Project Management Professional

Della M. Biot, GWCPM, CSM

*****.****@*****.*** Mobile : 647-***-**** LinkedIn Profile

Professional Profile

Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and Project Management Professional (GWCPM) with 25+ years of diverse experience in the financial industry. Proven track record in leading IT projects to successful completion, ensuring adherence to timelines and budgets. Known for delivering critical projects where others have failed. Excellent communicator with strong interpersonal skills, thriving in fast-paced, dynamic environments. Holds current Government Federal Reliability Clearance.

Expertise

Project Management:

Project Initiation, Planning, Execution, Control, and Closure

Manage and lead complex, high-profile projects

Transformation Projects: Led enterprise-wide digital transformation initiatives, implemented Agile and Lean methodologies, engaged key stakeholders, developed and executed change management plans, facilitated training programs, defined and monitored performance metrics, and fostered a culture of innovation.

Provides project, program, and/or portfolio reporting to multi-stakeholders at senior executive levels

Ensures project deliverables meet clients' business requirements on time, scope, and budget

Identifying issues and managing risks for large complex enterprise-wide projects

Mid-large project experience working with multiple stakeholders following data governance for successful outcomes

Leadership & Team Management:

Solid experience in team leadership and team building, managing and coordinating multiple stakeholders with varying needs, requirements, and objectives

Experience managing executive relationships and dealing with key stakeholders across multiple organizations

Lead the implementation of people and change management and communications plans

Communication & Reporting:

Strong oral and written communication skills to prepare reports, presentations, briefing notes, and recommendations to senior management

Effectively communicates business issues in a pure business/user perspective, without involving technical terms/details

Effectively and consistently manages project status reporting updates on project accomplishments against milestones

Technical Skills & Tools:

Proficiency with MS Office, MS Project, MS Visio, Lotus Notes, WebEx, Zoom, SharePoint, Planview, Clarity, Rally, Jira, Monday.com, Replicon, Teams, Confluence

Industry Experience:

Trust operations, asset management, retail lending, deposits, and consumer lending segments

Capital markets and securities, pension services, trading, reconciliations, software sales, implementation, and support

Risk management, data ingestion pipelines, data governance/data warehouse

Additional Skills:

People-oriented professional with strong analytical, solution-building, and multi-tasking capabilities

Extensive experience resolving complex business/technical issues/conflicts

Unafraid to roll up the sleeves and help get the job done

Career History

Uptown Business Consulting Inc., Managing Director Jan 2008 to Present

Incorporated business providing project management/consulting services to the financial industry/software world.

Everlink Payment Services Inc., Senior Project Manager (Contract) June 2025 to Aug 2026

Led a portfolio of internal and client-facing initiatives ranging from small operational projects to large, complex certification and implementation-readiness programs in a regulated payments environment. Supported delivery for clients and workstreams including DC Bank, Adyen, Stripe, CUCC, Diebold, and Everlink.

Managed cross-functional delivery across Product, QA, BA, Development, Support, Client Services, Security, and external vendors to advance project planning, readiness, validation, and stakeholder alignment.

Directed project governance, milestone planning, issue/action tracking, risk and dependency management, and executive/client reporting across ATM certification, onboarding, implementation-readiness, and operational delivery workstreams.

Built formal control mechanisms for active certification-related delivery, including 43 tracked action items across technical, QA, Product, and readiness workstreams.

Supported active Windows 11 ATM certification work involving 100+ defect-related / Jira-follow-up items, helping translate fragmented technical activity into disciplined project status, milestone positioning, and actionable next steps.

Led client-facing and leadership-facing communication on project status, sequencing, risks, dependencies, and timeline outlook, ensuring messaging remained factual, supportable, and aligned to actual readiness.

Coordinated install, validation, and post-implementation readiness activities by aligning technical teams, vendor participation, issue escalation, and milestone impact assessment.

Improved execution visibility and accountability in fast-moving delivery environments through ownership clarity, structured follow-up, action management, and governance controls.

