Ruth Madrigal
Verified Expert in Project Management
Project Manager
Heredia, Heredia Province, Costa Rica
Toptal member since November 5, 2018
Ruth is a results-driven senior project manager with 20 years of experience delivering complex IT initiatives across digital platforms, enterprise software, eCommerce, and DAM implementations. She has a proven track record of managing multi-million-dollar engagements, building high-performing cross-functional teams, and translating ambitious business visions into structured, scalable delivery frameworks. Ruth is PMP- and CSM-certified.
Project Highlights
Expertise
- Agile
- Jira
- Microsoft Project
- Software Project Management
- Technology
- Trello
- Waterfall Delivery
- Waterfall Methodology
Work Experience
PM Lead | Senior Project Manager
Avyre
- Led client-facing DAM engagements for multinational pharmaceutical and medical companies, managing the full project lifecycle from discovery and implementation planning through UAT, systems integration testing, and go-live.
- Managed a $2+ million DAM implementation and migration for a multinational pharmaceutical company, leading a cross-functional team of around 10 through full-scale asset migration, platform configuration, and enterprise systems integration.
- Oversaw end-to-end delivery: discovery, requirements alignment, implementation planning, asset and metadata migration, API and systems integration builds, UAT, SIT, and final launch.
- Managed a $400,000 DAM implementation and migration for a medical company, leading a team of around 17 through a structured waterfall lifecycle tailored to the client's regulatory and sign-off requirements.
- Coordinated parallel workstreams across asset migration, DAM configuration, and API integration builds, maintaining alignment between stakeholders and the technical team through documentation, approval gates, and phased delivery milestones.
- Founded and owned the PM practice across Avyre, building the standards, governance, tools, and reporting frameworks that will serve as the foundation for a company-wide PMO.
- Managed and mentored a team of 5 project managers, overseeing their client portfolios, providing coaching and delivery guidance, conducting one-on-ones, and monitoring workload and team health to prevent burnout.
- Drove organizational maturity through consistent PM standards, forecasting practices, and KPI frameworks, championing continuous improvement and change management practices across the PM team.
- Continued to manage active client engagements (around 50% of role), maintaining hands-on delivery accountability while scaling leadership responsibilities across the broader PM team.
Hybrid Project Manager | Scrum Master
JD Tech, LLC
- Provided project management consulting for an early-stage startup developing an integrated salon management platform combining client booking, checkout, inventory control, and retail sales into a single system for salon owners.
- Served as the bridge between two non-technical founders and a small development team, translating their industry vision into user stories, prioritizing the backlog, gathering estimates, and keeping stakeholders informed on progress and timelines.
- Supported the development of a unique hardware-software integration that pairs a physical product scale with a mobile app, enabling stylists to weigh products used, unlocking consumption tracking and metrics previously unavailable to salon operators.
Project Manager
TreeRing Corporation
- Joined TreeRing at a time when the company was known primarily as a digital yearbook platform and played an active role in its expansion into a broader brand, Three Ring Memories, built around an AI-powered photo book product for the travel industry.
- Managed the end-to-end technology build for an AI-driven photo book generator, enabling cruise line and safari partners to offer passengers automatically curated, print-on-demand memory books from their trip photos.
- Built and owned the operational framework to track each new partner onboarding, including book specs, configuration per theme, and sample shipments, establishing change management and risk tracking processes from scratch, as no prior process existed.
- Coordinated launch timelines across up to 8 concurrent ship configurations simultaneously, each requiring fully customized development, unique AI logic, and themed marketing materials aligned to individual cruise itineraries.
- Contributed to operational tracking artifacts and frameworks created for this initiative, which were adopted by the team after departure, continuing to serve as the foundation for onboarding new partners.
Agile Project Manager | Scrum Master
Elastech
- Managed multiple concurrent client engagements spanning GPS device software, eCommerce support, and DAM migration, adapting quickly across very different technical domains and client contexts.
- Led project management for a highly complex GPS device software implementation, overseeing the development of a complete software stack from scratch, including satellite positioning API integrations.
- Coordinated a team of around 7 developers alongside 7–10 client-side collaborators, including business analysts and SMEs, managing daily status tracking, blocker resolution, and requirement clarification across both sides of the engagement.
- Proactively flagged and managed a budget risk mid-project, initiating a scope and estimation review with stakeholders to transparently address margin pressures and realign expectations.
Technical Project Manager | Scrum Master
Valence Enterprises, Inc
- Joined Valence at an early stage of its growth as a professional networking and career platform built to connect and empower Black professionals, contributing to the platform's evolution from an early-stage startup through to its acquisition.
