SAFe Scrum Master & Agile Program Leader

VENKAJI DHERAM, SAFe Scrum Master & Agilist, PSM

Chesterfield, NJ 08515 • 609-***-**** • ********@*****.*** • LinkedIn: Venkaji-Dheram Specializing in IT Operations, IT Strategy, Technology Development, Cloud Solutions, and Enterprise Deployments Assistant Partner – Program Manager – Project Manager-SAFe Scrum Master Exceptional record of achievement managing complex, enterprise-level technology programs and projects for Fortune 500 organizations. Consistent history of delivering innovative solutions to drive growth, enable new capabilities, enhance user experience (UX), and maximize efficiency while simultaneously controlling costs. Scrum/Agile specialists with proven expertise directing the development of cloud-based applications, financial and eCommerce tools, IT roadmaps and strategic plans, digital solutions and platforms, and commercial websites. Highly adept at building, training, and leading top-performing teams, including offshore resources. Experienced at establishing and managing project management offices (PMOs). Key Skills:

Program Management – Project Management – Strategic Planning – Agile / Scrum Methodologies – Cloud Services Budget Management – Quality Assurance – System Development – Application Development – Customer Engagement Process Improvement – Innovation – Relationship Management – IT Operations – Application Support – Web Development TECHNICAL SKILLS

JIRA Cloud, JIRA Portfolio, Confluence, AWS, Azure, Oracle ERP, Content Management – Adobe AEM & Drupal, Clarity, Planview, PPM Pro, BI Platform and Tools, Salesforce – Commerce Cloud, ServiceNow, MS Office 365 and AI Tools: Asana & Trello.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

EVEREST REINSURANCE, Warren, NJ May 2023 – Dec 2025 Senior Program Manager / Senior SAFe Scrum Master

Delivering large-scale data integrations, global platform expansions, and Azure-based data lake solutions across multiple insurance and reinsurance systems. Strengthened productivity and delivery by implementing Agile practices, improving project outcomes, and driving efficient cross-team coordination and KPI-driven process improvements. Key Accomplishments:

• Facilitated Scrum ceremonies ensuring effective collaboration and communication, aligning teams on objectives and deliverables for upcoming iterations.

• Managed program & project-level risks and impediments, driving resolution to maintain delivery momentum.

• Monitored team performance metrics, providing insights for continuous improvement initiatives.

• Utilized Asana and Trello with AI Tools features to streamline task prioritization, sprint coordination, and cross-team collaboration, accelerating delivery and improving visibility for stakeholders.

• Program Modernization and Agile Maturity Elevation: Transitioned traditional project structures into a SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) environment, improving cross-team dependency mapping and predictability for global platform launches.

• Financial Data, EDW & ERP Integration: Delivered projects to reconcile operational data into Oracle ERP General Ledger, improving financial reporting accuracy, transparency, and audit readiness.

• Stakeholder & Cross-Team Coordination: Led planning and execution activities across multiple technology teams and six international user departments, aligning schedules, dependencies, and delivery milestones.

• Delivery Metrics & Reporting: Established and managed project performance metrics to track progress, identify risks, and drive corrective actions, resulting in a 20% improvement in delivery speed and milestone adherence.

• Risk & Issue Management: Proactively identified project risks and dependencies, implemented mitigation strategies, and ensured consistent communication with executive stakeholders.

• Enterprise Data Lake Delivery: Managed the end-to-end implementation of an Azure Data Lake solution for Everest Re’s reinsurance and insurance business, utilizing Azure Data Factory (ADF) for data ingestion and Databricks for data transformation. Improved development efficiency and accelerated delivery timelines. Page 2

VENKAJI DHERAM, SAFe Scrum Master, SAFe Agilist, PSM

• Guidewire Project Management: Led and coordinated the implementation of Guidewire BillingCenter and ClaimsCenter for Property & Casualty insurance, ensuring seamless integration with downstream systems and uninterrupted core business operations.

• Global Data Repository Programs: Oversaw the execution of the Global XLPro and Insurance Data Repository (IDR) initiatives, integrating data from 12+ global source systems to enable centralized reporting and analytics for international business units.

• International Platform Expansion: Coordinated expansion of enterprise platforms into six international regions, supporting the ceded cash module while ensuring compliance with regional business and regulatory requirements. FIRST CITIZENS BANK, Raleigh, NC Mar 2021 – May 2023 Senior Project Manager / Scrum Master

Managed complex business intelligence and data analytics initiatives supporting First Citizens Bank’s M&A integration with CIT and Silicon Valley Bank. Owned the full project lifecycle from initiation through production release, delivering cloud migrations, BI platform implementations, and data center relocations. Consistently delivered projects on time, within scope, and with minimal business disruption.

Key Accomplishments:

• Project Tracking & Executive Reporting: Managed project intake, prioritization, schedules, risks, and dependencies using Jira Cloud and Jira Portfolio, providing clear status reporting and roadmap visibility to leadership.

• Team Leadership & Vendor Coordination: Managed and coordinated 30+ cross-functional resources across engineering, infrastructure, security, and business teams. Successfully delivered 10+ projects, achieving a 90% on-time and in-scope delivery rate.

