Resume of Michael James Ellsworth

St. Louis Park, MN  55426

mellsworth at socialmediaperformancegroup.com

MS Word version

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 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 $5M 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

·        As CTO of startup Evalubase Research 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, also 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. Obtained $5M in additional funding for the program over five years

·        CareerOneStop Website development program required a turnaround effort including:

·        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

·        Wrote PM plans (risk management, configuration management, project management, and so on) and trained PMs

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

·        Provided the vision and led the architecture effort that integrated dotNET controls and Endeca search into the Tridion WCMS to enabled business-side users to easily repurpose Web applications (see Business Center URL, below)

·        Managed multiple multimillion dollar projects

·        Multi-phase redesign and re-architecting of CareerOneStop, 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.

·        mySkills myFuture $2.5M (myskillsmyfuture.org)

·        Business Center  $1.7M (careeronestop.org/businesscenter/index.aspx)

·        Credentials Center $2.7M (in process)

·        Created the vision and led the programs that produced publicly-available Web Services (bit.ly/VT7FPz) and five mobile applications (bit.ly/XfxOsG)

·        Managed the Minnesota Social Media for Workforce pilot to explore the use of social technology for workforce development

·        Implemented a User-Centered Design Program and trained staff

·        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

·        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.

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

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

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

·        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 early SaaS-based 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

·        Created ACNielsen's Internet strategy, developed new Internet and intranet products, and managed 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

2011-2012 Wrote and published six books on social media:

·        The Infinite Pipeline: How to Master Social Media for B2B Sales Success - Sales Person Edition – Paper bit.ly/InfPipe Kindle: amzn.to/15nMaZZ

·        The Be a Person series:

·        Enterprise Executive Edition – Paper bit.ly/BeAPersonE

·        Small and Medium-Sized Executive Edition – Paper bit.ly/BeAPersonSMB

·        Non-Profit Executive Edition - Paper: bit.ly/BeAPerson Kindle: bit.ly/BeAPersonK

·        The Social Operating Manual for Enterprises - Paper: bit.ly/BeAPersonEFull (430 pages)

·        The Social Operating Manual for Churches, Non-Profits, and Charities - Paper: bit.ly/BeAPersonNPFull (426 pages)

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

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.