Senior Project Manager | Scrum Master
2013 - 2020National Life Group- Managed multimillion-dollar financial services projects staffed by global multi-company teams.
- Implemented a new underwriting system involving eight companies, ten integrations, and four workstreams. This system increased applications processed without human touch by 400% and decreased time-to-issue by 50%.
- Managed business partnerships and contracts with iPipeline, Munich Re-Insurance Automation Solutions, LexisNexis, Medical Information Bureau (MIB), Milliman, Moody’s, and ExamOne.
- Executed 30 on budget and schedule, high-quality production releases per year.
Project Manager
2009 - 2013IBM- Managed parallel international semi-conductor chip design teams in commercial, aerospace, and defense industries.
- Led projects from concept (contracts, charter, and planning) through closure (lessons learned and hardware validation).
- Turned around a troubled project—restoring it early-to-market product introduction and securing a future $80-million contract.
- Negotiated challenging customer requests while maintaining project cost goals and customer satisfaction.
- Instilled disciplined schedule and budget processes.
Project Manager
2006 - 2009IBM- Integrated 200,000 circuit models from 50 global development teams into a 2GB design kit containing over 100 customer deliverables.
- Developed flexible release processes, enabling maximum development time and just-in-time delivery.
- Coordinated a large scale, worldwide, consistent, and high-quality distribution of customer deliverables, reducing customer returns by 5%.
- Implemented continuous process improvements, increasing team productivity 8% over two years.
Project Manager
2003 - 2006IBM- Led a team that developed a sophisticated computer-aided design system for designing semiconductor computer chips.
- Placed and wired millions of circuits on computer chips the size of the end of your pinky finger.
- Ran a noise and timing analysis across the entire chip.
- Performed a logical and physical verification of each circuit.
Paul Gale
Project Manager in Jericho, VT, United States
Member since March 27, 2020
Paul is a passionate PMI and scrum-certified project management professional. He leads dispersed global teams working on innovative cloud-based SaaS solutions at companies such as IBM and National Life Group. Paul’s passions are building high-performing teams, strong partnerships, and disciplined agile and waterfall project management practices in imperfect, real-world situations. He joined Toptal to work on leading edge solutions with the best and brightest clients.
Paul is now available for hire
Project Highlights
- This system increased the percentage of applications processed without human touch by 400% and decreased time-to-issue by 50%. The executive sponsor named this the most successful project in recent company history.
- Led the scrum team that automated identity verification throughout a large insurance company.
- Led the team that worked with a SaaS vendor to build out the online digital applying process reducing manual followups to get more customer information.
Select Certifications
- Scrum.org
- Scrum Alliance
- Project Management Institute (PMI)
Employment
Project History
- Insurance Automated Underwriting SystemThis system increased the percentage of applications processed without human touch by 400% and decreased time-to-issue by 50%. The executive sponsor named this the most successful project in recent company history.
I managed 35 people from eight companies that involved ten integrations and four workstreams. The people were on four continents in six time zones. The project was run with a hybrid methodology consisting of some waterfall and agile workstreams.
- Fraud Prevention ServicesLed the scrum team that automated identity verification throughout a large insurance company.
I led the team that developed cloud-based web microservices and data analytics to provide consistent verification of customer identities and bank accounts throughout all of the departments of an insurance company (including new business, claims, call centers, and sales centers).
- Automated the Insurance Application ProcessLed the team that worked with a SaaS vendor to build out the online digital applying process reducing manual followups to get more customer information.
The insurance industry is regulated so when I led this project I had to involve legal, compliance, audit stakeholders, and state insurance departments to create a pleasing online application experience for customers. I then fed the application data into downstream administrative systems.
Education
- Master's degree in Computer Engineering1982 - 1986University of Vermont - Burlington, VT, USA
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering1978 - 1982University of Maine - Orono, ME, USA
Certifications
- Professional Scrum MasterMARCH 2018 - PRESENTScrum.org
- Certified Scrum MasterAPRIL 2017 - PRESENTScrum Alliance
- Project Management Professional (PMP)JANUARY 2012 - NOVEMBER 2022Project Management Institute (PMI)
