Kenneth Halvorson

Thief River Falls MN - Responsible for the growth and development of the software engineers assigned to the warehouse distribution systems and material transport for the 4th largest electronics distributor in the world. 

• Hackett Group World Class IT assessment Leader

• IT Leadership contributor and influencer
• Trusted advisor to the office of the CIO

• I provide direction, career development, performance reviews and administrative support to software engineers

• Environment: Linux, C, C++, Oracle, SAP EWM,  Windows .Net, C#, ASP, Activebatch, SQL, Office Suite, Visual Studio, Team Foundation Server, Tibco, Visio, Project, Agile/Scrum methodologies.

Sioux Falls, SD -  Manage and Coordinate activities surrounding all software development efforts and Software Engineers. Specifically, oversees the people, architecture, design, development, SDLC processes and maintenance efforts for new and existing enterprise applications.

• As a resource and process manager(Scrum Master) in the SDLC, I developed and lead the build team process(SCRUM) meetings where the team reviewed the work assignments, testing status and project burndown reports to ensure iteration and software delivery, the team reported any obstacles to me to manage.
• I lead the technical project efforts for all projects and upgrading enterprise systems to deploy Web, SOA and Service Bus technologies. I managed the reporting of hours, project statuses and Product Backog requests. I worked with the product owners to manage and determine priority of the work they have requested.
• I manage the work planning and breakdown into user stories and work items in TFS and have taught the product owners how to view work status in TFS.
• I work with the quality assurance group on release management calendar, release status, documentation and overall iteration efforts. I analysed business requirements to develop initial effort(LOE) estimates.
• I help improve the careers of the Software Engineers by reviewing work requests and engineer careers and match up work to keep the engineers skill sets viable. I act as their advocate to foster and motivate talent.
• I developed a 6 month forward looking resource capacity plan that showed management how I can resource all the large and small requests for work.
• I apply learned agile/lean software engineering methods that significantly reduced day to day and project work efforts.
• I lead the source code clean up and HP/Fortify vulnerability management program in Software Engineering.
• I analyse the business requirements for all work planning for all IT groups, collaborated with each group letting them know how we would need to work together. I would then review the  capacity planning for all software engineering efforts and provide a timeline.
• Responsible for Business Enterprise Mapping(BEM) of the work planning function in IS. I mentored all levels of software engineers by developing a career roadmap and training plan for each engineer.
• After each iteration retrospect review, I debriefed with the team leads to capture notes and opportunities to teach.

• Environment: Windows .Net, C#, ASP, Activebatch, SQL, Office Suite, Visual Studio, Team Foundation Server, NServiceBus, Visio, Project, Agile, Lean and waterfall methodologies.

Aberdeen, SD - Chief Marketing Technologist Serving as a provider of technology and marketing services to small business.

• Re-seller of location and subject based SMS marketing services across the United States. Primary customer contact and business development relationship management.
• Marketing, operations and technology consultant providing expertise across internal and external business relationships.
• Expert in technology planning, operations and producing results that generate savings or revenue. Expert in defining the business contributions made by IT organizations to management.

Columbus, Indiana - Quality Assurance Principal/ADSC Leadership Team Lead

• SME role supporting 3000+ developers in the development of enterprise tool automation and testing standards.
• Worked cross organizational and functional teams, leading the establishment of enterprise testing standardization of highly complex technology systems and ensuring quality and efficient systems performance and enterprise process standardization.
• Developed, designed and implemented Cummins' 1st Enterprise Defect Management system using IBM Rational RTC and RQM. After 4 previous attempts in 5 years, deployed on the cloud and ready for production in 7 months.
• Mentored all levels of personnel on IT management, development, testing and IT business operations. Introduced the concept of outsourcing service level goals for the standard SDLC to reduce problem tickets.

• Environment: Java, Eclipse, Oracle 12.0, PLM,Websphere, Rational RTC/RQM, CA-7, IBM mainframe, cobol, VSAM, Office Suite, Visio, Project, waterfall methodologies, BMC Remedy problem manager.

