Senior Project/Program Manager
I am the Ethan Hunt of IT management and leadership. The tasks and missions I choose to undertake are difficult, challenging, and often perceived as impossible. But I succeed. Sounds bold? How would you describe the need to build the entire IT department for a global logistics company, including hiring over 95 team members, designing and implementing processes within support, service desk and application development, and leading the knowledge transfer process, all in just 6 months? Or standardising software development processes in a bank in Saudi Arabia with a team of 350 people from 10+ different vendors and 23+ countries and cultures? Finally, a 9-month sprint to set up a contact centre with 150+ agents, including standardising processes across Europe? Would you consider running away on the first day of your new assignment when you are faced with the situation that your predecessor has been removed from the company after 12 years, you already have several resignations on your desk and your new upline informs you that tomorrow he is going on a 1 month long vacation without any network or even mobile access? Well, I do not run away. I accept the challenge, take it on and make it work.
Just like Jason Bourne, trained and experienced in various tactics, weapons systems and martial arts, I have solid knowledge and experience in Waterfall (PRINCE2, PMI), Agile (SCRUM, SAFE, AgilePM) and Service Management (ITIL) methodologies. And I am not afraid to use them, so I can introduce the right mix of different methods and techniques that will work in a particular project, programme or assignment. From what I've learnt over the last 25 years spent in IT, there are no 2 assignments that are the same - each and every one of them is different and therefore requires a different, specialised approach. Adaptability is the key, and I have that key in my pocket - along with just enough other tools in my backpack of experience and knowledge.
Much like Jack Ryan, who started his career not as a CIA analyst but in the US Marine Corps, I pride myself on my technical background. Starting as a network administrator, moving on to database administration and development, consultancy and pure programming roles, including solution and system architecture, this experience gives me an understanding of what the teams I work with really do, and allows me to help them much more actively than if I were just technically savvy.
And yes - in my spare time I write books. Sort of like Ian Fleming, who wrote quite a few spy books when he was not planning how to get Enigma from the Nazis :)
What
will you gain from working with me as a mentee?
As a mentor, I can share my experience gained from complex IT projects, combining technical knowledge with management practice. I can support both beginners and leaders - from building career foundations to developing strategic competencies. Flexibility, resilience to pressure and the ability to combine methodologies are the tools I help turn into real results.
Expected
level of mentee experience: I can work with mentees at any level of experience.