Richard is available for hire
Hire RichardRichard Fisher
Verified Expert in Engineering
Solution Architect and Developer
Location
Irving, TX, United States
Toptal Member Since
September 21, 2020
Richard is a seasoned technology leader experienced in enterprise financial and B2B/B2C web development, customer relationship/call center solutions, and manufacturing applications. Richard is adept at modeling and optimizing business processes, architectural standards, mission-critical environments, and building high-performing teams in heavily regulated environments.
Portfolio
Elevance Health
Python 3, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Leadership, Architecture, Governance...
Anthem
Node.js, React, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon S3 (AWS S3), GraphQL...
Southwest Airlines
Project Budget Management, Project Scoping, Cost Estimation, Estimations...
Experience
Availability
Full-time
Preferred Environment
Business Process Modeling, Data Modeling, Web App Deployment, Software Development, Solution Architecture, Enterprise Architecture, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud
The most amazing...
...thing I've learned is how important a team is. It really does take a team to do big things and while I can lead them, I can't be all of them.
Work Experience
Principal Enterprise Architect
2021 - PRESENT
Elevance Health
- Led a year-long project to ensure Google Cloud complies with enterprise InfoSec standards & other frameworks (HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC2, SOX, etc). There were over 200 detailed requirements including architecture, infrastructure, development & operations.
- Championed and led the effort to move several software projects to open source. Worked with the different enterprise stakeholders to implement governance and technical review and approval processes.
- Evaluated, recommended, and architected technologies to address organizational needs, identify and mitigate risk, and allow seamless delivery.
- Participated in organizational strategy meetings to define a roadmap for the overall product suite, including timeline, features, and technical feasibility.
- Used Python 3 to analyze population healthcare trends. Helped identify storage strategies to improve the performance of data analysis when manipulating extremely large datasets.
- Helped define core featureset and data architecture for a partnership with Google to allow integration of Elevance data with Google Search in a secure, compliant way.
- Defined the Identity Access Management pattern used across the company, using OAUTH and integrating with the enterprise Active Directory. Built a TypeScript POC to demonstrate command-line authentication.
Technologies: Python 3, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Leadership, Architecture, Governance, IT Governance, Enterprise Architecture, Auth0, Authorization, Single Sign-on (SSO), Open Source, Google Cloud, Compliance, PCI Compliance, HIPAA Compliance, Python, TypeScript, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Enterprise SaaS
Development Manager | Solution Architect
2020 - 2021
Anthem
- Managed an agile development team to create a public website with associated back-end services. Interviewed and hired new team members, including QA, developers, and project managers, to grow the team.
- Architected the web portal and its integration with multiple additional back-end systems and SaaS services, such as Salesforce, Strapi (open-source CMS), Geofencing, etc. Evaluated and selected software tools and vendors for use on the website.
- Liaisoned the business to help identify and prioritize different business goals and map them to IT capabilities. Negotiated the conflicts arising from Waterfall business practices and an agile development team.
- Performed the detailed back-end analysis and design to ensure accurate implementation of business requirements. Implemented consistent governance to ensure appropriate reviews and approvals, compatible with a Fortune 30 company.
- Liaisoned with an enterprise governance organization, which included enterprise architecture, data governance, and legal to socialize and obtain approvals for preferred software solutions. Ensured compliance and managed risk for the platform.
Technologies: Node.js, React, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon S3 (AWS S3), GraphQL, PostgreSQL
Solution Architect
2019 - 2020
Southwest Airlines
- Successfully architected and presented an overall solution roadmap to executive leadership for a new product offering. The budget was over $44 million and business impact was projected to be over $1 billion.
- Defined high-level functional specifications, app & infrastructure strategy, and non-functional requirements for a major product initiative. Presented and received management approval for product, including functional and non-functional validation.
- Presented and received approval for application modifications, non-functional requirements, and testing approaches for multiple projects to reduce technical debt and enhance product offerings.
- Active in the effort to define reference architectures that will be used as patterns and best practices for future development. Particularly active in the cloud batch process reference architecture.
Technologies: Project Budget Management, Project Scoping, Cost Estimation, Estimations, Docker, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Requirements Analysis, Team Leadership, Technical Reference Models (TRM), Jakarta EE, IT Project Management, Enterprise Application Architecture, Enterprise Architecture, Non-functional Testing, Solution Architecture, Enterprise SaaS, B2C, Business to Consumer (B2C)
Solution Architect
2017 - 2019
Airbus
- Analyzed and designed complex, transformational, enterprise-wide systems, including requirements, application and infrastructure, non-functional requirements, security, support, governance and operational requirements.
- Led the architectural process to develop a POC for an intranet app for rapid report and dashboard creation using data from subsidiaries and divisions. This highly successful system was eventually industrialized and extended to other business units.
