Iva Kvakic
Verified Expert in Project Management
Project Manager
Zagreb, Croatia
Toptal member since September 1, 2022
Iva is a senior project manager and certified product owner with a proven track record in building and launching successful websites, custom software solutions, and digital products for blockchain, eCommerce, B2C, and B2B organizations. With an analytical mindset, she leverages data to power business decisions. Iva enjoys working on cutting-edge technologies like blockchain and thrives in challenging environments. She is also well-versed in the Agile, Scrum, and Kanban methodologies.
Project Highlights
Expertise
- Agile
- Blockchain & Cryptocurrency
- Business Analysis
- IT Project Management
- Operations
- Product Owner
- Project Management
- Scrum Master
Work Experience
Design Program Manager
Personio
- Established a structured project lifecycle, ensuring clear roles, responsibilities, and deliverables for each initiative. Implemented a roadmap-driven approach, allowing for strategic prioritization and long-term planning of high-impact projects.
- Reduced operational overhead by streamlining meetings and introducing lightweight capacity planning tools. Implemented a structured approach to workload management, ensuring balanced distribution of design efforts across large and small projects.
- Introduced a proactive project intake system, ensuring early involvement in strategic initiatives. Defined clear workflows, enabling better cross-functional collaboration and more efficient execution of creative work.
Operations Manager
Elkanodata
- Oversaw agency operations and supervised and mentored the project management team.
- Managed agency resources, supervised all active projects, and defined and monitored KPIs for critical operations.
- Improved profitability by optimizing resource management and implementing efficient production processes.
Senior Project Manager
Field Office Design Inc.
- Coached the founders on best practices for agency operations and client expectation management.
- Consulted with the client's team on implementing project management best practices and frameworks.
- Proposed and documented operations and project management processes.
Agile Project Manager
Electrocoin
- Joined the team as the first project manager and consultant for a decentralized finance startup.
- Implemented project and portfolio management best practices.
- Set up data analytics and KPIs for key operations.
Project Manager Team Lead
Bornfight
- Promoted to project management team lead less than a year after being hired as a project manager for custom software and digital projects.
- Participated in projects as a project manager, scrum master, product owner, and business analyst in agile software development for various industries, including SaaS, pharmaceutical, fintech, and D2C subscription eCommerce.
- Led a team of project managers and mentored junior colleagues.
Project Manager
Cooperative for Ethical Financing
- Served as a project manager and helped implement project management best practices.
- Managed the portfolio of digital, fintech, and blockchain-based projects.
- Developed consulting business services and trained new consultants.
Project History
Blockchain and Decentralized Finance Startup
Consulted and led an early-stage blockchain and decentralized finance startup, building the MVP and preparing the company for seed investment.
Key responsibilities:
• Led a project with a team of pre-seed investors.
• Conducted market research, product discovery, planning, and the roadmap.
• Managed and monitored budget and calculated the burn rate.
• Hired and coordinated external contractors such as UI/UX designers, branding experts, and legal advisors.
• Employed the core development team.
• Oversaw product development and project operations.
• Communicated and reported to stakeholders.
Custom Tech Stack to Unlock Growth of a Successful D2C Subscription Brand
https://www.bornfight.com/blog/ecommerce-development-how-we-migrated-500-000-subscribers-to-a-new-platform/Managed the development and launch of a custom tech stack for a rapidly-growing eCommerce subscription brand, enabling them to increase revenue and migrate half a million subscribers from WooCommerce.
We created a lightweight but robust and scalable custom tech stack that serves as a layer integrating third-party services, such as subscription billing, warehouse management, and CRM. Not only did we make a design and an entirely tailored solution, but also seamlessly migrated half a million existing subscriptions and payment tokens from the old platform.
Key responsibilities:
• Managed the design and development team and connected with external stakeholders, including the client's initial CX team, the supply chain and 3PL warehouse team, social and eCommerce teams, the ERP team, performance and SEO teams, along with our third-party software providers.
• Managed project discovery, business analysis, and tech stack solutions and architecture recommendations in collaboration with a tech lead.
