Paul Ferrise

Producer, Songwriter, Engineer, Release/Project Manager

Paul’s Corporate BIO

Overview

  • – 25+ Years Project and Implementation Management
  • – 13 Years Release Management – SDLC and Infrastructure
  • – Certified PRINCE 2 project management practitioner
  • – Agile Essentials Certified
  • – Process analysis, definition and design
  • – Team player, motivator and negotiator
  • – 20 years Internationalization Consultation
  • – Cross team functional management, to include offshore Development and QA teams
  • – Strong communication skills, both written and verbal

Relevant Professional Experience

Optum Technologies (United Health Group) – Bloomington, Minnesota
Release/Deployment Management  (April 2015 – Current)

Deployment Manager – RxClaim
Implemented a new post install production validation process. Preparing validation and health check plans and coordinating during production deployments. Implemented a new production defect issues management process and working with release managers to facilitate production defect resolution. Design and implementation of the new Production Automation Health Check system.

Release Manager – OptumRx IVR
Implementation of UDP compliance processes. Release and deployment planning and reporting. Execution of deployment activities during deployment windows. Process discovery and implementation.

Deployment Manager – ORX Navigator
Planning and coordinating ORX deployment activities to include deployment task planning, reporting, resource coordination and executing deployment activities during deployment windows. Change ticket management.

Release/Deployment Manager – Data Management
Implementation of deployment and release management processes. Release planning through to deployment planning and execution of multiple core data solution releases. Regular reporting through enterprise tools, deployment scheduling and planning. Coordination of resources for deployments and change ticket management. Implementing release and deployment processes over Agile methodology.

Ramstad Technologies – Bloomington, Minnesota
Release Manager – Consultant  (November 2012 – April 2015)

United Health Group – September 2013 – Current
Assigned to the Clinical Delivery Systems release management team to implement UHC release management structure within new applications acquired by the group. Design and build of the teams SharePoint site to include reporting dashboards for all 12 applications within the groups remit. Deployment management and execution.

Blue Cross Blue Shield – November 2012 to April 2013
Release Management consultant (6 month contract) assign to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota responsible for the release management of the complete infrastructure transformation program valued at 70 million dollars. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • – Release management across 6 major project streams with 12 projects including
    • Data Center rebuild
    • New Mainframe implementations
    • Backup and Archiving Upgrade
    • Replacement of new Servers and Network
    • Companywide XP replacement to WIN7
    • Telecom upgrades
  • – Release processes definition and implementation
  • – Communication to all business units, stakeholders and executive teams
  • – Release collision management
  • – Preparing all supporting release documentation
  • – Cross program dependency management working with programs supporting new health care regulations such as the new Exchange & ICD-10

Pearson VUE – Bloomington, Minnesota
Global Release Manager (November 2006–September 2012)

Responsible for release planning and management of all production software to partners, clients, datacenters and test centers globally. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • – Managing software releases to our data centers and test centers.
  • – Assuring release content is documented, baselined, and communicated to the business stakeholders
  • – Managing the change control process.
  • – Production build of our Test Center software packages
  • – Validation and review of package manifests
  • – Processing engineering and implementation
  • – Mapping requirements to global release schedules
  • – Producing monthly release management metrics and reports, and presenting them to senior leadership
  • – Leading and managing Pearson VUE’s Change Control Boards
  • – Conducting and analyzing defect reviews and prioritization
  • – Implementation and management of lessons learned strategies
  • – PWC auditing.
  • – Overall liaison between development, QA, Configuration Management and internal/external stakeholders.
  • – Principal contact for the Global Release Management team

Pearson Educational Measurement – Iowa City, Iowa

Product Implementation Manager (January 2005–November 2006)

Responsible for implementation and deployment of web-based services, including the eMeasurement Services online testing system, Schoolhouse exam material registration, and other system entities.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • – Acquisition and management of system configuration requirements
  • – System training and technical consultation
  • – Deployment management and operational support
  • – Process design and management

International Program Manager (November 2003–January 2005)

