Nnanna Nduka
Verified Expert in Project Management
Project Manager
Nnanna is an excellence-driven and value-focused project and product management practitioner, business strategist, and leader with 11 plus years’ experience leading distributed teams and delivering multiple information technology, graphic design, audio-visual, and construction projects for B2B and B2C customers spanning 21+ industries. He is an adaptable, personable, and creative professional who can align project priorities to long-term strategic business objectives.
Project Highlights
Expertise
Work Experience
Consulting Project Manager
Gray GaaS Africa
- Established a product vision and brand strategy for the business launch and the release of the minimum viable product (MVP) for a virtual cooking gas delivery service, targeting upwardly mobile customers in the three major cities of Nigeria.
- Created the Gray GaaS identity by interpreting their brand strategy into three plausible identity directions curated and presented as style scapes. Illustrated and refined the chosen direction into final logo assets, including an initial style guide.
- Built various prototypes like a complex spreadsheet model for order fulfillment, user interface design for the MVP, and other print and digital ad channels that facilitated rapid learning and validation, plus the onboarding of the first 100 users.
- Outsourced the MVP's development by coordinating the efforts of the product discovery team to come up with a validated, groomed, and prioritized product backlog, documenting a request for proposal (RFP), and managing the vendor selection process.
- Deployed the first release for the MVP that allows users to sign up and manage their subscriptions by overseeing the software development process and managing the product backlog.
Freelance Designer
Intelhub Consulting Limited
- Freelanced at Intelhub Consulting, a local broker that connects startups and SMBs to high-quality and competitively priced creative services and achieved a 100% success rate on 80+ projects spread across 21 industries.
- Worked remotely with clients and freelance developers to deliver high fidelity responsive eCommerce, portfolio, and corporate website user interface prototypes that were successfully translated to live websites on Webflow or WordPress.
- Facilitated several brand discovery workshops (remotely and in-person), documented brand briefs and style scapes used to secure client approvals, and designed and published brand identities and other brand assets.
Head of Projects
Hausba Smarthomes
- Performed senior project management responsibilities on 50 high-end $70,000-500,000 lifestyle automation projects in Nigeria and Ghana. Delivered project plans in a multifunctional team environment, saving 10% on the program budget in Q4 2019.
- Collaborated with key stakeholders to develop a standard communications plan on projects that improved proactive decision-making and enhanced client trust, leading to better client satisfaction ratings and a 95% after-sales service sign-up ratio.
- Reduced days sales outstanding (DSO) to 25 days or less and eliminated cash flow challenges by developing and implementing a real-time project portfolio financial exposure dashboard on Google Sheets.
- Reduced scope creep, income leakage, and client dissatisfaction on projects by introducing cost and schedule impact analysis as a critical step within the organization's change control process.
- Designed and deployed a team performance management system based on the balanced scorecard methodology, yielding relevant role definitions, performance metrics, and job descriptions for the appropriate staffing of the project management office.
- Created and administered a spreadsheet-based staff compensation tool that objectively determined periodic staff compensations based on relevant strategic business parameters that enhanced staff buy-in and reduced attrition.
- Collaborated with key internal stakeholders to develop a spreadsheet prototype for streamlining the existing complex order fulfillment process. The learnings from its successful utilization paved the way for customizing and deploying Odoo ERP.
Consulting Project Manager
Pristina Property Development Limited
- Coordinated the production of a project feasibility report for Palm Springs Gardens Estate, a multibillion-naira mixed-use real estate project developed in partnership with the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority in Rivers, Nigeria.
- Worked with other technical consultants to develop a 10-year projected pro forma analysis that provided the financial justifications for the project. This report was used to secure a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement for the development.
- Combined the results of fieldwork and other secondary market research with the results from pro forma analysis to document required business cases presented to local and international real estate syndication companies.
- Collaborated with relevant recruitment partners to design requisite job descriptions, source, vet, recruit, and manage a 20-person multidisciplinary research team responsible for fieldwork and secondary market research.
Consulting Project Manager
Freelance
- Provided project management advisory services to OneSQM Integrated Services Limited that led to the successful delivery of a $200,000 multi-unit commercial real estate project in Abuja, Nigeria.
- Consulted at Capital City Development Limited and led a team responsible for branding, marketing, and other integrated efforts that resulted in the sale of 350 serviced plots of land at their Juniper and Citadel mixed-use estates in Rivers, Nigeria.
- Provided project consultancy services to Victoria Garden Global Development Limited. Led a team that designed, planned, and obtained statutory approvals for the development of a 65-housing unit luxury estate in GRA Phase III PHC, Rivers, Nigeria.
