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Robert A. Blake, PMP
(336) 326-6830 - Mobile
E-mail: robert.blake@robertblake.biz

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CAREER SUMMARY
A PMP & ITIL Certified, senior level Information Systems Project Manager with a passion for project management. An effective leader skilled at strategic planning, process development, and organizational change. Broad experience leading large cross-functional, globally dispersed project teams involving infrastructure & operations, telecommunications, and system installations of varying size and complexity. A customer focused, well organized, project manager with excellent oral and written presentation skills.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Wells Fargo & Co.
Winston-Salem, NC
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial financial services with approximately 268,000 employees worldwide.

PROJECT MANAGER (CONTRACTOR - KFORCE, INC.)

Jan-Dec 2016

Directed and monitored all activities for large, high risk, major technology-based projects from initiation to delivery. Led projects which were cross platforms, applications, and business lines. Planned and directed complex program schedules and budget, monitoring project status in comparison to cost/time projections. Provided status reports, project updates, and ongoing cost analyses for business lines, technology management, and senior management.

• Led the cross-functional, dispersed project team that provided Wells Fargo's Multi-Channel Security Solutions (MCSS) and Identity Management Technical Solutions (ITMS) teams with the ability to trend security activity data, perform real-time dynamic queries, and set alarms for multiple events by feeding their log files into Splunk ®. (Technologies: Splunk, LAN, AD, network security)
  
  
• Led the cross-functional, dispersed project team that recommended and implemented security controls for features in the mainframe security manager (CA Top Secret) that remediated security vulnerabilities to standard mainframe security checking of access to resources (Technologies: CA Top Secret, Process Re-engineering, Network Security)
  
  

Lincoln Financial Group
Greensboro, NC
Lincoln Financial Group is a diversified financial services organization founded in 1905 and headquartered in the Philadelphia region. With $157 billion as of December 31, 2010, Lincoln Financial Group provides life insurance and long-term care protection, annuities, individual and group retirement plans, and group benefits.

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

2013-2016

Manage large IT infrastructure projects through the project life cycle within budget, on schedule, and to the sponsor's specifications.

• Led the cross-functional, dispersed project team which implemented a new network design for one of Lincoln's major financial divisions. This new architecture improved network capacity, performance, management, and security and provided new Wi-Fi access to the corporate network. Implementation required building 2 remote "mini data centers" on the East and West coast of the US, and migrating 135 nationwide field offices to the new network. Migrating the field offices required coordinating over 35 remote field technicians, procuring and installing new hardware at each site, and coordinating data traffic re-routing with the telecom vendors. (Technologies: WAN, LAN, AD, Wi-Fi, network security, vendor management, telecom)
  
  
• Led the cross-functional, dispersed project team that migrated 3000+ users across the Lincoln nationwide enterprise from an end-of-life teleconferencing tool to a new standardized third-party hosted audio and web conferencing solution. The deliverables included were desktop web browser configuration, telephony, network capacity and configuration, performance testing, mobile access and Support Desk processes and procedures (Technologies: Vendor Management, Process Re-engineering, HTTPS, IE8, Telephony, IP, Network Security)
  
  

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER (CONTRACTOR - INSIGHT GLOBAL, INC.)

2011-2013

Senior Project Manager for enterprise wide infrastructure projects

• Led the cross-functional, dispersed "Infrastructure Readiness" project team that delivered all required infrastructure to migrate Lincoln Financial Group's 10,000 users from a legacy Human Resource System to a cloud-based SaaS web application. The deliverables included were desktop web browser configuration, mobile access, file transfer, network capacity and configuration, pre-launch stress / performance testing and Help Desk support (Technologies: HTTP, HTTPS, IE8, Citrix, FTP, IP, Network Security)
  
  
• Led a project which removed all out-of-support SQL 2000 databases from the LFG infrastructure and migrated the data to a supported version of MS SQL Server. This was necessary in order to maintain vendor technical support and ensure security of sensitive information in all of Lincoln Financial Group's applications. Activities included "discovery" investigation to identify application / database "ownership", coordinating communication with application development teams, assisting with the development of migrations plan, and coordinating post-migration testing. (Technologies: SQL 2000, SQL 2005, SQL 2008)
  
  

Wells Fargo / Wachovia
Winston Salem, NC
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial financial services with approximately 268,000 employees worldwide.