Sioux Falls, SD - Senior Programmer Analyst-Pega Systems 

• On shore Technical Lead for release management and testing plans of Pega BPM
• Team expert in determining BPM testing and Sofware Development effectiveness of the team.
• Manage reporting systems into a single standard report for testing and production defects to management
• Authored and designed a “1 in x” regression testing process. The process synchronizes hundreds of files reducing processing time and storage of all Cards products testing.
• I was responsible for ensuring that our domestic and international business processes were tested using our group’s CMM compliant standardized and repeatable testing methodologies and processes. I was responsible for reviewing, compiling, and the execution of test plans, test approach documents, test schedules, test environments, management progress reports. All had to be coordinated with personnel from all over the world.
• Environment: Java, Eclipse, Pega PRPC, IBM/Infoman, IBM/Cognos 10.0, SAS, Websphere, IBM Mainframe ZOS, Cobol, JCL, Proc, DYL-280, TSO/ISPF, Rexx, VSAM, Adabase, PL1, Assembler, Unix, C, Strobe, CA-Librarian, MS Office Suite, Planview, NDM, Visio, Project, HP QC 10,  HP Blueprint, Waterfall Methodologies, ChangeMan, OPCA, CA-1, CA-7, CA-11.

Aberdeen, SD - Chief Information Officer and Chief Operating Officer

• Revitalized entire business group, renewed spirit of collaboration, introduced performance driven project management and software delivery methodologies.
• Responsible for all IT staff and processes, version control standards, and developing and enforcing application development standards to ensure system compatibility.
• Supported and interacted with internal and external customer base, managed entire IT outsourcing contracts, established software development standards and related compliance policies.
• Developed, maintained and enforced operational standards, coordinating all software installations, and managing contracts/vendor relations. Manage information-technology strategic direction, recommending future enhancements, changes, and direction.
• Executive in charge of Compliance, Business operations, Continuity of Business planning and annual testing.
• Responsible for all operations, sales, client management, technology and financial results of the company. SLFC is a 2 Billion dollar student loan portfolio manager/servicer.
• Led large-scale reorganizations, established service level agreements, established change control procedures, and business process management, renegotiated all vendor contracts, established the compliance review boards.
• Established the SDLC(software development life cycle)
• Established release schedules for projects. Established and manged the Project Management Office(PMO) to a 97% delivery to budget and timelines for 3 years straight.
• Implemented Best Business Practices and compliance policies CIP, OFAC, BSA, AML, GLB, SOX, HIPPAA, Patriot.
• Reduced problem tickets and their root cause by 64% within six months.
• Achieved“ Exceptional Performer” status for student loans in six months with collaborative group efforts and initiatives.
• Lead the merger and acquisition efforts of the company with one of the largest corporations in the U.S.
• Successfully negotiated the national marketing contracts for over 15, 000 Lenders in the U.S.
• Reduced loan defaults and delinquencies by 66% by managing numbers, adjusting policy, and negotiations.
• Successfully won the teaming agreement with Deloitte for Government contractor from 4 other larger servicers. 

• Environment: Java,Weblogic, SQL, IBM Mainframe VSE ,Cobol, JCL, Proc, Vitria EAI, Accorde, Planview, Office Suite, Visio, Project, Waterfall Methodologies, Quickbase Problem Manager.

Aberdeen, SD - Project manager /Business Analyst

• Evaluated business process, identifying areas of improvement, and implementing ways to better utilize systems and technologies.
• Performed requirements gathering and broke projects into specific tasks assigned to the appropriate departments. Monitored projects to ensure deadlines were met and to resolve any discrepancies within a timely manner.
• Maintained status and coordinated quality assurance testing and system acceptance. Identified the priorities and risks of a large project, assigning development tasks and testing cases appropriately. Installed the product into production in, serving as a very stable and valuable asset to the company.
• Performed efficiency studies and identified opportunities for improvements saving $250,000 permanently.

• Environment: Java, Websphere, DB2, IBM Mainframe VSE, Cobol, JCL, Proc, Office Suite, Visio, Project, Waterfall Methodologies, Double Choco Latte Problem Manager.