- Coordinated a vibrant mix of industry professionals at SWG Agencies Limited as their consulting project manager. The team planned, designed, and obtained statutory approval to develop a luxury residential estate in PHC, Rivers, Nigeria.
Co-founder
Nocturna Group of Companies
- Joined a team of five founders as a product lead to deliver the Nocturna app, a digital marketplace that connects thrill-seekers to entertainment hubs in the African market. Facilitated the articulation of product vision, product, and brand strategy.
- Translated the brand strategy into Nocturna identity and documented our style guide as well as created various marketing collaterals such as client presentations, digital and print flyers, and landing pages used in customer development efforts.
- Coordinated qualitative market research and customer development efforts such as entertainment hub owner interviews and freemium contract sign-ups to validate key assumptions as well as onboard the first 50 hubs to the platform in Lagos and Nairobi.
- Worked closely with a consulting software architect, user researcher, and co-founders to come up with a detailed request for proposal (RFP) document and outsourced the successful development of the app for iOS and Android as well as the website.
- Provided the user interface prototypes for the Nocturna app (iOS and Android) as well as a responsive user interface design for the marketing website. These provided the visuals necessary for improved vendor understanding during outsourcing.
Project Controls Manager
Rainbow Town Development Limited
- Joined as a project controls manager in the PMO setup to manage the delivery of 1,181 residential housing units in Rivers, Nigeria, under a public-private partnership initiative and successfully delivered the project's 1st phase.
- Guided the provision and presentation of documented financial justifications that facilitated the approval of a $13.2 million additional debt finance injection by First Bank of Nigeria Limited toward the delivery of the approved project scope.
- Provided reporting guidelines to 50+ contractors and subcontractors that ensured that performance reporting was uniform and consistent, supporting quality performance reporting at the multi-project level.
- Conducted multiple scheduled tracking and reporting training for contractor and subcontractor planners and schedulers to facilitate reporting standardization and reduce interface risks.
Consulting Project Manager
Techspecialist Consulting
- Consulted at Techspecialist, an ICT services provider to government and enterprise-level private sector organizations, and led the setup and staffing of their pilot project management office (PMO).
- Coordinated the process and led a team that developed and presented several ICT services proposals in response to requests for proposals (RFPs) and won five major ICT contracts.
- Managed the initiation, planning, execution, tracking and control, and closure of several ICT projects, one notable project being the implementation of an electronic document management system for the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).
Cash Officer
Ecobank
- Joined Oceanic Bank (acquired by Ecobank Transnational in 2011) as an experienced hire responsible for branch cash transactions and movements, and in three months eliminated further incidences of reported branch cash shortages.
- Cut the service turnaround time in half with positive impacts on customer satisfaction by coaching the cash and teller team as well as implementing several process improvements tactics.
- Increased bureau de change (BDC) customer patronage by introducing late cash handling and vault-in services. This generated additional income for the branch and earned me the best cash officer award in 2008.
Operations Officer
Access Bank
- Joined Diamond Bank (acquired by Access Bank in 2018) as a trainee teller and later progressed to be an acting head of operations in two years after improving service turnaround time while on loan to a mini branch in Abuja, Nigeria.
- Earned promotion twice in two years and awarded the best teller for Abuja region in 2007 as well as mentored new trainees who got deployed to manage key positions in other bank branches.
- Averted reputational damages and financial losses to the branch by building and implementing spreadsheet models that reconciled the branch’s sundry general ledger account and improved the integrity of the national pensions remittance database.
Project History
Admin UI Prototype for Gray GaaS Africa
https://bit.ly/graygaasadmin_uiCreated and published the admin user interface prototype for Gray GaaS Africa’s virtual cooking gas delivery platform.
Then applied UI/UX design concepts like persona creation, empathy mapping, journey mapping, mood boarding, sketching, and wireframing to develop low-fidelity prototypes and ultimately a high-fidelity prototype.
UX Audit and eCommerce Website for Estelle Wigs and More
Designed and managed the development and deployment of the new eCommerce website for Estelle Wigs and More.
Test Worksheets for Gray GaaS Africa
https://bit.ly/graygaas_testworksheetsProduced, launched, and consistently updated complex spreadsheet models used to test the Gray GaaS Africa operations model and serve early adopters before the platform's MVP release.
Brand Identity and eCommerce Website for Karnivore Limited
Designed the brand identity and website user interface, and managed the development and release of an eCommerce website for Karnivore Limited.