- Led the transformation of delivery from an informal, single-developer maintenance model into a structured Agile team, introducing Scrum ceremonies, sprint planning, proper work sizing, and scheduled releases as the engineering team expanded.
- Served as the bridge between a highly visionary investor group and the development team, facilitating structured requirements exploration to surface hidden dependencies and ensure that only well-defined, strategically sound work entered the backlog.
- Partnered with the lead technical architect to maintain delivery momentum, taking ownership of process, coordination, and stakeholder communication so the technical team could remain focused on building.
Agile Project Manager
Sterling Capital Brokers
- Supported the continued development of a self-serve employee benefits platform for the Canadian market, enabling businesses to offer configurable health, dental, and life insurance packages with real-time pricing and dependent management.
- Took over project management and task coordination responsibilities from the lead architect upon joining, freeing him to focus fully on technical direction and business analysis, improving both team organization and individual effectiveness.
- Drove delivery cadence and team health through servant leadership: managing backlog, coordinating sprint ceremonies, removing impediments, and ensuring the team could sustain a high pace of delivery without friction.
- Collaborated closely with third-party insurance carriers to maintain accurate, timely data exchange between the platform and partner systems, a critical dependency for the platform's core functionality.
Project Manager
IBM
- Managed a portfolio of 30+ IT projects over 8+ years serving internal IBM business units, typically running 5 or more concurrently, with full ownership of resource allocation, risk management, and delivery accountability across all engagements.
- Contributed to the scoping and estimation of internal service contracts ranging from US$5,000 to US$400,000, then owned scope adherence and budget control through delivery.
- Played an active role in IBM's shift from Waterfall to Agile methodologies, adapting delivery frameworks as the nature of projects evolved and Agile and design thinking practices took hold across the organization.
- Led delivery of a mobile CRM application for IBM sales partners at a time when enterprise mobile was still emerging, enabling field teams to track client needs, sentiment, and opportunity history on the go.
Brand Manager
avVenta
- Led the end-to-end redesign of Pontiac as the pilot brand for General Motors' company-wide digital overhaul, managing a cross-functional team over 6 months, encompassing site architecture, style guides, vehicle configurators, and car-quoting tools.
- Transitioned to lead the same initiative for Cadillac, delivering the brand's complete digital overhaul in approximately 4 months by applying lessons learned from the Pontiac engagement.
- Contributed to the redesign model developed for Pontiac, which was adopted and cascaded across the entire General Motors brand portfolio, multiplying its impact well beyond the two directly managed brands.
- Served as the ongoing digital delivery lead for Pontiac and Cadillac, ensuring all marketing content updates, promotional campaigns, and email deployments were aligned with the U.S. marketing team's events calendar.
- Coordinated full digital readiness for every new vehicle model launch across both brands, standing up vehicle overviews, specs pages, build-your-own configurators, and dealership finders ahead of each launch date.
Project Manager
Alienware
- Established the foundational delivery process for a newly formed onsite software development team—the company's first engineering capability in Costa Rica, enabling the local office to handle internal system requests independently for the first time.
- Designed and implemented an end-to-end intake, prioritization, and estimation workflow, giving department leads clear request tracking and reliable delivery timelines for the first time.
- Served as the single point of contact between multiple internal departments and the development team, translating business needs into prioritized, right-sized work assignments matched to each developer's skill set.
Project History
AI-powered Travel Photo Book Platform
- 8 — Concurrent Ship Configurations
- 3 — Partners Onboarded
No prior process or playbook existed for this entirely new business vertical. Managing a technically demanding AI product build in parallel with complex international partner logistics, including cruise ship docking timelines, international shipping, and marketing material production, while protecting the development team from an aggressive and fast-moving sales pipeline.
I designed and implemented a comprehensive operational tracking framework from scratch, covering every dimension of partner onboarding: book specs, pricing, AI configuration per ship theme, marketing material readiness, and international shipping timelines. I served as the organizational buffer between sales and development, translating commercial commitments into realistic, well-scoped delivery plans. I applied Scrum to the development team to maintain a disciplined delivery cadence amid constant external pressure.
I successfully launched an entirely new AI-powered business vertical, enabling the company to expand beyond its core yearbook product into the travel industry.
Employee Benefits Self-service Platform
- 100% — Coverage of Insurance Benefits
- 100% — Compliance with Insurance Regulations
I joined a team led by a highly capable but overextended lead architect who was simultaneously managing technical direction, business analysis, and project coordination. The team had no dedicated PM structure, and the absence of that role was limiting the architect’s effectiveness and the team’s overall output.