Previously led the Resource Guru initiative to improve internal resource management; initiative was later placed on hold.

Everlink Payment Services Inc. Program Manager, Data Centre Migration Project (Contract) May 2022 to Nov 2023

Successfully completed the critical and complex Data Centre Migration Project/Program.

oMoved the data centers from Calgary and Winnipeg to Barrie and Markham.

Worked closely with the Project Sponsor/VP Technology & Architecture, Everlink Project Team, Celero PM, and team to deliver a successful outcome.

Team size: 4 to 9, with over 30 impacted internal stakeholders and many external stakeholders in various locations in Canada, USA, and China.

Royal Bank of Canada Program Manager, Digital Delivery IT&S Program Delivery (Contract) July 2021 to May 2022

Reported to the Managing Director for Return to Premises/Future of Work for Canada.

Ensured all was in place for employees returning to premises during and after Covid.

oOrganized major department moves and desktop/equipment changes for a shared hybrid/WFH environment for over 1300 employees.

oWorked with facilities and communication leaders to ensure a pristine workplace environment.

Successfully completed the project based on the Executive timeline. Full audit of before and after for each workspace/floor plan was provided.

Finastra Senior Project Manager, Student Lending (Contract) Jan 2019 to Feb 2020

Reported to the Program Director, ensuring timely delivery of large and complex software projects for the Government of Canada and all provinces using both Agile and Waterfall methodologies.

oManaged high-risk upgrades to critical software and hardware, ensuring process improvements.

oKPI tracking and reporting for Program Director.

oManaged key relationships with project stakeholders, led cross-functional teams, and drove project requirements, priorities, and deadlines.

oAccountable for the creation, delivery, and approval of all required project control documents and dashboards.

oEstablished project governance, communication plans, project schedules, and change management strategy.

oGenerated project forecasts and tracked progress on multiple projects.

oManaged daily Scrum for various projects and attended Daily Scrum of Scrums at the program level.

oProactively tracked, forecasted, and managed all resource requirements.

oExtensive use of Agile Central (Rally) and Azure for implementation.

Royal Bank of Canada Senior Project Manager - IT, Execution and Delivery COE, Investor & Treasury Services, Technology & Operations (Contract) May 2018 to Dec 2018

Accountable Project Manager for Business and Technology for the planning and full implementation of the new Middle Office in Canada.

oBudget size over 22 million.

oDelivered TradeCapture as the global Middle Office Solution and the Enterprise IA application.

oDelivered FX OMS project's final releases and additional projects, ensuring process improvements.

oManaged a team of approximately 8 leads onshore, offshore, in Luxembourg, and the UK.

BMO Financial Group Senior Project Manager, Technology PMO, Technology & Operations (Contract) Nov 2017 to March 2018

Accountable Project Manager for Business and Technology for the full implementation of the new IFRS16 and ASC842 regulatory Lease Account/Project.

oTeam size varied from 10 to 20, with over 60 impacted stakeholders in various locations in Ontario, US, and Europe.

oDelivered project using BMO project management methodologies (PMLC).

oMaintained project information in Clarity for executive reporting, budget forecasting, and status reporting.

oBudget size 6.5 million.

TD Bank Financial Group Senior IT Project Manager, Enterprise Enabling Technology Solutions (Contract) April 2016 - April 2017

Managed several high-priority compliance and risk-based infrastructure projects.

oFocused on implementing the new Basel Standardized Approach framework for counterparty credit capital calculations on derivatives.

oManaged a team of 10 to 20 in various locations.

oUsed JIRA for tracking defects and maintained project information in Clarity.

oDelivered projects using agile methodologies and PMLC.

oBudget size: 10 million.

The Bank of Nova Scotia Senior IT Project Manager, Enterprise Data Warehouse (Contract) Feb 2013 – March 2016

Implemented PMI project management methodologies to effectively manage solution designers, development leads, and integration testers.

