Simon Metz, Project Manager in New York, NY, United States
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Simon Metz

Verified Expert  in Project Management

Project Manager

Location
New York, NY, United States
Toptal Member Since
March 14, 2019

Simon is a senior project manager, leader, and strategist with 20 years of experience combining strategic, product, technology, and operational expertise. He's transformed enterprises, optimized and led delivery practices, and directed mission-critical systems while looking for contract engagements. Simon has extensive capabilities to lead delivery on time and within budget while building trusting, long-term client relationships with client leadership.

IT Project ManagementProject ManagementDigital Project ManagementAgile Project ManagementAgileProject Management Office (PMO)Enterprise CoachingScrum MasterAgile CoachingInsuranceJiraWebAsanaManufacturing Project ManagementAutomotive Product ManagementHead of PMOPMO DirectingRemote

Project Highlights

Rearchitecting and Redesigning Massachusetts General Hospital
Transformed 300 websites into a single portal in 2007 and 2008—much of which is still in use today ten years later.
Nestle Waters | Water Delivery Portal
Led a team of architects, strategists, and experience and visual designers to completely overhaul a failing customer portal.
The College Board—Find Your College
Recovered a major account and led the product strategy & project management for the College Board's new product platform.

Expertise

APIsAgileAgile CoachingAgile Project ManagementDigital Project ManagementIT Project ManagementProject Management Office (PMO)Scrum Master

Work Experience

Agile Transformation Lead | Program and Technology Manager

2021 - PRESENT
Anheuser-Busch
  • Worked with AB Innovation and adjacent groups on program management and workflow optimization on existing programs. Leveraged technical expertise and Agile transformation and implementation and built maturity models and tool/team configuration.
  • Defined agile transformation, built agile architecture for the new product innovation team, and trained and coached the team.
  • Built an agile runbook deliverable, defined and reported KPIs to two directors, and provided training and long-term coaching.
  • Led program and agile management for a mission-critical GHQ project to tie marketing efforts to real-time data while reporting to the VP of data.
  • Acted as interim scrum master, bringing together cross-functional teams with SMs, POs, design, packaging, supply, logistics, and marketing teams. Designed and configured the Microsoft Azure DevOps agile tool instance.

Product Line Owner

2021 - 2022
Johnson & Johnson
  • Collaborated with business leaders and technology teams to manage a strategic supply chain workflow application.
  • Defined the vision and strategy for the product line and managed the application requirements and development.
  • Evaluated product progress, planned product execution, and managed the application lifecycle.
  • Managed all vendor budgets and contracts. Reported release plans, budgets, resources, application usage, and infrastructure/environment requirements to the business.

Product Owner | Head of Agile

2019 - 2021
ABi InBev — ZX Ventures (Venture Capital Unit)
  • Served as a product owner for a mission-critical portfolio management platform upgrade for deal status, financials, data, and vertical news feed, and the MVPs of product launched.
  • Formed new Agile teams globally, acting as scrum master for eight teams and providing training and long-term coaching as I hired local resources.
  • Worked with global VPs, their business units, and stakeholders on strategic, agile initiatives, defined and reported on Agile KPIs, and developed a maturity model.
  • Expanded Azure DevOps across the global business unit to create a consistent dashboard and Agile processes.
  • Worked with the portfolio manager and data team to define and execute metric and KPI data feeds.

Agile Transformation Lead (Contract)

2019 - 2019
Dell EMC Technology
  • Researched workflows and created a library of Agile story templates across a number of business units.
  • Developed and iterated on the complete Agile Playbook to guide future teams employing the Agile methodology.
  • Developed Agile frameworks to be adopted by different US and globally-based teams.
  • Acted as a scrum master for four months—coaching teams and SMs as they became more mature in Agile skills.

