Resume of Michael James Ellsworth

St. Louis Park, MN  55426

952-525-1584

mellsworth@stratvantage.com

Summary

I build things. I build organizations, teams, software, products, companies. I am an award-winning, results-oriented, tech-savvy Program Director and Project Manager with 24 years’ experience in Web software product, program, and project management (full SDLC – concept to production), social media consulting, wireless networking, emerging technology strategy, software development, documentation and training.  

Results

·         Turned around an $8.5M Web site program, created a PMO, obtained additional $4M funding, and led redesign and re-architecting effort that was given MHTA’s Tekne award in 2009 and was a finalist for the national American Technology Awards in 2010

·         Served as CTO of startup Evalubase Research and led redesign of Web site using AJAX

·         As VP, Strategic Planning of VirtualFund, developed product plans, business plans, investor presentations, and strategy

·         As an independent IT strategy consultant, created the eMarketplace strategy framework for Sterling Commerce

·         Started Web development at ACNielsen in 1994, increased charting productivity 29X by porting from mainframe to PC servers – system is still in use

·         In 1993, created the first integrated data warehouse/decision support system for the CPG industry that won a shootout against Red Brick and Teradata

Experience

7/06 – present Program Director, CareerOneStop, State of Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, St. Paul, MN

·         Took over 9-year-old $8.5M/year Web site program, created a Project Management Office, and instituted best practice project management, content lifecycle, workflow management, and other program processes.

·         CareerOneStop Website development program required a turnaround effort including:

o    Instituted best practices set by the State PMO; set up MS Enterprise Portfolio Manager (Project Server and SharePoint); initiated training for staff in business analysis, UML, project management, usability concepts, and Web writing

o    Wrote PM plans (risk management, configuration management, project management, and so on)

o    Created and instituted a new end-to-end work process including work request/change management system and a content management lifecycle

o    Planned and managed a multi-phase redesign and re-architecting of the Web site, including implementation of a content management system (Tridion), a site search engine (Endeca) that was given the Minnesota High Tech Association’s annual Tekne award in 2009.

o    Obtained $4M in additional funding for the program over three years

o    Implemented a User-Centered Design Program and trained staff

o    Managed a user experience architecture services engagement involving six consulting firms that provided:

§  Usability Testing and Recommendations

§  Information Architecture

§  User Interface Design

§  Search Engine Marketing

§  Section 508 Compliance

§  User Centered Design Training

o    Implemented Agile methodologies (Scrum) on appropriate projects

·         Managed relationships with program managers of grantor – US Dept. of Labor

9/00-7/06 Principal, StratVantage Consulting, LLC, St. Louis Park, MN

·         8/04 – 2/06 Ran Web (.NET/SQL Server) development for IT market research startup Evalubase Research as their CTO.

o    Took over existing project to develop a Web-based survey application; handled transition from third party project manager

o    Identified and led rewrite of several basic modules due to poor code construction

o    Established DEV, TEST, PROD and intranet (SharePoint) environments

o    Managed numerous point releases as well as doing requirements, design, and project management for a major release involving significant re-architecting using AJAX

o    Managed all content on the Website, including designing and implementing a major home page renovation

·         2000-2001 Created the eMarketplace strategy framework for Sterling Commerce

·         2000-2001 Recommendations led to establishment of wireless practice, two email newsletters, a white paper series, and the first digital marketing efforts at Geneer Corporation

9/99-8/00 Vice President, Strategic Planning, VirtualFund, Inc., Eden Prairie, MN

·         Developed product plans, business plans, investor presentations, and strategy for business-to-business electronic commerce offerings, including writing a product plan for Palm VII and other wireless devices.

·         Communicated strategy to analysts, investors, and employees. 

·         Prepared investor briefings and presented at industry conferences.

·         Served as interim VP of Product Marketing and managed the development of business requirements for flagship software/Web site.

1/15/85-9/24/99 Various positions ACNielsen Company, Minneapolis, MN,
in Systems, Sales, Marketing, and Documentation departments.

Selected ACNielsen Highlights:

11/96 - 9/99 Senior Project Manager - Internet Development, Systems Department, ACNielsen

·         Responsible for charting ACNielsen's Internet strategy, developing new Internet products, and managing project teams from concept to launch.

·         Designed and built ACNielsen’s first eCommerce architecture

·         Led a large cross-functional team (25 to 30 people) that developed Category Planner, a complex integrated application offering interactive database reporting over the Web.

·         Result: Released ACNielsen’s fastest growing Web product

7/95 - 11/96 Manager, Advanced Technology, Systems Department, ACNielsen

·         Conceived and led project team to develop an Internet report delivery service: NetDispatch.

·         Part of cross-functional team to create the ACNielsen Corporate site and served as Webmaster in addition to other duties for two years.

·         Managed onshore and offshore outsourced teams.

·         Result: Released first ACNielsen corporate Web site in April 1995

12/93 - 7/95 Product Manager, Platform and Delivery, Marketing Department, ACNielsen

·         Designed and architected Windows NT-based Nielsen Application Server Architecture product, integrating existing technology from two sister divisions: Sales Technologies' Communications Server, and D&B Software's SmartStream.

·         Designed and led project to deliver BrokerNET, the industry's first report and chart delivery service via the World Wide Web in 1995.

·         Served on D&B Electronic Commerce Special Interest group in 1994-1995 and helped shape D&B's electronic commerce strategy.

·         Result: Released CPG industry’s first Web application in February 1995

11/92-11/93 Project Leader, RDBMS Development, Marketing Department, ACNielsen

·         Established and managed project team to develop an ACNielsen integrated workstation and data warehouse product using RDBMS technology rights ACNielsen purchased (Time Machine).

·         Result: An integrated analysis workstation/data warehouse product that won a shootout against Red Brick and Teradata

2/89-1/91 Project Leader, Product Development Group, Information Delivery Department, ACNielsen

·         Lead implementation of Automated LAN Production System project and that replaced a mainframe reporting and charting system.

·         Result: ALPS System produced 6 million pages of customer report output a year and exhibited a twenty-nine-fold increase in productivity.

Education

B. A. in Psychology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27706

Keane Productivity Management Training, Schaumburg, IL

 

Project Management Training, Snyder Consulting, Schaumburg, IL

 

Intensive nine-month training on project management techniques involving classroom instruction, hands on project management and mentoring.

 

Advanced Microsoft Enterprise Portfolio Manager/MS Project Training, Milestone Consulting, Eagan, MN

Publications

11/96 Chapter Author, Platinum Edition Using HTML 3.2, Java 1.1, & CGI, Eric Ladd, Jim O'Donnell eds., Que Corporation, Indianapolis, IN, ISBN: 0-7897-0932-5.

5/96 Chapter Author, Special Edition: Using CGI, Dwight, Jeffry and Michael Erwin, eds., Que Corporation, Indianapolis, IN, ISBN 0-7897-0740-3.