Rick A. Morris
Verified Expert in Project Management
Project Manager
Hoover, AL, United States
Toptal member since August 13, 2020
Rick has done consultancy work with numerous clients in a wide variety of industries, including financial services, entertainment, construction, nonprofit, hospitality, pharmaceutical, retail, and manufacturing. He is skilled at strategy, leadership, team development, communications, planning, and making dreams come true. Rick has worked for over 300 organizations, from small startups to Fortune 10 companies, and has a passion for team development, strategy, and leadership.
Project Highlights
Expertise
Work Experience
Founder and Owner
R2 Consulting, LLC
- Established a consulting firm with the primary objective of promoting best practices in project management and agile delivery, driven by a strong passion for excellence.
- Successfully executed over 150 PMO and PMO technology implementations, leveraging leading solutions such as Microsoft Project, CA PPM, Primavera, HP, and others.
- Implemented project management offices, policies, and procedures for over 40 clients to improve project management effectiveness.
- Contracted to speak worldwide on project management practices based on original books.
- Led the RFP process to replace a project/portfolio management system for a major bank, saving 40% YoY in software licenses and $300K in efficiency gains.
- Developed a global project and portfolio management system with Info-Tech to enable organizations to effectively report and understand resource utilization and portfolio data, enabling informed decision-making.
- Revamped a pharmaceutical company's CA PPM system that had previously failed with five different vendors. Successfully completed the project within six months.
- Implemented a successful PMO for an insurance company during a period of rapid growth. Developed key procedures for project selection and tracking, leading the company from a 200-person organization to one of the largest technology insurers.
- Implemented a PMO and CA PPM for a large auto parts retailer, leading the business process re-engineering effort that resulted in $500 million in savings.
- Consulted an advertising firm to streamline operations and implemented a PMO. The PMO saved $10 million in operational costs and became the key stakeholder in maintaining the organization's strategy.
President
Highmark Technology
- Recruited to establish a specialized practice centered on PMO development, technology assessments, and business process re-engineering, my contributions have been instrumental in driving successful outcomes.
- Assumed the complete P&L responsibility for Highmark Technology, managing a robust portfolio of over 20 projects and a staff of 15, resulting in sustained profitability for over three years of operation.
- Conducted successful training, assessments, and implementation of the CA PPM platform for prominent organizations, including Atlanta Public Schools, Florida Fish and Wildlife, Jefferson County, Altec, Sonic, Healthways, and many others.
- Created a joint venture with New Horizons called the IT and Project Management Academy. Spearheaded the training for project management and ITIL courses. Maintained a consistent trainer rating of 8.5 or above out of 9.
- Implemented PMO and CA PPM for a county government. Successfully stopped a derailed project, saving taxpayers over $10 million, thanks to PMO policies.
- Implemented a PMO and developed a platform for a healthcare company, resulting in completing the project five months ahead of schedule and achieving year-over-year efficiency gains of almost $3 million.
- Led business process re-engineering for a home building company, reducing average build time from 110 to 88 days through effective project management. This led to an explosive growth of 8x+ revenue gains.
- Developed and deployed a business intelligence platform for a commercial construction company using SQL and .NET with Telerik Controls, resulting in a 50% reduction in manual reporting efforts.
Senior Project Manager
CA
- Successfully managed the installation of Netegrity products at Synovus Financial Corporation. Overcame staffing and resource issues through effective relationship building, honesty, and an unwavering commitment to success.
- Delivered leadership and project management training while installing, configuring, and implementing the CA PPM system for Saks Incorporated and Alfa Insurance Company, demonstrating expertise in project management, training, and implementation.
- Improved the BrightStor implementation for Isle of Capri Casinos, restoring customer confidence in CA through effective communication and problem-solving.
- Successfully restored customer confidence in CA through excellent customer service and communication with Southern Farm Bureau, AmSouth Bank, University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Viking Range Corporation.
PMO Manager
AmSouth Bank
- Recruited to spearhead the Wealth Management Project Office with the objective of providing strategic leadership and training to a team of project managers and establishing a standard methodology to ensure successful project delivery.
- Delivered a remarkable 97% project success rate, outperforming the industry standard of 31%.
- Championed, researched, and implemented Six Sigma quality initiatives throughout wealth management, which led to increased efficiency and productivity.
- Created a comprehensive project management information system that facilitated streamlined project tracking, management, and reporting.
- Managed and mentored eight project managers and maintained a portfolio of 79 projects in the first year.
Executive Consultant
Xerox Connect
- Recruited to provide troubleshooting expertise on several high-profile projects by analyzing and identifying the source of project failures and creating effective solutions.