The website development process kicked off afterward in collaboration with two WordPress developers of a website strategy leveraging on the team's experience and insights gained from market research efforts and the documented brand strategy. It consisted of the top three user paths, site structure, pages, content plan, and a technical setup and launch plan. This paved the way for responsive UI prototypes for the website. After UI approval, the design assets were handed over, and I managed the development and launch of the eCommerce website that featured key integrations like two payment gateways, Paystack and Flutterwave, and Odoo and WooCommerce two-way handshake.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Geophysics
Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) - Imo, Nigeria
Certifications
OKR Goal Setting A-Z: How To Set, Track & Achieve Goals
Udemy
Product Management A-Z
Udemy
Agile Scrum Mastery
Udemy
Project Planning with Advanced Roadmaps for Jira
Udemy
Professional Scrum Master Level I (PSM I)
Scrum.org
Basic to Advanced Jira
Udemy
Logotype Design for Brand Identity
Domestika
CORE Discovery
The Futur
UX Requirements Made Simple
Udemy
The Complete Figma Course
Udemy
Sketching for UX Designers
Udemy
Complete Web and Mobile Designer
Udemy
The Complete Copywriting Course
Udemy
The "Best" Startup Pitch Deck
Udemy
Visually Effective Excel Dashboards
Udemy
Become a Product Manager
Udemy
Real Estate Financial Modelling
Udemy
Business Strategy Development
Udemy
Financial Modelling for Startups and Small Businesses
Udemy
Business Model Canvas
Strategyzer
Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) – Microsoft Project 2010, Managing Projects
Microsoft
Introduction to International Reporting Standards (IFRS)
KPMG
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Skills
Tools
Spreadsheets, Illustrator CC, Excel 365, Skype, Microsoft Excel, Trello, Figma, Photoshop CC, InDesign CC, G Suite, Zoom, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Project, CorelDRAW, Slack, Adobe CC, WP eCommerce, Excel 2016, Jira, Draw.io, Microsoft Outlook, Adobe Experience Design (XD), Confluence, Project Management & Work Tracking Tools, CA Project Portfolio Management, Wrike
Paradigms
UX Design, Kanban, Customer Development, Agile, Change Management, Agile Project Management, B2C, Scrum, Waterfall Delivery, B2B, Marketplace Platforms
Platforms
Monday.com, ProductPlan, Xtensio, Webflow, WordPress
Other
Project Management, Project Planning, UI Design, Presentations, Brochure Design, Facilitation, Branding, Meetings, Modeling, Project Initiation, Project Execution, Monitoring, Project Closure, Project Scheduling, Project Estimation, Analysis, Resource Loading, Resource Management, Project Tracking, Project Reporting, Sketching, Storyboarding, Graphic Facilitation, Journey Mapping, Product Strategy, Product Discovery, Product Planning, Market Research, Brand Development, Copywriting, Investor Presentations, Product Management, Business Strategy, Business Development, Financial Modeling, Outsourcing, Business Model Canvas, Brand Identity, FigJam, Strategyzer, Backlog Grooming, Microsoft Project Online, SurveyMonkey, Training, Needs Analysis, Project Controls, Client Presentations, Feasibility, Proposals, PowerPoint Design, User Journey Maps, UX Audits, Project Discovery, eCommerce, eCommerce UX, eCommerce UI, Web Design, Communication, B2C Marketing, Marketing, Web, Domains & Hosting, Content Management Systems (CMS), Web Project Management, Planning, Project Coordination, Status Updates, Project Management Office (PMO), Web App Development, IT Projects, Budgeting, Dashboards, eCommerce Development, Mobile eCommerce, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Web App Deployment, Controlling, Remote Sensing, Analytics, Numerical Methods, Data Collection, Seismic Data, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Agile Software Testing, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), IFRS Financial Reporting, Product Roadmaps, Advertising Design, Teamwork, Odoo ERP, ProjX360, D-Tools, PMO Development, Balance Scorecards, Sales, Construction Management, Oracle FLEXCUBE, Finacle, Cash Management, Reconciliation, Staffing, Process Design, SOP Development, Operations, Marketing Plans, Business Analysis, Digital Marketing Strategy, Requirements, Stakeholder Management, Business to Business (B2B), Business to Consumer (B2C), Quality Assurance (QA), Stakeholder Engagement, Process Improvement, Project Portfolio Management (PPM), Project Management Professional (PMP), Best Practices, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Consulting, Pro Forma Financial Statements, System Integration, Workflow, Technical Project Management, Airtable
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