- Analyzed and evaluated hands-free, voice-controlled smartglasses as a POC for use in Airbus's component repair shop to allow part inspection. The hands-free SAP client resulted in a 43% reduction in part inspection time.
- Defined the standards and templates to use for Solution Architectures in the North America region. Standards were based on French standards but customized to reflect the different needs of our development teams.
- Built the solution architecture to implement SAP in Airbus Americas' Canadian helicopter warehousing and repair operations.
Technologies: Project Scoping, Cost Estimation, Estimations, Lean Project Management, Project Management, PostgreSQL, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Digital Transformation, Enterprise Application Integration (EAI), SAP, HoloLens, Alteryx, Tableau Server, Android, Active Directory Synchronization, IT Governance, Team Leadership, Infrastructure Architecture, Enterprise Architecture, IT Project Management, Solution Architecture, B2B, Enterprise SaaS
Director of OEM Technology Delivery (Product Management)
2015 - 2017
ABIA, Inc.
- Helped launch a startup BI company and develop new business, including both product and professional services.
- Defined the OEM white-labeling strategy for managed service provider (MSP) clients, including modeling client business processes, detailed requirements (user stories, tasks, acceptance criteria), architectural and application design recommendations.
- Strategized regarding competitors’ strengths and weaknesses, and best approaches to marketing ABIA’s strengths relative to the competition.
Technologies: Project Scoping, Estimations, Requirements & Specifications, Business Requirements, User Requirements, Product Management
Chief Architect | IT Manager
2013 - 2015
Careington International
- Analyzed the existing system to build comprehensive documentation of data, application and infrastructure. Defined transformation roadmap to migrate business from a monolithic service-based application to a microservice architecture.
- Directed the effort to successfully increase PCI-DSS compliance from Merchant Level 4 to PCI Service Provider Level 1 compliance on a highly accelerated schedule (less than a year).
- Designed the necessary infrastructure improvements necessary to speed delivery and improve system availability by 80% (99.5% to 99.9%), including support of increased call center hours.
- Rearchitected database to provide for a single source of truth. Architected data environment to include a production transactional database and passive failover database, a separate reporting database, and non-prod databases for testing purposes.
- Managed relationships with vendors and offshore development teams including ASP.NET development, testing, and reporting. Managed the evaluation, design, and contract negotiation for a new web hosting environment.
- Built an IT-specific project management team (PMO) to improve accountability and schedule and budget performance. The project management model was based on Agile development with the eventual goal of implementing DevOps.
- Designed and implemented a disciplined, structured software development lifecycle (SDLC), using primarily Microsoft .NET and ALM tools (Microsoft TFS, Visual Studio).
Technologies: Estimations, Cost Estimation, Project Scheduling, Project Scoping, Lean Project Management, IT Project Management, Project Management, JavaScript, Web Services, Vendor Management, Operations, Microsoft Visio, Data Modeling, Database Design, TFS, Application Lifecycle Management (ALM), PCI DSS, IT Infrastructure, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), IIS 7, SQL Server 2012, C#, .NET, B2B, B2C, Business to Consumer (B2C), Enterprise SaaS
Solution Architect
2009 - 2013
American Airlines
- Planned and architected the rewrite and migration of 30+ legacy apps (ASP, ASP.NET, SQL Server). Re-architected apps and new web services, upgraded SQL Server 2008 to 2012, and integrated with back-end systems (SAP, T&A & operational systems).
- Analyzed COTS learning management systems with respect to AA’s business and technical requirements. Included multiple competing business units in analysis. The system was critical for compliance, including mission-critical FAA/DOT qualifications.
- Architected an app to manage medical-related processes using Documentum, reducing paper processed by approximately 300,000 pages/year, streamlining processes, and eliminating 1.5 FTE positions. Designed security and HIPAA compliance features.
- Promoted design and code reviews within our department to ensure adherence to enterprise standards and the architecture as designed.
- Championed the integration of DevOps, including continuous integration using Jenkins, Maven, Ant, and automated testing using NUnit.
- Participated in an enterprise-wide architectural review board that reviewed architecture that spanned multiple business units. Evaluated non-functional requirements and recommended alternatives to improve them.
- Served as an internal subject matter expert in Agile methodology and the architectural standards, policies, and best practices for architecture in the transition from a Waterfall methodology.
Technologies: PostgreSQL, Amazon Web Services (AWS), SQL Server 2010, .NET, Web Services, CA SiteMinder, IIS, Requirements, Infrastructure Architecture, Application Architecture, Requirements Analysis, System Requirements, Solution Architecture, Regulatory Compliance
Experience
Service Provider Level 1 PCI Compliance
I directed the effort to achieve PCI Service Provider Level 1 compliance on a highly accelerated schedule and successfully received a certificate of PCI compliance.
