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If you’ve got a project that you need help with I’d be happy to speak with you any time about it. Use the form here to get in touch with me. Alternatively, you can call me directly at 406-672-8292.

Billings, MT

EBMS provided the transition opportunity we needed to move from Chicagoland to Billings, MT. A small, growing, family-owned company, I was hired to help instill some structure and discipline into the IT group. Over the first 6 months we made some good progress, and I was able to add some strong IT pros to the group. But the final 8-10 months were brutal as the corporate environment seemed to grow more toxic by the day.
 
Looking back on it, there were some key questions I might have asked during the interview process that could have alerted me to the challenges that lay ahead. But the role was the perfect opportunity to move my young family out to Montana. I can’t say I would have made a different decision if I had to do it over again.

Director of Information Systems
11/04 – 4/06

• Managed 15 person department responsible for information systems development and support at company with 250 employees and $20MM annual revenue. Selected to serve on company’s Executive Committee; contributed to executive level strategic planning and corporate governance.
• Significantly improved performance of IS department through restructuring the team, focusing on customer service, delivering high-quality products when promised, improving communication of project status, and carefully managing resource allocation.
• Initiated annual IS planning and budgeting process. Inventoried future needs from company directors, aligned department and individual goals with company goals, and defined and tracked $1.5MM budget.
• Ensured on time and under budget completion of infrastructure improvements consisting of network upgrade, storage consolidation, and desktop standardization. Produced one year cost savings of over $100k through implementation of volume licensing and purchasing agreements.
• Led critical initiative to meet and document company compliance with HIPAA Security regulations. Developed and conducted training on security procedures and policies for entire company.
• Presented company’s technological capabilities to executive level employees during sales presentations to potential clients.
 

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Oak Brook, IL

McDonald’s is a great company to work for! I started out as a data jockey and built small Microsoft Excel/Access applications as an embedded IT analyst in the payroll/benefits groups. I worked harder than I ever have in my life on a global ERP project. And I broadened my experience by working on a supply chain IT team supporting the distribution of Happy Meal toys throughout the US. I’d probably still be with McDonald’s today if Kim and I hadn’t started a family and wanted to be closer to relatives.

Senior Business/Technical Analyst, US Supply Chain IT
3/03 – 10/04

• Supervisory responsibilities for 12 person Production Support team and a 3 person Program Management Office for a supply chain technology team. Post-implementation team supported system yielding $30MM annual savings through management of promotional item replenishment to over 12,000 restaurants.
• Led cross-functional, inter-company project to replace legacy logistics system. System collected inventory, shipment, receipt and open order data from 38 distribution centers.
• Participated in contract negotiations for outsourced support and development services worth $1.75MM annually. Recommended changes to contract details, structure and service level agreements.
• Managed multiple, simultaneous projects through complete system development life cycle with direct responsibilities for project planning, requirements gathering, functional design, testing and implementation.
• Researched supply chain applications of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. Analyzed applicability to McDonald’s environment and communicated findings to supply chain management.

 

Senior Applications Specialist, Project Innovate – Human Capital
8/01 – 2/03

• Recognized by McDonald’s top management as a 2002 President’s Award Winner. Most prestigious company award is given annually to top 1% of employees worldwide for sustained outstanding contributions and performance.
• HRMS analyst for a team performing a global implementation of Oracle HR, Financial and Supply Chain modules. Ensured a consistent integrated solution by acting as a cross-functional liaison with finance, supply chain, portal and data warehousing teams.
• Developed functional specifications for conversions, interfaces, reports and custom built components. Communicated requirements to development team. Validated technical specifications and tested development items.
• Assimilated local business requirements into globally standard design. During implementation phase, compared local and global systems, and designed solutions to integrate legacy systems.
• Managed testing efforts including configuration of application, generation of test scripts, gathering cross-functional data requirements, tracking testing progress and daily reporting of results.

 

Financial Systems Consultant, Benefits Accounting
12/99 – 8/01

• Consulted with employees throughout Accounting and HR to identify inefficient processes and develop technical solutions.
• Data expert for HR, payroll, 401k and CRM databases. Analyzed and fulfilled data requests.
• Managed performance and development of one Financial Systems Specialist.
• Automated collection of company car mileage information; resulted in savings of over $100,000 annually. Received Bright Idea Award for producing significant savings.

 

Financial Systems Specialist, Benefits Accounting
9/97 – 11/99

• Managed security, hardware assets, and user training for eighty employees in two departments.
• Supported and enhanced existing financial applications. Converted mainframe Focus and Easytreve programs to MS Excel and MS Access applications.
• Developed application that connected to multiple data sources to produce a comprehensive severance package worksheet.
• Conducted non-discrimination tests to prove compliance of profit sharing plans.

 

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Lincolnshire, IL

My time at Hewitt was short and rocky. I was young, immature, and arrogant. That being said, I was a horrible match for the job because it was administrative in nature and involved little to no problem solving. The biggest benefit of the position (besides meeting my wife!) was my first exposure to relational databases. I quickly picked up the tools, and database technologies remain one of my professional interests to this day.

Business Analyst
8/96 – 8/97

• Managed direct billing and payments services for over 2,000 employees from three major client corporations.
• Developed and tested improvements to benefits administration system including the implementation of direct debit functionality.
• Streamlined procedures and improved client support by acquiring and applying knowledge of DB2, SAS, SQL, and JCL.
• Trained call center representatives on benefits systems and procedures.

 

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