Lead Project Management and Technology Consultant

2019 - 2019
Mterra (Energy Startup)
  • Acted as the lead consultant for all technology/IT/digital efforts for this energy firm run by top Wall Street executives and a senior petroleum leader.
  • Performed due diligence in enterprise communications platforms, including the complete contracting and configuration of software, users, and permissions/access controls.
  • Led the research, vendor due diligence, and integrations for the financial/general ledger platform.
  • Developed the entire digital strategy, including negotiating the domain names, moving DNS records to various technology platforms, and building the site infrastructure.
  • Managed the branding and marketing team on logo development, website content strategy, SEO, and taglines.
  • Led the project management processes, including selecting the enterprise platform for PMs (internal and vendor) to collaborate on.
  • Managed the projects for all system analysis, implementation, website, and marketing efforts.

Principle Consultant | Senior Project Manager

2017 - 2018
NewVantage Partners
  • Worked directly with a partner at a boutique consulting firm on technology management for a top four US bank and Fortune 40 insurance firm.
  • Performed project management, Agile training, and Agile coaching—leading client resources to understand and adopt the Agile methodology for their big data workstreams.
  • Engaged as a project management lead, developed plans, and actively managed a large software release program. Managed a large Salesforce.com build with complex data migrations and transformations and the DevOp processes.
  • Documented current state business processes, workflows, project goals, and resource utilization.
  • Developed and documented a product-based operating model for an entire big data client organization; this included a working model, process flows, roles, and responsibilities.
  • Owned the software merge and environment deliverable to improve SDLC within a development QA stage and production environments.
  • Developed Agile training materials, which included gamification and two-day work-session materials.
  • Configured Jira with workflows, wrote all story and task templates, and trained to optimize the fields for a client team.

Strategic Technology Project Manager and Initiatives Leader (Contract)

2016 - 2017
Cenveo
  • Acted as the project manager, product owner, and core team member—leading an end-to-end digital transformation along with the CIO and SVP digital supply chain.
  • Oversaw and was responsible for the product management of our digital application product lifecycle and the integration with enterprise applications and web services from CMS to ERP, EDW, and analytics platforms.
  • Built a new technical architecture driven by a best-in-class CMS, microservices, TIBO service bus, and an enterprise data warehouse.
  • Developed and managed product specs, marketing assets, and technical architecture.
  • Performed vendor due diligence, wrote RFP and interfaces to in-house third-party software APIs and systems.
  • Led a digital transformation to enhance operational efficiencies for Cenveo across operations, finance, and business analytics group and to create an integrated and automated digital business.

Senior Project/Program Manager (Lead Digital Strategist)

2015 - 2016
Ernst & Young FSO Digital Group
  • Spearheaded the project management and digital strategy engagement at a major P&C insurer to develop a digital claims experience and data optimization with user experience and technology deliverables.
  • Engaged with client leadership to gain buy-in on the need for digital servicing and engagement.
  • Spearheaded the digital marketing and content strategy track for consumer brokerage firm engagement to enable an enhanced partnership with brokerage’s clients and increase KPIs, such as AUM, GNA, DARTs, and increased retention efforts. Developed program for acquisition, retention, and upsell based on customer data.
  • Led efforts across multiple engagements to perform analysis of available data, how to leverage it across customer segments and cohorts, and how to move data into data lakes and data marts (Hadoop).
  • Acted as the project management lead on major insurance carrier digital claims strategy project, heading up a team of eight.
  • Developed project margin calculations on monthly basis and wrote engagement agreements and MSA with the firm's legal group.

