SUMMARY:

• Proven Global IT & Quality Assurance Leader (QA & Testing). Managed globally diverse organizations of 300+ full - time and vendor staff and Confidential budgets of $15-20 million. Skilled in large and cross-functional transformational projects. Strong leadership ability combined with broad technical knowledge and with strategic and tactical problem solving skills. Recognized as an effective communicator with ability to understand business platforms and domains.
• Extensive experience in Software Quality Assurance and Testing Methodologies, Production Support, Compliance (PII, HIPAA, SOX) and Release Management. Versed in End-to-end Software Engineering, IT PMO functions, and Performance Engineering disciplines in HealthCare, Insurance, Financial,, Ecommerce, and Telecom domains.
• Strategic thinker, develops a clear vision, and provides firm leadership to cross-functional teams to achieve goals. Quickly understand business needs, quick to changes, stay competitive and ahead of the game with a clear roadmap. Personally develop strategies based on multiple inputs while choosing right approach for implementation. Motivate teams with passion for excellence.
• Multiple years of hands-on experience in establishment of successful offshore delivery Test COEs for enhanced QA Testing capabilities, quality and efficiencies. Have completely transformed QA organizations from RFP to Vendor Selection and transition to a mature organization.
• Successful transformation of enterprise wide applications including migration to new Data Centers, Pharmacy Benefits Management, HealthCare and Insurance re-platforms, Windows, Database and Infrastructure upgrades, Oracle ERP implementations through centralized testing and process management.
• Implemented Quality Programs with various Software Development Methodologies (TDD, AGILE, Waterfall). Transformation to Agile and TDD methodologies across teams, achieved significant cost savings, efficiencies in QA & Testing, faster delivery and enhanced customer satisfaction through continuous integration and automation.
• Quality Process champion experienced in Sarbanes Oxley SOX/COBIT, HIPAA, PHI/PII Data Compliance, COSO, IT AUDITS, Capability Maturity Model (CMMI) practices, Six Sigma, Total Quality Management (TQM), ITIL framework, and Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) methodologies implementations.
• Successfully managed large initiatives with effective demand and capacity management, advanced estimation models and well managed budget and forecasting. Develop business relationships and expand QA domain knowledge across business and IT groups to bring a paradigm shift to focus on quality of the products.
• Wide experience with the structured system testing techniques, performance engineering, load and stress testing, quality process and variety of test automation platforms. Implemented Quality Assurance strategies on a wide range of hardware and software domains with a proven record of successful performances and s.
• Effective and innovative problem solver with strong inter-personal and communication skills. Have built strong QA organizations, hired, developed and mentored QA staff to be responsible quality champions.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

Confidential

QA & Testing Director

Responsibilities:

• As part of Senior Leadership Team for Cigna’s Specialty Solutions group, established a centralized QA organization that supported QA for over 200 applications, more than 300 FTEs and vendor on/off shore staff and a yearly QA budget of over $15M. Implemented several enterprise wide quality process improvements. Achieved significant savings for the Company through skill and organization realignment, velocity in QA testing, efficiencies built in test strategy and estimation process and through test automation. Implemented an effective organization model aligned to business domains with focus on building QA SMEs.
• Consolidated multiple QA vendor organization to a single vendor based organization with smooth transition resulting in over $6M yearly savings. Established a full spectrum TCOE to provide advanced services such as Test Data Management, Environment & Change Management, Performance Engineering and Test Automation. The newly set up TCOE is being expanded to bring enterprise wide QA efficiencies.
• Supported QA Testing and business migration for a large number of multi-release initiatives across several application domains including re-platform of many Group Life & Disability, Property & Casualty, and Sales & Underwriting applications. Managed QA teams supporting transformational programs for Benefits Administration, & Claims Processing. Directed teams on a multi-year Pharmacy Benefits Management transformation for Medicare and Commercial Healthcare clients including Home Delivery of Pharmacy scripts. Some of the industry leading platforms integrated with include FJA, FACETS, FINEOS, InsPro, Prinova, Argus, and Catamaran.

Confidential

Senior Director, IT Quality Assurance

Responsibilities:

• In the role of Head of QA Practice for the Company I established a mature quality assurance organization and end-to-end testing functions for Confidential ’s Ecommerce Platforms, Mobile Platforms and Enterprise Applications. Implemented metrics driven improvements for cost savings and faster delivery. Restructured QA organization to align more closely with business segments to deliver efficient results in a fast paced Agile and TDD environment.
• Transformed the QA team from pure waterfall testing to Agile testing methodology. Implemented TDD concepts and successfully moved the organization to adopt the change. Established test automation strategy and implemented a team to deliver regression test suites in partnership with an offshore service provider that would mature into a proficient test automation COE. Established enhanced capabilities and tools for deeper and wider performance and load testing across major Ecommerce platforms.
• Set up a centralized advanced Mobile Device Testing lab and capabilities that could certify software on a wide array of devices very quickly.