I immediately took ownership of all project management and task coordination responsibilities, freeing the lead architect to focus exclusively on technical direction and business analysis. I applied both Scrum and Kanban to match the nature of different work streams, and established a regular cadence of backlog management, sprint ceremonies, and stakeholder reporting, including weekly status updates and sprint showcases.
I tangibly improved team organization and delivery effectiveness by removing the coordination burden from the lead architect, allowing the team’s strongest technical asset to operate at full capacity.
Enterprise DAM Implementation & Migration
- $20 Million — Contract Value
- 10 — Team Size
Managing a highly complex enterprise migration with strict regulatory and compliance expectations, coordinating multiple parallel workstreams across asset migration, platform configuration, and API integrations, and maintaining alignment between a large multinational client and a specialized technical delivery team.
I implemented a structured waterfall delivery lifecycle with clear approval gates at each phase, established rigorous documentation practices to maintain stakeholder alignment, and coordinated parallel workstreams through disciplined milestone tracking and regular client-facing status reporting.
I successfully delivered one of Avyre’s most complex and highest-value DAM engagements to date, resulting in a fully operational enterprise DAM system with live integrations, migrated assets and metadata, and a signed-off go-live.
Education
Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration
Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología - San José, Costa Rica
Certifications
Certified Scrum Master
Scrum Alliance
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Skills
Tools
Slack, GitHub, Microsoft Project, Trello, Jira, Asana, Confluence, Google Slides, Project Management & Work Tracking Tools, Figma, Adobe
Paradigms
Servant Leadership, Agile Project Management, Requirements Analysis, Kanban, Agile, Scrum, Waterfall Delivery, Management, Change Management, Agile Leadership, AI Project Management, Cross-platform, Design Thinking, DevOps, Digital Marketing Best Practices, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Agile Product Management
Platforms
Monday.com, SharePoint, iOS, Android, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Marketo, Magento, Shopify, Zendesk
Industry Expertise
Digital Agencies, Technology, Digital Marketing, Healthcare, Sales & Marketing
Other
Technical Project Management, Project Management, Scrum Master, Digital Project Management, Hybrid Project Management, Team Leadership, Meetings, Organization, Project Tracking, Distributed Team Management, Scheduling, Administration, Global Team Management, Spanish, Communication Management, Multi-tasking, Documentation, Communication, Stakeholder Management, Project Planning, Scope Management, Client Management, Agile Sprints, Remote Work, Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Software Project Management, Waterfall Methodology, Minimum Viable Product (MVP), Planning, Sprints, Web Design, Detail-oriented, Program Management, Project Management Professional (PMP), Websites, Web Project Management, Website Redesign, Branding, Marketing, Project Coordination, Process Improvement Project Management, Software Implementation, Business, Startups, SOP Development, Process Management, Process Improvement, Agency, Project Timelines, Mobile Applications, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Project Reporting, Facilitation, Consulting, Technical Consulting, Project Management Office (PMO), Best Practices, Reporting, Standard Operating Procedures Development, Process Optimization, Project Delivery, Small Business, Conflict Resolution, Sprint Planning, Delivery Management, Business Analysis, Web Technologies, IT Project Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Web Applications, ClickUp, Backlog Management, Workflow, Project Management Consulting, Meeting Briefings, Business Process Optimization, Third-party Management, Implementation, Website Design, User Stories, Acceptance Criteria, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Sprint Retrospectives, Technical Program Management, Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Project Management.Agile Project Management, Project Management.Scrum, ZenHub, Process Control, Budget Management, Time Management, Scrumban, Mobile Apps, Mobile Web, Web Development, Discovery Workshops, Risk Management, Backlog Grooming, Mobile App Development, Jira Query Language (JQL), Team Management, Airtable, Agile Program Management, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Marketing Communications (MarCom), Analytics, Push Notifications, Social Media, RESTful Microservices, PMO Development, Vendor Management, Notion, Creative Briefs, Business Administration, People Management, Human Resources (HR), Apps, Product Owner, Mobile Development, eCommerce, Brand Development, Management Consulting, Marketing Services, Procurement, Vendor Coordination, Procurement Process Optimization, Financial Software, Purchasing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digital Brand Identity, Governance, Smartsheet, Life Science, Machine Learning, Quality Assurance (QA), QA Testing, Employee Experience, Product Management, Digital Asset Management, Inventory Management, Hardware, Product Development, Onboarding, Compliance, Technical Support, Technical Writing, Troubleshooting, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)
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