Senior Project Manager and Strategy Practice Lead

2013 - 2015
EMC Global Consulting — Digital Group
  • Developed a cohesive strategy practice and project management principles.
  • Expanded engagements in digital and content strategy and established strong project management discipline.
  • Developed new clients to broaden the group’s focus into a wide-ranging set of verticals. Led core engagements with a JPMorgan Chase, Amex, Mars, BNY Mellon, Liberty Mutual, GE, and other Fortune 100 firms.
  • Acted as the project manager and product owner for JPMorgan Chase's global HR application for 270,000 employees; designing, managing development, and driving an Agile process to reinvent the app along with personalization for all employees based on their role.
  • Leveraged also data to present relevant information, speed up the HR process, and develop a data governance model; also integrated a third-party application.
  • Worked with EMC, Third Party, and JPMC development teams to coordinate and refine requirements, specifications, and deployment.
  • Acted as the program manager and strategy lead employee data governance and digital transformation product at Amex in order to uncover and fully leverage data to assign employees to relevant projects.
  • Developed a model for data field source of truth across 13 repositories.
  • Wrote business and functional requirements including as-is and to-be scenarios for application development and enhancements.
  • Led and managed engagements included a consumer-facing credit card platform, a digital employee workplace applications at Mars Inc. and for Liberty Mutual Insurance; this also included content transformation, data visualizations, and analytics/algorithm platforms.
  • Managed timelines, margins, resource allocations, and contractor agreements with an EMC operations leader to continue project management excellence in the group.

Engagement Director and Project Management Lead

2009 - 2013
HUGE LLC (Part of IPG Group)
  • Drove digital strategy and product development for large-scale engagements. Worked closely with agency CEO and partners to create long-term client relationships with global perspectives. Owned a portfolio of engagements with multiple clients.
  • Created programs for C-level and senior director clients to transform the digital channel into the client’s primary content and marketing tool, allowing them to drive lead generation, optimize content workflows, and monetize their digital properties.
  • Worked as a program and engagement manager for GE Capital, collaborating with the CMO and GE corporate to transform the brand's digital strategy. Led engagement and commerce on B2B sites, improving lead generation and thought leadership engagement.
  • Expanded relationship with GE to include its European sites and global digital strategy, engaged with GE EMEA marketing leaders to transform EMEA unit’s digital presence, engagement, and online lead generation.
  • Facilitated very high margins along with a substantial amount of customer satisfaction.
  • Defined the customer server and order platform requirements as program manager. Acted as the product manager on the portal strategy and defined the functional specs and UX standards for Nestle Waters North America's major B2C and B2B web application.
  • Led a team in developing the digital strategy to improve Nestle Waters North America's eService functionality through a complete redesign of seven brand websites while leveraging a common infrastructure, data warehouse, and back-end platforms.
  • Worked with teams on Nestle Waters North America's marketing communication plans to further leverage digital channel and increased net sales 15%.
  • Expanded the Nestle Waters North America engagement into an annual retainer and became a core partner in the Nestle inter-agency team. Led the effort to implement PCI compliance and credit card processing for Nestle Waters North America.
  • Spearheaded many engagements as a product owner and lead strategist on cable, mobile wallet, media, and wealth management projects for Dow Jones, Hearst, Syancor, and SEI.

Vice President, Director of Project Management, and Senior Project Leader

2008 - 2009
Digitas (Part of Publicis Group)
  • Managed projects and teams across a portfolio of client engagements and partnered with the marketing team to offer strategic guidance to clients.
  • Successfully led multiple digital pitches with wins in excess of $5 million.
  • Oversaw and was responsible for client engagement, digital strategy, and profitability.
  • Directed a team of associate directors and managers with three direct reports while partnering with marketing, creative, strategy, and technology capabilities to drive projects to successful completion.
  • Led projects in key neuroscience and oncology franchise projects for Bristol-Myers Squibb, increasing strategic work while retaining tactical projects.
  • Spearheaded projects and partnered on the successful pitch of a key PRM program, grew the account to $12 million.
  • Leveraged my technical expertise to kick-off and manage a team for the key portal implementation across US brands.
  • Engaged with BMS finance and global procurement to streamline FDA regulatory processes, approval, and third-party vendor processes (Bristol-Myers Squibb).
  • Led the account transfer from Philadelphia to New York office, onboarding a team of project managers, marketing, and technology staff (Bristol-Myers Squibb).
  • Worked with finance to reorganize the financials—uncovering and correcting numerous accounting deficiencies (Bristol-Myers Squibb).
  • Managed client relationships and drove future projects in the pipeline.
  • Partnered with a marketing team to increase business 400% to over $4 million in fees.