• Identified the need for external contractors and hired appropriate experts to support the complex project.
• Planned and executed the migration of existing customers and their payment tokens.
Patient Management App for a Pharmaceutical Company
Built a custom software solution for patient management for a leading pharmaceutical company.
The client came to us with defined functional requirements but pivoted the app through the discovery process. I facilitated operations together with our team of design and software development experts.
Key responsibilities:
• Conducted market and user research.
• Streamlined the application's discovery process.
• Led project operations from initiation to closure.
• Imposed a Lean-Agile approach to software development with defined metrics for the MVP.
• Oversaw an agile, cross-functional project team.
• Managed and communicated with stakeholders.
Education
Master's Degree in Systems Engineering
Trier University of Applied Sciences - Birkenfeld, Germany
Master's Degree in International Relations
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University - Beppu, Japan
Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration
Zagreb School of Economics and Management - Zagreb, Croatia
Certifications
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Scrum Product Owner Certified (SPOC)
SCRUMstudy
Skills
Tools
Slack, Spreadsheets, Project Management & Work Tracking Tools, Office 365, Google Workspace, Jira, Asana, Trello, Google Analytics, Figma, GitHub
Paradigms
Agile, Scrum, Requirements Analysis, Agile Project Management, Waterfall Delivery, B2B, Kanban, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Agile Software Development, Agile Leadership, B2C, Management
Industry Expertise
Digital Agencies, Asset Management, Digital Marketing, Pharmaceuticals, Health, Healthcare, Education Technology (Edtech)
Platforms
Blockchain, WordPress
Other
Google Meet, Business Systems Analysis, Project Management, Program Management, Product Owner, Scrum Master, Business Analysis, IT Project Management, Project Scheduling, Requirements & Specifications, Process Improvement, Stakeholder Management, Project Planning, Project Timelines, Feature Backlog Prioritization, Sprint Planning, Planning, Digital Project Management, Web Project Management, Gantt Chart, Schedule Optimization, Web Applications, Project Tracking, Stakeholder Engagement, Detail-oriented, Cross-functional Collaboration, Reporting, Process Improvement Project Management, Project Coordination, Critical Thinking, Status Updates, Google Apps, Presentations, Meetings, Project Budget Management, Scope Management, Project Rescue, Communication, Web Development, Risk Analysis, Cost Analysis, Agency, Agile Sprints, Software Project Management, Workflow Tools, Web & Mobile Applications, Process Documentation, Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Resource Management, Vendor Management, Process Optimization, Best Practices, Mentorship & Coaching, Creative Briefs, Project Delivery, Client Delivery Management, IT, Website Management, Tracking, Project Reporting, Agile Product Delivery, Project Discovery, Websites, Resource Allocation, Branding, Product Launch, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Backlog Management, Microsoft Teams, Notion, Operations, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Strategy, Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Team Management, Discovery, Discovery Workshops, User Stories, Technical Project Management, Roadmaps, Project Scoping, Cost Estimation, Product Requirements Documentation (PRD), Project Management Operations, IT Operations Management (ITOM), Freelancing, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), Operational Efficiency Improvement, Workflow, Developer Relations, eCommerce, Operations Management, Innovation, Dashboards, Consulting, Business to Consumer (B2C), Subscriptions, Product Ownership, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Leadership, Digital Asset Management, Product Roadmaps, Management Consulting, Estimations, Technical Project Monitoring, Agile Coaching, Team Leadership, Applications, UX Wireframes, eCommerce Design, Integration, Mentorship, Coaching, Asset Preparation, Marketing, Customer Journeys, Web Analytics, Operational Assessments, Non-fungible Tokens (NFT), Web 3.0, Product Discovery, Product Management, Standard Operating Procedures Development, International Affairs, Business, Finance, Remote Team Leadership, Startup Consulting, Startups, Mobile App Development, Google Tag Manager, APIs, Teams, Edtech Design, User Feedback, ClickUp, Software Implementation, Smart Contracts, Solidity, Marketplaces
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