
Mersiha Lonic-Pasalic
Verified Expert in Project Management
Project Manager
Sarajevo, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Toptal member since June 10, 2021
Mersiha worked in IT for more than 20 years. She has program and project management experience in telecommunications and computer network management (Waterfall). Mersiha has project management experience in software development (Agile), knowledge of SDLC, ALM, program and team management, experience in ISO27001 and 9001, and change management (Azure DevOps, MS Project, and Jira). She's fluent in English and has obtained PMP, PMI-ACP, PSM 1, and PSPO1 certifications.
Project Highlights
Expertise
- Agile Program Management
- Agile Project Management
- Azure DevOps
- Budget Controls
- Project Management
- Scrum
- Scrum Master
- Teamwork
Work Experience
Program Manager Lead
Authority Partners
- Served as a program manager responsible for multiple programs (scope, timeline, and cost), tracked and reported program and team progress and delivery, and monitored program and team KPIs. Communicated program and project risks and tracked quality.
- Led multiple teams working on multiple product backlogs using Agile methodologies (Scrum) and facilitated and participated in Scrum ceremonies across Scrum teams.
- Gathered the requirements and owned the product backlog together with the product owner.
- Communicated program progress to program stakeholders. Created and managed high-quality relationships with clients. Promoted and educated both teams and the client on Agile principles.
- Used different tools, such as Azure DevOps, MS Project, Visio, and Jira.
Head of Department
IDDEEA
- Managed teams in charge of the administration of apps, databases, and networks, including private and public network infrastructure, servers, firewalls, switches, telephony, video surveillance, power supplies, air conditioning, and fire protection.
- Proposed and implemented new projects to improve and strengthen infrastructure. Performed strategic and annual budget planning and public procurement on the company and department levels.
- Worked on different programs and projects in different roles — IDDEEA private telecommunication network, implementation of ISO standards, PKI infrastructure, and IPA projects. Worked on security, disaster recovery, and other ICT procedures.
- Monitored and managed contractors, consultants, and third-party suppliers within projects. Worked closely with users to understand their needs.
Project History
Private Telecom Network
Led a government infrastructure program from the construction to closing phase for six years (Waterfall).
• Managed annual budget and schedule on program and project levels.
• Planned and monitored activities for 20+ team members.
• Coordinated different vendors included in the design and implementation.
• Communicated program and project status.
• Worked closely with stakeholders on all levels.
Enterprise Infrastructure Management System
Managed the program and led a fully remote development team working on different projects and features for three years using Agile and Scrum in a fast-paced environment.
• Facilitated Scrum events and reported program progress. Planned and facilitated releases, managing multiple project timelines and budgets.
• Facilitated prompt and direct requirements gathering.
• Frequent change of requirements required the close collaboration of the development team and stakeholders. Coached and mentored the team and stakeholders on Scrum and Agile values and principles, self-organized teams, and continuous improvement.
• Balanced high client expectations, providing a shield from interruptions to the team.
Mobile Apps
Led a cross-functional team through the development of multiple mobile apps using Scrum.
The main challenge was prioritizing work daily without endangering different sprint goals while supporting the team, increasing morale, and managing clients' expectations. I facilitated Scrum events and planned and facilitated releases while managing multiple project timelines and budgets. Facilitated requirements gathering. Coached and mentored the team and stakeholders on Scrum.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science
University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics - Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Certifications
Certified SAFe 6 Product Owner/Product Manager
Scaled Agile, Inc.
Product Manager Certification
Product School
Certified SAFe 5 Product Owner/Product Manager
Scaled Agile, Inc.
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Professional Scrum Product Owner I (PSPO I)
Scrum.org
Professional Scrum Master Level I (PSM I)
Scrum.org
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Skills
Tools
Project Management & Work Tracking Tools, Jira, Microsoft Project, Visio
Paradigms
Requirements Analysis, PMBOK, Azure DevOps, Agile Project Management, Scrum, Agile, Kanban, Agile Product Management
Industry Expertise
Healthcare
Other
Project Management, IT Project Management, Project Timelines, Sprint Planning, Project Reporting, Stakeholder Engagement, Planning, Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Planning, Stakeholder Management, Scrum Master, Agile Program Management, Risk Management, Budget Controls, Scheduling, Teamwork, Networks, Computer Networking, Budgeting, People Management, Feature Backlog Prioritization, Release Management, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Discovery, Communication, Best Practices, Process Documentation, Project Scheduling, Backlog Management, Software Project Management, Computer Science, Product Owner, Annual Budgets, Annual Operating Plans, IT Projects, People Development, ISO 9001, ISO 27001, IT Operations Management (ITOM), IT Support, Program Management, Telecom Equipment & Solutions, Product Management, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Healthcare IT, Technical Project Management, Project Management Office (PMO), Discovery Workshops, User Stories, Technical Requirements, Agile Coaching
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