Senior Project Manager and Client Service Team Program Leader

2006 - 2008
LBi — IconNicholson (now part of Publicis Group)
  • Directed the strategy across a portfolio of client projects. Worked as a member of the client service team (CST) and was responsible for client engagement, digital strategy, solution quality, and profitability.
  • Managed resource allocation for client services for 20 team members and on projects up to $3 million.
  • Oversaw and mentored three members who directly reported to me.
  • Worked on Massachusetts General Hospital’s (MGH) web redesign project as a product owner and manager on a 12-month engagement; much of the technical architecture, information design, and single site platform is still in use ten years later.
  • Led the strategy and implementation of MGH's digital platform redesign to serve the hospital centers, patients, and community better. Engaged with MGH's care centers to define their requirements and integrate them into a cohesive platform strategy.
  • Ensured constant communication with the MGH’s CIO to make sure that the deliverables matched his vision.
  • Directed a team of architects, business analysts, and content strategist to work with MGH in developing content for the new healthcare portal. Defined new processes to allow for the creation of centralized site content.
  • Worked as a senior project manager and a leader of a team of architects, engineers and designers for McKinsey & Co. on two years of feature additions and redesigns to core platform.
  • Acted as the product owner for a new paradigm for McKinsey as digital thought leader. Managed McKinsey's strategic projects to drastically increase loyalty and C suite engagement.
  • Project-managed a B2B customer and finance billing/account portal to reduce manual intervention and use of spreadsheets for major corporate delivery accounts.

Senior Project Manager and Product Manager

2005 - 2006
Time Inc. Interactive
  • Managed relationships with senior editors on projects across a portfolio of Time Inc. Interactive (TII) for EW.com, People.com, and Parenting.com.
  • Led the SME group to specify the next generation of the content management system.
  • Collaborated with the president of TII, director of products concerning their legal, and corporate information security on vendor due diligence and technology audits.
  • Managed EW.com's complete site redesign including the business requirements, technical specifications, design systems, and user experience.
  • Designed user-submitted content systems to allow for enhanced functionality and UGC.
  • Directed research for updated semantic engine system to drive dynamic pages for Time Inc.’s sites (an SEO and metadata categorization project).
  • Evaluated TCO across the pilot and second, and third phases of the project and budgeted for stakeholders (for the SEO and metadata categorization project).
  • Improved search results across Time Inc.’s websites and worked with their interactive president to evangelize SEO best practices which led to additional revenue (for the SEO and metadata categorization project).
  • Spearheaded the effort to implement accessibility standards (for the SEO and metadata categorization project).

Rearchitecting and Redesigning Massachusetts General Hospital

http://massgeneral.org

Transformed 300 websites into a single portal in 2007 and 2008—much of which is still in use today ten years later.

Here, I led the project management for the engagement and worked directly with a client program lead to rearchitect, redesign the experience, and create a content strategy and taxonomy with team resources.

Nestle Waters | Water Delivery Portal

https://www.readyrefresh.com/

Led a team of architects, strategists, and experience and visual designers to completely overhaul a failing customer portal.

On this project, I worked as the project and product lead to overall the B2B and B2C customer portal to drive call center costs down and increase digital engagement with all levels of customers across Nestle's seven US water brands.

The revised design saw much greater use by customers and lead to a 15% increase in cross-sells in only one year. The number of eService sign-ups also increased and call center volume dropped for most standard order requests.

The College Board—Find Your College

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges/how-find-your-college-fit

Recovered a major account and led the product strategy & project management for the College Board's new product platform.

Here, I managed the product and project for the College Board's new site/product. I led a large team of technologists, experience and visual designers, content strategists, usability test resources, photographers, and videographers to create a brand new holistic site for high school students to find the college that fit their needs, geographic requests, and test scores.

The site is still in use eight years later.
1999 - 2002

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science

Columbia University - New York, NY, USA

OCTOBER 2019 - PRESENT

Certified Product Owner Professional

Scrum Inc.

OCTOBER 2019 - PRESENT

Certified Scrum Master Professional

Scrum Inc

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