Cristian Fagarasan
Verified Expert in Project Management
Project Manager
Bucharest, Romania
Toptal member since November 4, 2024
Cristian is a technical business leader with over 10 years of experience in Agile project, program, and product management. With 25+ certifications in IT, AI data analysis, and prompt engineering, he excels at leading cross-functional teams, driving innovation, and optimizing product development processes. An expert in delivering high-impact initiatives and implementing new business models, Cristian is pursuing a PhD in engineering and management and is committed to driving impactful results.
Project Highlights
Expertise
- Agile
- Agile Product Management
- Agile at Scale
- IT Projects
- Product Management
- Program Management
- Project Management
- Stakeholder Management
Work Experience
Lead Product Manager
Toptal, LLC
- Worked closely with multiple product development teams and various functions to successfully integrate business acquisitions into Toptal's operations.
- Led the end-to-end technical integration of business acquisitions, ensuring smooth transitions and alignment with strategic objectives.
- Collaborated with product, finance, legal, customer, talent, support, and engineering teams to streamline operations, improve post-integration efficiency, and enhance service delivery.
- Streamlined business operations, increasing post-integration efficiency, simplifying workflows, improving team communication, and aligning processes with Toptal's operational standards.
Agile Program Manager
Toptal, LLC
- Led the expansion of the Marketing Growth Program, scaling from 6 to 13 Agile teams. Implemented tailored product development processes using Jira to automate tasks and streamline team communication, improving delivery efficiency and alignment.
- Coordinated the AI infrastructure setup at Toptal, ensuring seamless integration with existing systems and enhancing the scalability and efficiency of AI-driven initiatives.
- Designed and implemented product development processes, improving workflow efficiency and fostering alignment across cross-functional teams. Ensured adherence to this process, improving project delivery and fostering consistency across all teams.
- Drove the adoption of Atlassian tools—Jira and Confluence—to support operational efficiency, driving collaboration and automating routine tasks to enhance productivity.
- Boosted productivity by optimizing cross-functional planning and running risk assessments.
- Mentored teams in Agile practices, reducing project delays and fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture.
Senior Program Manager
Tremend (a Publicis Groupe company)
- Led the end-to-end development of a multi-region eCommerce platform, overseeing three Scrum teams.
- Launched the platform in over 20 markets, managing the full delivery process from concept to deployment.
- Mentored other project managers within the company, instilling Agile best practices and fostering growth.
- Contributed to Tremend's methodology development, enhancing software delivery processes across the organization.
Scrum Master
SHE Informationstechnologie
- Managed a portfolio of projects with two Agile teams across multiple regions, focusing on a healthcare web platform.
- Led project delivery strategy, adhering to Scrum principles to continuously deliver valuable product increments.
- Digitalized the surgical pathways for two medical conditions, streamlining pre- and post-op processes. This transformation improved operational efficiency, reduced manual workloads, and enhanced patient care.
- Delivered successful project outcomes by facilitating Agile collaboration and alignment across teams and improving efficiency through continuous delivery practices.
Business Analyst | Project Manager
BitStone
- Engaged simultaneously as a business analyst and project manager/scrum master, leading a major project with 30+ team members.
- Managed end-to-end software product delivery using Agile SDLC and Scrum methodologies, ensuring successful execution of project goals.
- Developed and launched four innovative WordPress plugins from concept to deployment, leading the entire Agile delivery process.
- Fostered cross-functional collaboration, driving team success and strengthening BitStone's market position through effective project execution and teamwork.
Software QA Engineer
Linkscreens
- Joined as a QA team member for a key media platform project, ensuring high-quality standards through Scrum methodology.
- Tested a media platform project thoroughly and took the product to market.
- Maintained and exceeded quality benchmarks throughout the software development lifecycle.
Project History
eCommerce Platform for Essentra Components
Launched the platform successfully in over 20 markets, managing the full delivery process from concept to deployment, ensuring seamless collaboration between teams and stakeholders.
I managed the entire delivery process from concept to deployment, orchestrating seamless collaboration among cross-functional teams and ensuring alignment with key stakeholders. Overseeing three Scrum teams and coordinating 30+ team members, I maintained focus on Agile best practices and scalability objectives, meeting project timelines and expansion goals.
My role included driving process improvements and mentoring fellow project managers. This project marked a significant achievement in global digital transformation, extending the platform's reach and capabilities across diverse regions.
Healthcare Web Platform for Medtronic
Digitalized the surgical pathways for two medical conditions, streamlining pre- and post-op processes.
Key achievements included digitalizing surgical pathways for two medical conditions and transforming the pre- and post-op processes by automating data management and tracking. This shift significantly streamlined operations, reduced manual workloads, and improved patient care standards.
WordPress Plugins for Thrive Themes
https://thrivethemes.com/Developed and launched four innovative WordPress plugins from concept to deployment, leading the entire Agile delivery process.