- Assigned to turn a failing software development project around. The project technology includes Documentum, Java, Jive, and Log4j. I created a new project plan and reset customer expectations while managing day-to-day development tasks.
- Assigned to solve an Eli Lilly support center project problem. I collaborated with Eli Lilly's executive management to establish a proper infrastructure and realign project personnel for maximum efficiency and productivity.
- Developed seminars for upper management on the creation of standard operating procedures and service-level agreements for the Protective Life Insurance Company.
- Revitalized Promus (Hilton) Hotels' infrastructure of PCs and printers by coordinating equipment, configuration centers, and 15 installation teams worldwide, resulting in monthly revenues of $1.5 million.
- Rescued a failing GE project by developing and creating standard operating procedures and service-level agreements for GE's transformer manufacturing plant in Shreveport, LA.
- Served as the project manager for the 5-state 65-branch Lotus Notes Rollout project, including coordination of site surveys, network and cabling installation, and software integration. Completed the project one month early and under budget.
- Assisted with developing, selling, and managing vendor relationships for internet bill presentment and payment practice. Developed C-level presentations and defined processes and procedures in both the sales and management environment.
- Implemented SOPs and SLAs for a national project involving the installation of high-speed internet access to hotels and apartment buildings. Managed vendor relationships and supervised over 45 staff members.
Project Manager
GE Capital IT Solutions
- Recruited to provide technical project management expertise. Managed every aspect of the 5,000 PC, 350-server network covering a four-state area for AmSouth Bank, with annual revenues of $10 million.
- Authored a database to track and control every order from order entry to invoice resolution and manage SAP, customer satisfaction reports, dispatches, open issues, quality dashboard reporting, product tracking, service metrics, and more.
- Developed work instruction manuals covering quality initiatives and installation services, including OS/2, NT 4.0, CM/2, and Lotus Notes.
- Created process-reengineering strategies to improve customer satisfaction and quality metrics.
- Successfully managed every phase up to 35 separate projects per year. Served as primary liaison to customers.
Network Specialist
Technology Service Solutions, Inc.
- Served as team leader for AmSouth Bank project, including negotiating with alliance partners to develop the scope of work, pricing structure, risk management, execution, and quality control.
- Installed technology for 200 of the 290 bank branches.
- Effectively maintained a multi-platform network for Alabama Department of Revenue.
Project History
Predictive Analytics for Clinical Research Outsourcing
Designed an algorithm that significantly transformed the process of resource planning, enhancing its efficiency and effectiveness.
Agile Transformation Rescue
Executed numerous transformation rescues on behalf of organizations that engaged coaches proficient in the methodology, yet faced impediments in addressing their organizational obstacles at a larger scale.
PMO and PPM Development
Approached by a Fortune 10 organization to conduct an assessment of a previously unsuccessful CA PPM implementation, as well as to enhance their project management methodologies.
Business Process Re-engineering for Residential Construction
Successfully reduced the construction timeline for custom homes from 110 to 88 days.
Policy Structuring for Startup Development Company
Implemented cost-effective productivity strategies in a tech startup, leading to successful acquisition in three years.
Business Process Re-engineering for Healthcare Company
Introduced CA PPM and authored innovations that generated yearly savings of $5 million.
Large Scale Rollout for Hospitality Company
Devised novel approaches to project rollout, significantly reducing travel expenses and overall costs by 85% on a fixed-price project.
PMO Restructure for Hospital
Revamped and eliminated redundant processes and reports for a major hospital, resulting in staff realignment and $2 million in savings.