• Cost Optimization & Financial Impact: Drove BI platform rationalization and licensing optimization, resulting in $10M+ in annual cost savings across licensing, maintenance, and infrastructure.

• Infrastructure Planning & Execution: Led discovery, planning, migration, and decommissioning activities for BI and analytics platforms including Power BI, SAP Business Objects, Tableau, Alteryx, and QlikView.

• M&A Data & BI Program Delivery: Led BI and analytics projects critical to post-merger integration efforts, ensuring continuity of reporting, analytics, and decision support across newly acquired entities.

• Program and Data Governance Modernization: Implemented modernized security and access protocols during cloud migrations, ensuring that PII and sensitive financial data met rigorous post-merger banking standards.

• Cloud Platform Migration & Integration: Managed migration and integration of cloud technologies including Microsoft Fabric, Azure Data Factory, and Power BI. Coordinated architecture, security, and infrastructure reviews to ensure alignment with enterprise standards and regulatory requirements.

• BI Platform Implementation: Directed deployment of SaaS-based BI platforms including Power BI, Tableau, and SAP Business Objects, improving enterprise reporting capabilities and operational visibility. Partnered closely with business stakeholders to define requirements and ensure adoption.

• End-to-End Infrastructure & Data Center Projects: Delivered large-scale data center relocation and BI infrastructure migrations, overseeing servers, applications, user access, and dependencies to minimize operational risk and downtime. PUBLICIS SAPIENT CONSULTING, New York, NY Oct 2013 – Mar 2021 Program Manager / Senior Agile Project Manager / Scrum Master Directed large-scale IT initiatives and enterprise development for major corporate and government entities, managing budgets up to $10M and teams of over 20 specialists. Successfully balanced hands-on Agile coaching and mentorship with high-level oversight of IT operations, application support, and stakeholder reporting. Experience spans the full project lifecycle, from strategic planning to the delivery of complex web and design solutions. Key Accomplishments:

• John Hancock: Reduced cost by modifying the existing tech implementation schedule. Formed and managed DevOps & Release Management teams; brought down Engineering Team release cycle from less-than-monthly to biweekly production releases.

• Morgan Stanley: Reduced trade order entry time by 300% by taking over and turning around a faltering trade origination system development project and delivering the final product in less than 1 year.

• Enhanced business operations for multiple clients by guiding the development/customization/deployment of Azure, AWS, and Salesforce commerce cloud-based platforms.

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VENKAJI DHERAM, SAFe Scrum Master, SAFe Agilist, PSM

• Utilized Bloomberg terminals and data feeds to validate pricing, market movements, and trade details, supporting accurate execution, reporting, and compliance processes.

• FirstNet (under Commerce dept): Led a high-profile project to produce 6 open and secure websites for the US Department of Commerce and to produce the next generation of critical communication capabilities for the nation’s public safety entities. Held responsibility for system configuration, hardware upgrades, security, monthly releases, testing, mobile configuration, and more.

• Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) Philly: Directed the complete redesign and relaunch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s public-facing website and created a best-in-class digital presence for the bank.

• UHC/Optum: Led the team responsible for achieving and maintaining HIPAA compliance, conducted regular risk assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities in our data systems and implemented measures to mitigate those risks. BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH, Lawrenceville, NJ Nov 2010 – Sep 2013 Vice President & Program Manager

Managed the development and deployment of a $10M integration platform that enabled access to US trading, ETF, mutual fund, and other investment product markets for international clients. Key Accomplishments:

• Enabled $3M in annual revenue while improving platform security and efficiency for clients.

• Partnered with portfolio managers on product specifications and to establish tracking mechanisms and align the portfolio roadmap with program planning to maximize resource allocations and profitability.

• Led the technological aspects of 2 major partner integrations involving multiple systems. WIPRO TECHNOLOGIES, Buffalo/New York, NY Apr 2003 – Oct 2010 Senior IT Project Manager

Oversaw and executed complex technology projects for clients such as Key Bank and Bank of NY Mellon. Supervised project teams, including offshore resources. Managed 24x7 support for a customer-facing credit process application. Developed policies and procedures to enhance performance and quality. Prepared project schedules, conducted risk evaluations, and identified and resolved issues. Conducted training for project managers and technical resources. Prepared project estimates. Key Accomplishments:

• Directed several merger and integration projects that prevented regulatory penalties by ensuring compliance with government regulations relating to financial marketing and treasury systems.

• Streamlined workflows and increased productivity by instituting a Project Management Office (PMO) with standardized reporting, proposal processes, and pipeline management. CAREER NOTES: Previously held the positions of Senior Consultant, Technical Lead, and Programmer Analyst with CAI INC./COMSYS. Prepared and conducted large system conversion projects. Maintained credit card processing systems. Tuned banking applications. Clients included BankOne and Capital One. EDUCATION

Master of Technology in Engineering, Indore University, India Bachelor’s in engineering, Nagpur University, India CERTIFICATIONS

SAFe 5 Agilist – SAFe 5 Scrum Master – Professional Scrum Master (PSM) – Program Management – AI Enabled Project Management

TRAINING

Azure and AWS Infrastructure Management – Drupal Content Management – Agile Methodologies – Digital Business Transformation

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