Confidential

Senior Director, Quality Assurance

Responsibilities:

• Established an enterprise wide offshore/onshore Testing Center of Excellence with process maturity and standardization. Expanded the functions provided by the TCOE and built services and relationships across IT and business organizations. Built test practices for functional, regression, performance/load and test automation. A highly successful establishment of an onsite/offshore testing center with over 180 QA/test professionals resulting in significant cost savings and enhanced capabilities.
• Responsible for the setup of effective Desktop Test Lab, Mobile Device Testing, Test Tools, ITIL based IT Governance, Release Management and Change Control processes. Responsible for implementing a centralized SDLC framework and Quality Gates across the enterprise.
• Provided QA testing functions for the Confidential -Hill Corporate and enterprise wide applications across multiple business units including S&P (Standard & Poors) Credit and Equity Research, Platts, JD Powers, and for Finance ERP, Business Intelligence, HR and Corporate Web applications. Delivered on time functional, test automation and performance testing results for the successful launch of a multi-year global transformation initiative, which included replacing the Lawson ERP and BI with Oracle E-Business Suite R12.
• Established Sensitive Data Security (PII, PCI) in Application & Database Environments. Collaborated with Corporate Chief Information Security Office to establish a COE for Security Testing that included dynamic Web scans using Appscan, static code analysis using Fortify as well as manual penetration testing to find security vulnerabilities early and save costs.
• Responsible for defining and testing of IT SOX Controls based on COBIT standards for all financial controls, created a sox testing process with a solution to convert SOX evidence to digital from paper. Responsible for managing Confidential Corporate IT Audit (External and Internal). Managed testing of Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity for critical applications.
• Developed QA staff through coaching and mentoring, promoted via rotation, webinars, suggested classes, participation in leadership forums. Built strong Vendor Relationships with application service providers and tool vendors resulting in better price negotiations, early product evaluations and use.
• QA Council/Quality FORUM Chair - Established an enterprise wide Quality Assurance Council. Brought all QA leaders and QA groups together to network and share processes, tools and innovations. Brought internal and external speakers, vendor partners, tool demonstrations, and many other corporate organizations to participate resulting in building a strong network of QA people across the Company. Sponsored many Six Sigma Green Belt projects for business process management.

Confidential, NJ

Vice President of QA

Responsibilities:

• Established and Managed QA Testing, Support, Test Process, Quality Initiatives, implemented Total Quality Management concepts across the Company. Developed and enforced processes to measure the appropriate level of Quality Assurance testing and risk assessment of the initiatives to ensure QA standards were met, procedures and processes were followed properly.
• Established a mature QA Test Team, hired skilled QA Leads based upon the organization needs and promoted cross- to maximize efficiency and minimize dependencies. Projected and planned Budget for QA resources and continue to improve QA processes to achieve productivity. Ensure organization remain on schedule and in line with Budget constraints.
• Identified ways to reduce rework across organizations to achieve cost savings and higher customer satisfaction. Established advanced configuration management practices to ensure successful deployments and future maintenance. Implemented Test Management and Test Automation Tools and practices resulting in efficiencies and savings.
• Managed QA Testing challenges for the complex products and successfully delivered multiple releases to a broad range of clients with highest post deployment customer satisfaction in Company’s history. Interacted with Management Teams of the Customers (Fortune 100 Companies) to get their feedback on the quality and satisfaction.

Confidential

Consulting QA Manager

Responsibilities:

• Instituted service delivery and service assurance end-to-end quality strategies and policies, organization, staffing and budget, and established an on-site state-of-the-art End-to-End Testing Laboratory. Implemented SOX Controls and Procedures for tracking Compliance, Metrics to establish baseline of quality and to measure improvements over time. Through established test center, achieved reduction in faults, improvement in software quality with less rework and direct cost savings.
• Managed a team of 45 system testers including full time employees, contractors and offshore staff. Established software configuration and Release management practices. Worked with test team leads for several major projects to define and plan test scope, staffing, cost estimates and schedules.

Confidential

Various Lead

Responsibilities:

• Extensive experience and contribution in end-to-end SDLC processes, quality management and best practices while working on various Software Development and QA Delivery projects. Developed deep understanding of various domains, network architectures and databases. Had opportunity to establish QA testing processes and testing methodology for Software Integration, System & Performance Testing.