Mobile App Project
Rescued a failing personal development app project, leading a team to rewrite and launch the app within six months.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Business and Management
Kennedy Western University - Augoura Hills, CA
Certifications
Certified High Performance Coach
High Performance Institute
SAFe Consultant
Scaled Agile Framework
Certified Human Behavior Consultant
Personality Insights
PMI - ACP
Project Management Institute
Certified Agile Scrum Master
ScrumStudy
ITIL
Pink Elephant
Project Management Professional
Project Management Institute
Six Sigma Green Belt
GE
Skills
Tools
CA Project Portfolio Management, Jira, Microsoft Project, Asana, Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, Office 365, Project Management & Work Tracking Tools, SQL, Primavera P6 Professional Project Management, Rally, VersionOne, Slack, Salesforce, Zapier, Trello, Google Workspace, Zoom
Paradigms
Management, Agile, Six Sigma, Scrum, Change Management, Agile Workflow, Agile Project Management, Agile Product Management, Organizational Change Management (OCM), Requirements Analysis, B2B, Implementation Project Management, Database Design, Waterfall Delivery, Agile Leadership, Lean Project Management, PMBOK, Agile Delivery, Kanban, Gamification
Platforms
Monday.com, Adobe Workfront
Industry Expertise
Banking & Finance, Entertainment & Leisure, Hospitality, Film & Television, Music, Education Technology (Edtech), Logistics, Healthcare, Retail & Wholesale, Nonprofits, Construction, Insurance, Supply Chain Management (SCM), Litigation, Pharmaceuticals
Other
Communication, Business, Leadership, Project Management, Team Building, ITIL, Process Definition, Emerging Growth Companies, Data Modeling, Operational Control, Manufacturing, Launch Strategy, Startups, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Discovery, Discovery Workshops, Project Discovery, Business Processes, Business Process Automation, Business Strategy, IT Projects, Workflow, Portfolio Management, Project Portfolio Management (PPM), Lean Portfolio Management, Program Management, Public Speaking, Technology Solutions, Resource Management, Resource Allocation, Issue Management, Creative Problem Solving, Complex Problem Solving, PMO, Process Improvement Project Management, Process Improvement, Data Analysis, Business Analysis, Data Analytics, Management Consulting, Digital Project Management, Organizational Leadership, Agile Program Management, Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), Sales, Media, Videos, Scrum Master, Agile Coaching, Backlog Grooming, Backlog Management, Feature Backlog Prioritization, Risk Management, Stakeholder Management, Team Leadership, IT Consulting, Consulting, Monitoring, IT Program Management, IT Project Management, eCommerce, Workflow Tools, Business Plan Consulting, Workflow Optimization, Operations Tools, IT Operations Management (ITOM), Product Owner, PMO Development, Agile Transformation, Project Management Office (PMO), Organizational Design, CRM Systems, Project Planning, Roadmaps, Team Management, Technical Project Management, CTO, Music Industry, Music Production, Music Recording, Collaboration, Cross-functional Collaboration, Cross-departmental Collaboration, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Tracking, Startup Consulting, Budgeting, Planning, Scope Management, Scope of Work (SOW), Business Requirements, Communication Management, Microsoft Office, Process Flows, Remote Work, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Tech Sales, Waterfall Methodology, Product Management, Product Roadmaps, Product Strategy, Online Banking, Project Timelines, Early-stage Startups, Financial Products, Templates, Freelancing, Project Management Professional (PMP), Process Mapping, Exploratory Data Analysis, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Strategic Initiatives, Post-merger Integration, PMI, Sprint Planning, Mobile App Development, Project Rescue, Cost Estimation, Estimation & Planning, Project Scoping, Process Design, Edtech Design, Operational Workflow, Training & Training Content Development, Vendor Selection, Operational Efficiency Improvement, Data Quality, Data Cleaning, Data Cleansing, Reconciliation, SaaS, Advisory, Operations, Scrum Coaching, Agile Practices, Software Implementation, Project Management Operations, Product Operations, Production, Growth, Strategy, Project Consultancy, Databases, Estimations, Technical Requirements, Requirements & Specifications, Product Requirements Documentation (PRD), Data-driven Decision-making, Executive Presentations, Project Budget Management, User Requirements, Requirements, Business Process Improvement (BPI), Process Documentation, User Research, PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), Data Migration, Project Tracking, Reporting, Web Project Management, Progress Reporting, Stakeholder Engagement, Reports, Dashboards, Project Reporting, Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Hybrid Project Management, Knowledge Transfer, SOP Development, Process Management, Project Coordination, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Financial Modeling, Forecasting, Strategic Planning & Execution, Small Business, Investments, Accountability, Governance, Best Practices, Process Optimization, Business to Business (B2B), Data Delivery Management, Certified Project Manager, IT Governance, COE, Database Migration, User Stories, Release Management, Quality Assurance (QA), Project Management & Delivery, Product Development, Data, Business Process Optimization, Business Process Flow (BPF), Business Process Analysis, Corporate Finance, Business Planning, Business Process Management (BPM), Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Risk Analysis, Content Creation, Social Media, Training Content, Training, Project Scheduling, Task Scheduling, Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), Data Warehousing, Defect Management, Smartsheet, Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Scrumban, Mobile Apps, Mobile Banking, Fintech, HTML5, JavaScript, Data Warehouse Design, Airtable, Healthcare IT, Pitch Decks, APIs, Agency, Marketing, Social Media Apps, User Experience (UX), COO, Human Resources (HR), Machine Learning, Digital Transformation, User Interface (UI), Notion, Clarity PPM, Policy Development, Coaching, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Fundraising, Workforce Management (WFM)
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