LEAD BUSINESS PROCESS BA / PM (CONTRACTOR - TECHNISOURCE, INC.)

2009-2011

Served as Lead Business Process Analyst / Project Manager for the infrastructure Network Security group driving the effort to design, develop and document the new Wells Fargo / Wachovia Network Security policies and processes following the merger of the two organizations.

• Led the cross-functional, dispersed project team that successfully unified the Network Security Team's policies, processes, and procedures supporting the largest bank merger in U.S. History. Identified the "best practices" of both corporate network security organizations. Coordinated the migration to one set of policies, processes, and procedures streamlining workflows and maximizing efficiencies within the Network Security area of the new combined organization.
  
  
• Led the project to design and implement a unified approach to Network Security documentation adhering to all security, compliance and legal corporate policies. Identified and documented the new "look-and-feel" of the documents, the formal document approval process, and the final repository for all Wells Fargo Network Security documentation. Then, worked with the various teams to identify and document all key network security processes in the new standardized format.
  
  

Lincoln Financial Group
Greensboro, NC
Lincoln Financial Group is a diversified financial services organization founded in 1905 and headquartered in the Philadelphia region. With $157 billion as of December 31, 2010, Lincoln Financial Group provides life insurance and long-term care protection, annuities, individual and group retirement plans, and group benefits.

PROJECT MANAGER (CONTRACTOR - APEX SYSTEMS, INC.)

2009

Coordinated the infrastructure project team which migrated Lincoln Financial Service's Internet Service Center application environment from a Windows based environment to AIX. (Technologies: Windows, DNS, AIX, WebSphere)

• Coordinated the infrastructure project team, which migrated various internal applications from a Wintel platform to a new virtualized AIX platform. (Technologies: Windows, DNS, AIX, WebSphere)
  
  
• Coordinated project team which provided the infrastructure to convert Lincoln Financial Service's Hyperion business intelligent and performance management Essbase cubes to System 9. This included the UAT, development, and production environments (Technologies: Hyperion, Windows, Network, Network security)
  
  

Volvo I.T. North America
Greensboro, NC 27409
Volvo IT is a global company and part of the Volvo Group. VIT delivers $120,000,000 in global IT solutions and services including IT operations and IT infrastructure, Application Development and SAP solutions.

SR. PROJECT MANAGER

1999 - 2009

Provided senior project management leadership in the planning, managing, and executing of large strategic projects involving hardware, networks, telecommunications, and e-business solutions. Extensive experience leading large cross-functional, globally dispersed project teams. Daily interaction with all levels of stakeholders from non-technical end-users through top-level executive I.T. management.

• Led an international project team that successfully migrated all North American iSeries LPARS to the iSeries Service Bureau in Gothenburg, Sweden. This year-long project greatly reduced costs by making the Volvo IT iSeries capacity more effectively utilized. All North American iSeries test and production LPARs were migrated to the Volvo IT Data Center in Gothenburg with minimal disruption of mission critical applications to Volvo group end users located all over North America. (Technologies: iSeries, MIMIX data replication software, Rumba, Windows, WAN, DNS)
  
  
• Led the cross-functional, dispersed project team that successfully delivered managed IT services and an enterprise wide dealer management system (ERP) to the largest Volvo Construction Equipment dealer in North America. Project team designed and delivered all local area network infrastructure and telecommunication circuits. Project team worked with third-party software vendor to design and implement first hosting platform for the enterprise wide dealer management system. This year-long project included migrating all of customer's 300 desktop clients, and MS Outlook clients, at 15 branch locations in 5 different US states onto Volvo IT's network and email system in a single day! (Technologies: Windows XP Clients, Windows Server 2003, Citrix, Active Directory, MS Outlook, MS Exchange, AIX, WAN, VPN, LAN, DNS, FTP)
  