Relocated to the US to lead the International electronic Performance Evaluation Network (ePEN) Program; reporting to both the NCS Limited UK and the US Pearson Education Measurement organizations. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • – Responsible for the implementation and management of the (ePEN) program in the UK and Australia
  • – Represent International requirements and business needs
  • – Prepare and execute alignment strategies between the US and UK/Australia organizations
  • – Budget and cost control
  • -Participation in requirements analysis, FS design, costs estimates, tracking and control and invoicing.
  • – Implementation of support strategies for the UK and Australia organizations
  • – Managing scoring projects, involving the Performance Scoring Center scoring of UK examination responses
  • – Support of planning and implementation strategies for ePEN in the UK and Australia environments
  • – Participation in Change Control Board meetings
  • – Internationalization consultant to support ePEN’s new architecture to be a global product.

Pearson Assessments and Testing – Hellaby, UK

Project Manager / Business Analyst (March 2001–November 2003)

Reporting to the Program Director; managing the deployment of new technology projects into the UK educational market. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • – Responsible for electronic Performance Evaluation Network (ePEN) program in the UK
  • – Implementation of ePEN, an image based, online technology for the use of marking national assessments from Key Stages to Higher Education
  • – Development and implementation of the same technologies for our Australian subsidiary
  • – Manage client assessment and testing projects using PRINCE II. Clients include the Qualification Curriculum Authority (QCA), Edexcel, French Ministry of Education, Assessments and Qualification Alliance (AQA), London Qualifications
  • – Manage software development and integration projects and personnel
  • – Strategic analyses of client requirements
  • – Implementation of internationalization strategies for the UK division
  • – Created and maintain the Project Management Program, which brings all departmental project managers into a centralized forum for discussion, lessons learned, interdepartmental communication, and development

SDL International – Sheffield, UK
Senior Project Manager (April 1999–March 2001)

Assist the Program Manager in driving the Project Management team, train new Project Managers, and complete day-to-day tasks as assigned by the Program Manager. Support the sales force with initial client contact, pre-project analyses, proposal preparation through to estimate signoff. Manage Localization and Internationalization Projects from project pre sales and throughout the project lifecycle with contract values up to 5 million dollars.

Carpediem Group– Sarzana, Italy
IT Director (November 1996–December 1998)

Reporting directly to the CEO and board of directors; 

Led the technical team for the creation, construction, implementation and maintenance of the corporate global technologies into the headquarters, 14 office locations and two 5-star resorts with a technology budget of over 10 million dollars; linguistic consultation for the company; managing the MIS department to provide the day-to-day maintenance and support of the central headquarters and local offices; training the corporate staff and sales representatives in the use of the applications and systems.

Internet Village Network – Sarzana, Italy
Webmaster and Graphics Manager (February 1996–November 1996)

Served as network and web administrator using Microsoft NT with IIS and Linux; designed and localized graphics and web site solutions.

Technical Knowledge
I am very experienced in multiple levels of technology bases with a wide variety of desktop and enterprise tools, MS Office products, MS Project and Project Server, ClearQuest, SharePoint Designer, HPSM, Service Now, HP PPM and more. A good understanding of server and networking technology, databases and firewalls, graphics and editing programs, defect tracking and change management tools

Quickly able to learn customized business applications to fulfill my job brief.

Continuing Education

  • – 2016 – Agile Essentials Certification
  • – 2007 – CMMI – v1.2
  • – 2004 – MS Project Advanced
  • – 2002 – Requirements Management with Use Cases – Rational
  • – 2002 – Fundamentals of Rational Requisite Pro – Rational
  • – 2001 – PRINCE II – Foundation Certified (Project Management Methodology)
  • – 2001 – CMM (Capability Maturity Model) Level 2
  • – 2001 – OO Design and Analysis using UML
  • – 1996 – Concept Project/Program Management
  • – 1990 – Samsung Corporation – Certified Telecommunications Technician

Languages

English, Italian, Spanish (some)

Hobbies

Music, music producer/performer/songwriter, charity work, gardening, fishing, arts and crafts and DIY. My wife and I run an education center on our 40 acre land where we educate on the opportunities of nature and other sustainability practices.