Managed several high-priority overlapping risk-based infrastructure projects within the Enterprise Data Warehousing department.

oProjects included OSFI Regulation and compliance requirements, Wealth Management, and Finance related to reconciliation and Asset Management reporting.

oDelivered data marts, reporting, BI Analytical Tools, paperless workflow enhancement projects, and initial planning for a top-secret bank project.

oManaged Business Intelligence deliverables for new product launches, ensuring necessary data was brought into the data warehouse, designed automated reports, coordinated testing and defect management, and supported production.

Team Size: 25

Methodology: Waterfall and Agile

Maintained project information in Planview.

Budget size ranged from 1 to 5 million.

TD Bank Financial Group Project Manager, Online Channels Project Management (Contract) Aug 2012 – Feb 2013

Managed medium/large asset management/regulatory projects on the business and technology side, focusing on the Wire Payments project.

Mapped current state and proposed future business processes using Visio.

Delivered all infrastructure projects using TD project management methodologies (PMLC).

Maintained project information in Clarity (CA PPM) for executive reporting, budget forecasting, and weekly status reporting.

Budget size: 5 million.

CIBC Senior IT Project Manager, Global Operations, Project Delivery and Data Governance Oct 2011 – March 2012

Managed the Global Operations Technology team in the analysis phase of a Multi-Currency Registered Plan project.

Gathered requirements and estimates from multiple stakeholders.

Developed the complete project plan from analysis stage to execution/application delivery.

Maintained project information in Clarity (CA PPM) for executive reporting, budget forecasting, and weekly status reporting.

Budget size: 5 million.

CIBC Project Manager, CIBC Mortgages & Lending (Contract) March 2010 – March 2011

Managed the launch of a new Lines and Loans Documentation Smartform, affecting 7000 Lenders across Canada in 1100 branches.

Prepared full execution of the infrastructure project and all necessary steps, including feedback sessions and communication plans.

Reported biweekly to Executives and monthly to the Executive Steering Committee.

Delivered the project using CIBC project management methodologies (PMLC), ensuring application delivery on tight timelines.

Total success with all positive feedback from the Project Team and Pilot Branches.

Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc IT Project Manager June 2008 - Sept 2009

Managed all Dataphile migrations/conversions, new implementation startups, and special infrastructure projects.

Oversaw tasks and responsibilities of all personnel working on the project.

Prepared execution of the project and all necessary steps to ensure success.

Maintained project information for executive reporting, budget forecasting, and weekly status reporting.

Budget size: Various.

MTS Allstream Consultant/Senior Business Analyst (Contract) Jan 2008 – June 2008

Provided guidance to stakeholders on achieving project objectives.

Managed the RFP process, analyzing vendor responses, and producing recommendations for management.

SS&C Technologies Inc. (acquired Financial Models Company) Senior Consultant, Sales, and Marketing March – Sept 2007

Worked closely with Product Management, Sales, and Marketing Groups to perform presentations and demonstrations for potential opportunities in North America.

Provided Project Management/SME consulting to existing Recon™ clients to improve efficiencies.

Acted as Relationship Manager for existing client base.

Promoted consulting/project management services for existing client base.

The Bank of Nova Scotia Manager/Senior Business Analyst, Credit Information Systems, Global Risk Management Jan 2002 – March 2007

Analyzed, defined, and documented business, functional, and technical requirements for applications dealing with loans over $5 million, supporting Credit Risk.

Enhanced functionality and ensured compliance with Basel II and SOX for the newly built GRM Enterprise Repository, managed by the CIS Operations back office.

Acted as Basel II data feed liaison between Business, Back Office Operations, and Development teams to capture commercial loan data from various Scotiabank sources and countries.

Designed and implemented robust data ingestion pipelines to optimize integration of large datasets from diverse sources into risk management systems.

Enhanced the accuracy and availability of financial data through streamlined data ingestion processes, supporting real-time risk analysis and decision-making.

Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop tailored ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) solutions aligned with risk management frameworks.

Ensured compliance with data governance standards and regulatory requirements through advanced data ingestion techniques.

Managed outside consultants and acted as a liaison between consultants and internal Bank of Nova Scotia staff involved with the Reporting aspect of the new Enterprise Repository.

Implemented a Change Management System affecting Development, IST, and Back Office Operations, following PMLC methodology.

Conducted interviews and workshops with business unit managers and subject matter experts to define and document business processes and workflows.

Worked closely with the Development Team as Business Subject Matter Expert during Technical Design and Development phases.

Managed and directed highly complex and strategically important projects for Finance, CIS back office, and Global Risk Management’s Credit Units.

Budget size: Various

Financial Models Company Inc. Project Manager, Business Services, Reconciliation Application 1996 – 2001

Successfully project managed, implemented, and supported Recon™, an automated reconciliation program used by top investment and asset management firms.

Designed and implemented data ingestion workflows for automated reconciliation processes, ensuring seamless integration of financial data from diverse sources.

Acted as Product Manager, SME, Business Analyst/Manager of UAT, Implementation/Application Delivery Expert, and Project Manager within a contact center.

Collaborated with development teams to enhance data integration capabilities, resulting in improved data accuracy and faster reconciliation cycles.

Coordinated support, input, and communication with all functional/business areas affecting project scope, business value, risk, and resource requirements.

Provided direct influence on improvements/enhancements/modifications to new releases, ensuring product growth and client satisfaction.

Traveled throughout Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. to manage complex implementation projects, including SWIFT messaging.

Team Size: Up to 5

Budget size: Various

TD Trust Company (Acquired Central Guaranty Trust Company) Account Manager, Client Services (Pensions) 1993 - 1996

Supervised a group of 6 Account Representatives responsible for providing customer service to approximately 125 sponsors with $2 billion of assets under administration.

Managed a group of Client Service Representatives that performed TD Mutual Fund/investment trading functions, reconciliations, customer support/sponsor support, and other back-office functions.

Acted as Project Manager within the contact center.

Optimized customer service standards for Group RSP and pension plans.

Central Guaranty Trust Company Trust Operations Administrator, Corporate Pension/Asset Management Administrator, and Branch Accounting/Audit Officer, Staff Lending Officer 1984 - 1993

Managed process improvements projects within a contact center environment.

Education And Professional Development

Certifications:

SAFe® 4 Agilist (SA), March 2019

Certified Scrum Master, Berteig World Mindware, May 2017

PMP Certificate, The Knowledge Academy, April 2017

Certified Project Manager, McMaster/George Washington University, Project Management Masters Certificate, March 2007

Courses and Training:

Lean-Agile Enterprise Course, Berteig, March 2019

Fundamentals of Building Web Applications using Microsoft ASP.NET, CDI Education

Introduction to Business Objects, Compuexcel Consulting & Software

Project Management Applied Tools and Techniques, Project Management Institute

Essentials of Consulting, AJILON Canada

What Matters Most - Time Management, Microsoft

Implementing a Database on Microsoft SQL Server 7.0, Microsoft

Seagate Crystal Reports

University Education:

Associate Certificate in Project Management, McMaster University, March 2005

Leadership in Action, York University

Pension Services Course, The Trust Institute

Principles of Mutual Fund Investment Certificate, The Trust Institute

Business Education Diploma, The Trust Institute

Accounting and Computer Diploma, Toronto School of Business

Accounting and Finance Program, Seneca College, Newham Campus

Internal Courses:

Various internal courses at Scotiabank and TD Trust Company

activities and interests

Member of the Project Management Institute (PMI®)

Member of the SCRUM ALLIANCE®

Member of the Ontario Fitness Council

Member of the Canadian Association of Fitness Professionals

Member of the Canadian Kennel Club of Canada

Presenting Champion/Grand Champion Golden Retrievers in the conformation show ring

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