming strategic partnerships with national associations and aligning on shared goals.
• Raised member engagement by 60% by developing marketing strategies that resonated with key audiences.
• Made product launches smoother by mapping roadmaps that stayed aligned with organizational priorities and customer needs.
Chief Operating Officer April 2013 – April 2014
Rescue Behavior Change Marketing Agency Inc., San Diego CA
• Grew company revenue to $60M by managing the transition from startup to small business and scaling internal operations including finance, HR, legal, operations and facilities.
• Increased staff size by 35% by building systems that supported growth without adding friction.
• Simplified operations by integrating six new software systems and creating clear SOPs across departments.
Management Consultant (Strategy & Change) March 2009 – March 2013 Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., Washington DC
• Delivered technical consulting in strategic planning, change management, process optimization, operations management, grant and project management for DoD, NOAA, USAID, Dept. Commerce.
• Led strategic integration of 3 DoD offices into one, saving over $8M annually.
• Improved internet access planning in rural areas by aligning 4 government agencies under a shared strategy, led by Dept. Commerce.
• Led supply chain performance improvements for USAID in 20 countries increasing OTD by 5%.
• Won $45M+ in new consulting business while managing teams of 25+ across multiple engagements. Founder March 2005 – June 2018
Full Sail International LLC., Washington DC
• Invented, manufactured and launched 3 consumer products from scratch, securing 2 patents and 4 trademarks, and building a loyal customer base.
• Earned media coverage on 20+ major shows, including Good Morning America and The Tonight Show; viral video hit 100M+ views; won dozens of product innovation awards. Wayne Lifshitz CV Page 3 of 3
Director October 2004 – March 2009
CARE International Inc., Washington DC
• Built a new business unit to $8M in 3 years by leading strategy, partnerships, communications and operations across 12 countries.
• Earned international recognition for program quality and featured on CNN. Deputy Country Director, (based in Angola) January 2003 – September 2004 Africare Inc., Luanda Angola
• Led a $10M Project Management Office (PMO), overseeing global supply chain logistics for 12,000MT of commodities, 75 local staff, 4 sub-offices, and 5 distribution centers achieving 98% OTD and quarterly financial targets.
BOARD ROLES AND VOLUNTEER
Board Member: Mockingbird Foundation February 2023 – Present Board Member: Rational Games Foundation July 2007 – September 2024 Board Member: Global Business School Network Foundation December 2013 – December 2015 Peace Corps Volunteer, Small Business Advisor, Uruguay June 1994 – July 1996 EDUCATION
Arizona State University, mini-Masters, Leadership and Management Impact 10/2021 Arizona State University, mini-Masters, Supply Chain Logistics 10/2019 Boston University, Masters, International Environment & Global Health Security 12/1997 University of California at Berkeley, Bachelors, Economics 05/1994 Certificates
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, AI & Data Analytics 06/2024 TOC Institute, Theory of Constraints 08/2024
University of Virginia Darden School of Business, Effectuation for Entrepreneurs 11/2023 Columbia University Business School, Mergers & Acquisitions 07/2022 Università Bocconi, School of Management, Private Equity and Venture Capital 04/2022 Cornell University, Johnson Graduate School of Management, Executive Leadership 05/2009 LANGUAGES
• English (native); Spanish (advanced); Portuguese (basic) PERSONAL
• Improv comedy player; yacht captain
• D1 Water Polo Student Athlete winning 3 national titles
• Competed internationally on the USA Judo national team earning multiple podiums
• Inventor: 3 patents and numerous trademarks
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, AI prompting, and various project management tools
• Cross-cultural professional proficiency acquired from living and working in diverse international locations: China, Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Dominica, Dominican Republic, BVI’s, Trinidad & Tobago, Republic of Georgia, Nepal, Pakistan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, USA
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