St. Paul MN - Project Leader/Manager Application Consultant III

• Mainframe Support Served in performing advanced programming, project management, advanced design.
• Developed testing methodologies and performed Windows NT server administration. Additionally, performed basic Oracle for NT maintenance.
• Standardized repeatable process to the client server architecture at U.S. Bank, collaborating with the development and audit groups to understand requirements and assemble process.
• Introduced U.S. Bank IS standards to the Firstar development teams located in Milwaukee, WI, ensuring adherence to standards as well as leading project for all management reporting and project leadership.
• Project lead for the data center consolidation of all Usbank and Firstar change management and problem management functions. 

• Environment: Java, IBM Visualage, SAS, Websphere, IBM Mainframe ZOS, Cobol, JCL, Proc, VSAM, Rexx, TSO/ISPF, ChangeMan, Adabase, PL1, Assembler, Unix, C, Office Suite, Visio, Project, Waterfall Methodologies, CA-Endeavor, CA-7, CA-11, Hogan Banking, IBM/Infoman Change and Problem Management, Mercury Interactivve LoadRunner, Winrunner.

Sioux Falls, SD/Weehawken, NJ/Hagerstown, MD  

• Designed and coded an automated test system that spans over 20 UAT environments concurrently, runs over 25,000 batch jobs and reported test cases covered.
• Authored an automated technical change control package for system software installations at four geographically different locations. The process also provided for audits and management reporting of installs.
• Change Control named the testing methodology to be the corporate model or "Best Business Practice" for all testing at Citigroup. Responsible for introducing the testing methodology to other corporate subsidiaries of Citigroup that were outside the business. Responsible for the Technical Project installation / conversion to the testing methodology. When completed, the group was entirely responsible for the testing of external corporate subsidiaries in Citigroup.
• Responsible for ensuring that the domestic and international business processes were tested using the group’s CMM compliant standardized and repeatable testing methodologies and processes. Responsible for reviewing, compiling, and the execution of test plans, test approach documents, test schedules, test environments, management progress reports. All had to be coordinated with personnel from all over the world. In 2012, my application was named a "Citi Best Practice" and is being deployed at all Citi technology locations.
• Environment: Java, Eclipse, Pega PRPC, IBM/Infoman, IBM/Cognos 10.0, SAS, Websphere, IBM Mainframe ZOS, Cobol, DYL-280, JCL, Proc, TSO/ISPF, Rexx, VSAM, Adabase, PL1, Assembler, Strobe, Unix, C, CA-Librarian, CA-1, CA-7, CA-11, MS Office Suite, Planview, NDM, Visio, Project, HP QC 10,  HP Blueprint, Waterfall Methodologies, ChangeMan.

Marshall MN - Lead Production Control Analyst

• Scheduled all Honeywell and IBM mainframe batch jobs.
• Cobol Optimization subject matter expert.
• Testing Lead for all projects.
• Datapoint RMS system programmer
• During a conversion from a Honeywell mainframe to an IBM system, I created an automated cross reference software package for all facets of a large production system. There was no vendor software available to do this on a Honeywell system. I received an efficiency award for the package.
• Optimized the General ledger update program Schwans used from 40 hours down to 2 hours.
• Streamlined all Month-end and Year-end schedules and reduced processing time by 3 days.

• Environment: Honeywell GCOS8 Mainframe, IBM mainframe MVS, Cobol, JCL, Proc, TSO/ISPF, Rexx, VSAM, DB2, CA-7

Thief River Falls MN - Responsible for the growth and development of the software engineers assigned to the warehouse distribution systems and material transport for the 4th largest electronics distributor in the world. 

• Hackett Group World Class IT assessment Leader

• IT Leadership contributor and influencer
• Trusted advisor to the office of the CIO

• I provide direction, career development, performance reviews and administrative support to software engineers

• Environment: Linux, C, C++, Oracle, SAP EWM,  Windows .Net, C#, ASP, Activebatch, SQL, Office Suite, Visual Studio, Team Foundation Server, Tibco, Visio, Project, Agile/Scrum methodologies.