Strategic Integration of Four Acquisitions to Expand Toptal’s Marketing Capabilities
Integrated acquired businesses into Toptal’s platform and operations, driving end-to-end execution—while partnering with Product, Engineering, Finance, Legal, Support, and Talent teams to ensure seamless transitions and service continuity.
Education
Progress Toward a PhD in IT Project Management
Technical University of Cluj-Napoca - Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Credential of Readiness (CORe) Program in Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, and Financial Accounting
Harvard Business School Online - Online
Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering and Management
Technical University of Cluj-Napoca - Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering
Technical University of Cluj-Napoca - Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Certifications
Certified SAFe 6 Product Owner/Product Manager
Scaled Agile Inc
Certified SAFe 6 Agilist
Scaled Agile Inc
ChatGPT Advanced Data Analysis
Vanderbilt University | via Coursera
Product Operations Certified | Masters
Product-Led Alliance
Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT
Vanderbilt University | via Coursera
Product Management Basics Certification
Pendo
Power and Influence for Positive Impact
Harvard Business School Online
AI for Product Management
Pendo
MSP Practitioner Programme Management Certification
Axelos Ltd.
MSP Foundation Programme Management Certification
Axelos Ltd.
Organizational Leadership
Harvard Business School Online
PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Prosci Certified Change Practitioner
Prosci
Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master (DASSM)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Atlassian Certified Professional in Managing Jira Projects for Cloud
Atlassian
Certified SAFe® 5 Product Owner/Product Manager
Scaled Agile, Inc.
Certified SAFe® 5 Agilist
Scaled Agile, Inc.
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Management Essentials
Harvard Business School Online
Professional Scrum Product Owner I (PSPO I)
Scrum.org
Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I)
Scrum.org
Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt
International Six Sigma Institute
Skills
Tools
Jira, Confluence, Project Management & Work Tracking Tools, Miro, Tableau, TestRail, Postman
Paradigms
Agile, Agile Product Management, Agile Project Management, Scrum, Agile Delivery, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), Management, Six Sigma, Change Management, Requirements Analysis, Organizational Analysis, Organizational Change Management (OCM), Kanban, DevOps, Lean, Azure DevOps, HIPAA Compliance, Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Industry Expertise
Healthcare
Other
Google Apps, Project Management, Program Management, IT Projects, IT Project Management, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Stakeholder Management, Communication Management, Agile Program Management, Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Risk Management, Delivery Management, Creative Problem Solving, Product Delivery, Agile Product Delivery, Project Scheduling, Project Scoping, Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Planning, Scope Management, Scrum Master, PSM-1, Strategic Planning, Product Development, Product Launch, Technical Project Management, Resource Management, Delivery, Sprints, User Stories, Certified Project Manager, Backlog Management, Sprint Ceremonies, Customer Success, Teamwork, Backlog Grooming, Project Delivery, Dashboards, Project Reporting, Technical Requirements, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Microsoft 365, Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT), Smartsheet, Agile at Scale, Jira Administrator, Scrum@Scale, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Data-driven Decision Making, Organizational Management, Leadership, Networking, Influence Without Authority, Prompt Engineering, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Scrum of Scrums, Product Ownership, Product Owner, Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO), Six Sigma Black Belt Certified, Business Process Re-engineering, Process Flows, Business Analysis, PI Planning, Team Management, Marketing, Data Migration, Migration, Ahrefs, Google Search Console, Product Management, SEO Tools, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Acquisitions, Workflow, Transition Management, Post-integration Efficiency, Service Delivery Improvement, Strategic Planning & Execution, System Integration, Growth Strategy, Product Roadmap Development, Data-driven Decision-making, User Engagement, Remote Team Leadership, Cross-functional Collaboration, KPI Monitoring, Performance Management, Technical Program Management, Product Operations, Jira Administration, Jira Configuration and Customization, Workflow Optimization, Confluence Setup and Management, Troubleshooting, Process Optimization with Atlassian Tools, Program Development, Business Scaling, Business Operations, Mentorship & Coaching, Software Delivery Optimization, Process Improvement, Scalability Planning, Budget Management, Vendor Management, IT Business Analysis, Requirements, Competitor Analysis & Profiling, Market Fit Assessment, Product Discovery, Release Management, QA Testing, Quality Management, Quality Control (QC), Electricity, Electrical Design, Electrical Engineering, Team Leadership, Consumer Electronics, Power Electronics, Business Analytics, Financial Accounting, Economics, Managerial Economics, Communication, Organization Building, Decision Analysis, Business Strategy, Data Analysis, GPT Data Analysis, Business Agility, Lean-Portofolio Management, Communications Management, Human Resources Management, Project Evaluation, Quality Assurance (QA), Healthtech, Elicitation, Agile Transformation, Agile Practices, Feature Backlog Prioritization, Business Cases, Value Definition, Enterprise Project Management, Contract Management, Healthcare Software, Healthcare Services, Acquisition Analysis
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