  
• Led the Greensboro Infrastructure & Operations Project team in supplying the necessary infrastructure to support the merging of Mack Truck and Volvo Truck's largest NA manufacturing plants. This 1.2 million dollar project included all telecommunications lines, LAN cabling, servers, workstations and peripherals. The project involved coordination with numerous local and remote IT professionals, various levels of business managers, trade unions, and vendors. (Technologies: WAN, LAN, Windows, Rumba)
  
  
• Led the Infrastructure & Operations Project Team in the successful implementation of a load balanced / automatic failover solution for a mission critical, AIX based, Citrix delivered parts information system involving 300+ nationwide client locations and approximately 1200 users. The switch over to the new load balanced / automatic failover solution was done with virtually no down-time for the customer. (Technologies: AIX, WAN, LAN, Windows, Rumba)

Boston University PME Training program
This is a 12-week evening program designed by Boston University and taught by skilled project management practitioners to help professionals acquire the basic skills to run projects successfully.

INSTRUCTOR - (PART-TIME)

2000-Currently

• Certified instructor for Boston University's 12 week Project Management Certificate Program
• Teach all knowledge areas and processes of project management designated by
• Project Management Institute's (PMI) Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK).

ECPI Technical College
Greensboro, NC 27409
ECPI College of Technology is an independent, private college offering Associate of Applied Science degree, diploma, and certificate programs.

ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR

1999

• Instructor - Operating Systems (In preparation for A+ & MCSE Certification)
• Instructor - Customer Service for the Technical Professional (In preparation for CSS certification)
• Instructor - Computer Applications for Windows (Introduction to MS Office Suite)

Cross Creek Apparel, Inc.
Mt. Airy, NC 27030
Cross Creek Apparel, LLC, is a division of Russell Corporation, producing men's shirts, as well as men's, ladies and children's knit outerwear.

MANAGER, ADMINISTRATIVE AND TECHNICAL SERVICES

1996-1999

• Led inter-disciplinary I.T. staff on numerous projects. Negotiated IT hardware & software purchases and service contracts.
• Directed the desktop support staff for 300+ user enterprise providing the installation, administration, and support of all PC desktop & lap top hardware, software, and related peripheral equipment located in 13 facilities.
• Directed the development and maintenance of company Intranet and Internet sites.
• Supervised PBX staff supporting company telephone system consisting of over 400 telephones in numerous locations.
• Created and administered company's first I.T. training center.

Network / MCI Digital Imaging
Greensboro, NC
MCI Digital Imaging is digital imaging and information services company developing digital imaging and automated systems for on-line catalogs, magazines and other publishing applications.

SENIOR APPLICATION DESIGNER

1993-1996

• Designed and developed corporate web sites for MCI Business clients.
• Translated customers' requirements and expectations, for the development and implementation teams, using flowcharts and storyboards.
• Led the Database Publishing team in the development and production of electronic pre-press page layouts for database driven publishing of catalogs

DATABASE PUBLISHING TEAM LEADER

1994 - 1996

AFFILIATIONS

Project Management Professional (PMP) (#41079)
ITIL Service Management Foundation Certification (#74953)
Project Management Institute (PMI) - Member
Past President, PMI Piedmont Triad Chapter
Certified Instructor for Boston University's PME Training program
Notary Public

EDUCATION

Masters Certificate in Project Management
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

M.A.
Earlham Graduate School, Richmond, IN

B.A.
Trinity University, Deerfield, IL

Guilford Technical Community College
Greensboro, NC
Major: Internet Technologies
Microcomputer Technology

Surry Community College (various technical classes)
Dobson, NC

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Microsoft 2003 Server
"White Belt" & "Orange Belt" Certification Training
The Kerzner Approach to Project Management Excellence
Rational Unified Process (RUP) Software Development
"Money Maker" Sales & Marketing Training
Fundamentals of Successful Project Management
How To Handle Difficult People
Team Problem Solving
Telecommunications Fundamentals
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)
Troubleshooting, Maintaining and Upgrading PC's
Advanced PC Troubleshooting Techniques Clinic