Izabel Kuzmanova
Verified Expert in Project Management
Project Manager
Izabel is a certified agile project manager with over four years of experience in the IT industry. She has extensive expertise in project and product management in fintech, blockchain, health, and other software and mobile app development industries. Having worked with one of Dubai’s leading companies, Izabel is focused on managing remote international teams to deliver small to large projects. She chooses freelancing as an opportunity to work on fascinating and challenging projects.
Project Highlights
Expertise
Work Experience
Agile Project Manager
Motion Software
- Joined the team as a junior project manager and grew to an experienced and certified professional with a background of successful projects, both internal and external.
- Set up an education and training agenda for agile project managers for the newly hired personnel. Delivered agile coaching internally to junior project managers and developers.
- Acted as a project manager, scrum master, and product manager in teams four to 40 people.
- Transformed an under-performing team to a hyper-performing one.
- Led the agile transformation for multiple clients.
- Prevented a company-critical client from terminating the project.
- Delivered 10+ blockchain and loyalty programs, an internal CMS, health, and social mobile app, and web platform projects for fintech, health, blockchain, and car rental companies.
- Reduced product development costs based on market research and analysis.
- Assisted on iOS, Android, MacOS, Windows mobile apps, and web-based platforms. Main technologies used were React, Node.js, .NET, PHP, Java, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, AWS, Jenkins, MS SQL, RabbitMQ, and Azure.
- Created custom workflows in Jira, documentation in Confluence, process flows, and supporting diagrams in Miro board, Draw.io, and Lucidchart.
Account Manager
Proxiad
- Acted as a market research, sales, and marketing specialist.
- Increased the employer branding return on investment by 32%.
- Acquired two new customers with innovative regional projects.
- Applied market research tools and methods such as SWOT and PESTEL analysis.
- Expanded the company marketing to new areas, which were of interest to the company.
Project History
Swiss-based Receivables Management Platform
By introducing Scrum, team motivation and performance increased by 70%. The iterative delivery of software increased by 58%. The project was reorganized and the company avoided penalty and contract termination with their largest client.
Due to the importance of the new client, the project had to be reorganized. This required the introduction and implementation of a process and methodology compatible with the SDLC within a company and a demotivated team that faced Agile for the first time. On the other hand, the project delivery was already on a tight schedule.
The project priorities were shifted entirely based on project and product management and agile skills, iterative planning, industry know-how, and best practices. The team and C-level were coached to the newly introduced methodology. The development team was constantly encouraged to deliver results and stay on track.
The company honored the contract with the client, avoiding financial penalty and contract termination. The company now successfully handles new clients, operates under a process suitable to their core business. Steady revenue growth is observed by 23%.
Technical stack: Node.js, RabbitMQ, MongoDB, Elasticsearch, Redis, PostgreSQL, and MinIO.
Blockchain-based Loyalty Program Mobile App
Increased performance by 30% by facilitating the implementation of scaled Scrum. Ensured on-time iterative delivery to secure the rolling contract continuation by covering the entire product management for two months until a product team was built.
The company required the implementation of blockchain technology to create an innovative loyalty program by introducing a custom-built token. The loyalty program covers more than five business verticals. End-users worldwide can benefit from the program. A major challenge in the project was to integrate the existing loyalty program with the new one so customers don’t lose their benefits.
By establishing a scaled scrum process and coaching the team, both business logic and technical obstacles were overcome. Enforcing a strong product team, continuous communication with the client, and clear iteration goals resulted in the successful delivery of the project.
The client can manage 5+ business verticals under one blockchain-based loyalty program that can be used by customers worldwide.
Technical stack: .NET Core/C#, React/TypeScript, Objective-C/Swift, Java/Kotlin, Azure Table Storages, Azure Blobs, PostgreSQL, Redis, RabbitMQ, Azure Queue, Bash/Python, Linux Ubuntu/Debian, Docker/Docker-compose, Google-Kubernetes, Nginx, and Microsoft Azure.
Online Persoanl Coaching Platform
Delivered the MVP for the project's crowdfunding, resulting in several key coaches for the platform being recruited and supported the platform's successful kick-off.
An MVP was built to achieve the crowd funding's expected results on a tight schedule and budget. The team was resource-limited, which required over-time and performing several roles at ones.
Keen time and resource planning and software product development best practices resulted in reducing the overtime to 1-2 days per week. The implementation of Agile methodology allowed the on-time delivery of the MVP and funds acquisition.
The client managed to gain enough resources for the team expansion and further develop the related platforms, all based on blockchain.
Technical stack: PHP, HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, CodeIgniter, PHP Laravel, Node.js, Socket.IO, and jQuery.
Life Improvement Community Token
The quick and on-time execution of the discovery phase and project kick-off enabled us to develop the ICO in time for the crowdfunding application deadline.
The limited time and financial resources they did have scoped-down the options for engaging with the needed blockchain specialists. The team had to perform various roles and often had to work overtime, though budget-restricted.
Introducing an Agile methodology, working with an iterative and MVP-oriented mind, empowered the team to reduce the overtime to 2-3 days per week and build the ICO within 36 days.
The client was able to submit their application for the crowdfunding successfully and continue the development of their token.
Technical Stack: PHP, Laravel, jQuery, WordPress, SQL, and Solidity.
Health Mobile App
Improved the UX and enriched the functionalities as product owner of the project. This improved the client relationship after a critical team member switch.
The absolute precision required in developing the functionalities and the friendly and understandable UX critical to the end-user were heavily challenged by the mid-term switch of a critical team member and poor client relationship.
Working closely and continuously involving the client in the product development, the relationship was improved. Applying agile principles and having thorough documentation enabled the new team member to quickly get engaged in the project.
The mobile app was successfully launched on time, which resulted in local market share growth of 10%.
Technical stack: JavaScript, iOS, and Android.
Social Networking Platform for Extreme Sports
Carried out the product update after the provider's switch, which was critical for the on-time launch of the product.
Due to the poor quality delivered by the former contractor, the use of outdated versions, technologies, and methods, the platform had to be updated and partially rebuilt. The project documentation was scarce and poorly written, resulting in more technical time needed for the update and rebuilding.
With applying planning and budget allocation best practices, the priorities were shifted to correspond entirely to the project's needs. A new team of eight people was built employing a specific technical stack.
After the first eight months, the beta version was released to a limited group of people to perform end-to-end user testing. About three months later, the platform was released to the satisfaction of the client.
Technical stack: PHP, HTML, and CSS.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Export Sales and Technology Management
University College Nordyland - Aalborg, Denmark
Coursework towards a Bachelor's Degree in Transport Construction
University of Architecture, Civil Eng. and Geodesy (UACG) - Sofia, Bulgaria
Certifications
PMI-ACP
PMI
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