Project Tasks:
• Implemented a formal SDLC based on NIST secure software engineering standards.
• Designed and implemented strictly segregated production and non-production environments, including the generation of sanitized databases for development and testing purposes. This required the redesign of both the company LAN and the external hosting environments to strictly enforce segregation.
• Managed multiple external consultants and vendors in order to accelerate the effort.
• Managed the risks associated with company-wide infrastructure work.
• Identified and mitigated multiple application vulnerabilities.
• Extensively documented the necessary HR and disaster recovery (DR) policies and procedures.
Project Tasks:
• Implemented a formal SDLC based on NIST secure software engineering standards.
• Designed and implemented strictly segregated production and non-production environments, including the generation of sanitized databases for development and testing purposes. This required the redesign of both the company LAN and the external hosting environments to strictly enforce segregation.
• Managed multiple external consultants and vendors in order to accelerate the effort.
• Managed the risks associated with company-wide infrastructure work.
• Identified and mitigated multiple application vulnerabilities.
• Extensively documented the necessary HR and disaster recovery (DR) policies and procedures.
Cloud-based Visual Management Dashboard Pilot and Industrialization
I led the architectural process to develop a POC and eventually industrialize an intranet application allowing rapid development of reports and visual dashboards using data from across multiple subsidiaries and lines of business. This included the analysis and design of the proposed system, an extensive analysis of non-functional requirements, security, and support and governance topics. This was Airbus America’s first Amazon cloud project and required extensive collaboration with multiple teams to develop operational and governance processes for AWS.
COBOL to Visual Basic Conversion
I converted a COBOL based B2C eCommerce system to Microsoft VB.NET. The conversion included redeveloping the online shopping portal and integration with multiple systems including a COBOL-based accounting system and inventory management system.
My responsibilities included an analysis of business logic, integration of file formats, transformation of the existing code structure, and the eventual migration of code to VB.NET.
My responsibilities included an analysis of business logic, integration of file formats, transformation of the existing code structure, and the eventual migration of code to VB.NET.
Skills
Languages
Visual Basic 6 (VB6), C#, VB.NET, COBOL, JavaScript, Java, GraphQL, Python 3, Python, TypeScript
Frameworks
ActiveX, .NET
Paradigms
Requirements Analysis, Agile, Scrum, Database Design, COM+, Management, Non-functional Testing, Application Lifecycle Management (ALM), Application Architecture, Enterprise Application Architecture, B2B, Enterprise Application Integration (EAI), Automation, HIPAA Compliance, B2C
Platforms
Windows, CA SiteMinder, Jakarta EE, Android, Alteryx, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Docker, Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Industry Expertise
Project Management
Storage
SQL Server 2012, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), PostgreSQL, SQL Server 2010, Amazon S3 (AWS S3), Google Cloud
Other
IT Project Management, Software Design, Solution Architecture, User Requirements, Requirements & Specifications, Data Modeling, System Requirements, Software Development, Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), Team Leadership, Business Rules, Architecture, COM, DCOM, Legacy Software, Legacy Code, Technical Leadership, Thought Leadership, Enterprise SaaS, Systems Engineering, Risk Models, Scope Management, Scrum Master, Product Management, Business Requirements, IIS 7, Web Services, Regulatory Compliance, Requirements, IIS, Web App Deployment, Business Process Modeling, COTS, Governance, Enterprise Architecture, Team Management, IT Governance, Business Transformation, Digital Transformation, Cost Estimation, Project Scoping, Lean Project Management, Project Scheduling, Writing & Editing, Offshore Team Management, Offshore Development, Advisory, Lean IT, IT Systems Engineering, CTO, Technical Product Management, Technical Program Management, Agile Leadership, Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), IT Infrastructure, PCI DSS, Operations, Vendor Management, Infrastructure Architecture, Security Architecture, Technical Reference Models (TRM), Active Directory Synchronization, Tableau Server, SAP, Estimations, Project Budget Management, Finance, Enterprise, Lean Six Sigma, Leadership, Authorization, Single Sign-on (SSO), Open Source, Compliance, PCI Compliance, Business to Consumer (B2C)
Tools
TFS, Microsoft Visio, HoloLens, Auth0
Libraries/APIs
Node.js, React
Education
2019 - 2021
Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA)
University of Texas at Dallas - Richardson, TX, United States
2016 - 2019
Master of Science Degree in Systems Engineering and Management
University of Texas at Dallas - Richardson, TX, United States
2012 - 2016
Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science
University of Texas at Dallas - Richardson, TX, United States
Certifications
JUNE 2020 - JUNE 2021
Certified Disciplined Agilist (CDA)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
MARCH 2013 - MARCH 2022
Project Management Professional (PMP)®
Project Management Institute (PMI)
JUNE 2011 - PRESENT
Professional Scrum Master I (PSM-I)
Scrum.org