Mark Pierson
mcpierson@gmail.com

PROFILE

A number of years experience in the IT industry in various technical, business and technical analysis, process development and improvement, and project management and coordinator roles. Detail oriented individual with strong analytical, problem solving, organizational, planning, and technical skills.

EDUCATION

Mini Master of Project Management, 2014
University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business, Minneapolis MN

Microsoft Project: Integrated into the PMI Process for Program and Project Managers, 2014
University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business, Minneapolis MN

Bachelor of Science Degree with majors in Computer Science, Numerical and Computational Mathematics, and Statistical and Actuarial Science 1990
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and Duluth, MN

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Prime Therapeutics (contracting through TEKsystems), Eagan, MN

 

Project Coordinator / IT Consultant 2014 – Present

·               Service Level Management

·               Configuration Management

·               IT Business Engagement Reporting

 

IBM (contracting through CDI Corp), Bloomington, MN

Project Coordinator / IT Consultant 2012 – 2014
Asked by IBM to return on site at Express Scripts Inc. (ESI) as a Project Coordinator for the Project Executive and Senior Capability Lead. Responsibilities included the following:

·               Governance reporting. Compiling data from numerous sources, creating PowerPoint presentations for both ESI-West and ESI-East governance, and publishing to Express Scripts and IBM upper management.

·               Asset management. Tracking and reporting for IBM laptops and RSA tokens. Maintaining asset inventories, and providing distribution, shipping, loaners and replacements. Maintaining Excel spreadsheets to track inventories, resource assignments, and to provide reporting.

·               Overseeing the on-boarding of new resources. Linking professional marketplace resources to delivery management financial roadmaps, managing required login ID’s and passwords, verifying appropriate software and system access. Providing training, technical direction for setting up IBM laptops and connecting to the IBM network, and verifying data security and privacy training requirements.

·               Performing audits, compiling and publishing results. Audits include workplace security inspections, access control lists, skill inventories, and project management reviews.

·               Coordinating billing claims. Resolving reconciliation issues between the Client and IBM timekeeping systems.

 

IBM (contracting through CDI Corp), Bloomington, MN

Project Manager / IT Consultant 2011 – 2012
Worked for IBM in the Project Management Office (PMO) on site at Express Scripts Inc. performing resource on-boarding and off-boarding processes. Responsibilities included the following:

·               Asset management, tracking, and reporting for laptops, RSA tokens, and Wi-Fi / cellular devices. Maintained asset inventories, and provided distribution, shipping, loaners and replacements. Managed and provided required login ID’s and passwords. Maintained Excel spreadsheets to track inventories, resource assignments, and to provide reporting to management and the client.

·               Reporting on on-boarding and off-boarding of resources. This included tracking requests for system access and software, and publishing daily dashboards, weekly open and closed request reports, and governance reports to the client. Managed on-boarding issue escalations and corrective action plans. Maintained bi-weekly meetings with client management regarding issues, escalations and reporting.

·               Submitting official requests for on-boarding and off-boarding of resources using the client processes.

·               Performing security inspections and SAS 70 audits for compliance with HIPAA and SOX regulations.

 

Target Corporation, Technology Services, Minneapolis, MN

Infrastructure Project Coordinator 2006 – 2009
Moved to a newly created project team for which the high level goals were to implement a new process to capture all new development efforts to ensure that they go through a formal support turnover process, and to rework the existing processes and further integrate them into the repeatable infrastructure process and SEI development life-cycle.

·               Participated in a Lean Six Sigma project to improve IT disciplines by optimizing the process of transitioning applications from development to support. Streamlined the communication processes by creating communication templates and establishing appropriate delivery timing, developed processes for repeatable service management, and integrated upstream supportability and stability activities into the repeatable infrastructure process and SEI development life-cycle.

·               Provided guidance to cross functional teams on hundreds of projects through all phases of the project development lifecycle. Working with Project Managers, performed ongoing project reviews, identified project risks, and completed exception reporting.

·               Led an effort to restructure the application support team’s group and team SharePoint sites resulting from a group reorganization from support by platform to support by business area, with minimal impact to each new team’s ability to access support documentation during the transition. Created a migration process and new site templates, and coordinated ownership and move of all data.

 

Senior Systems Engineer, Support 2002 – 2006
Worked on a special projects team for which responsibilities included managing support turnover of new hardware, systems, and technologies to second level support for network, hardware, servers and desktop, implementing proactive monitoring for IP connectivity and Tivoli system alerts, as well as small project management and consulting for the Client Services pyramid.

·               Designed and implemented proactive IP connectivity monitoring for all RF access points at all location (Stores, DC’s, and HQ). Wrote the code to filter the alerts by location of the access points, and tailored the troubleshooting instructions to the different support structures at the different location types.

·               Managed the support plan for the New York Special Event, “Bullseye Inn in the Hamptons.” Worked with the Installation and Network Services teams to rework, document, and communicate the existing support plan for first and second level support.

·               Created reconfigurable code and a repeatable process to suppress proactive power supply alerts for servers during scheduled power grid outages at the technology center. The code could be configured in advance of the outage to suppress the creation of non-useful incident tickets that would otherwise need to be closed manually.

·               Created and managed the support plan for the New York Special Event at Rockefeller Center. Worked with the Installation and Network Services teams to determine, document, and communicate the support plan for first and second level support. Documented and published the support plan to be reused for future New York Special Events.

Systems Engineer, Infrastructure 2001 – 2002
Worked on a special projects team, which was moved from within the second level network and hardware support team to be an independent team. Responsibilities included managing support turnover of new equipment, systems, and technologies, implementing proactive monitoring for IP connectivity and Tivoli system alerts, as well as small project management and consulting for the Client Services pyramid.

·               Initiated and implemented a project to create and manage processes for the turnover and maintenance of proactive monitoring alerts for which the escalation group was second level network and hardware support. Created and published standard operating procedures for all related activities. Also took on the responsibility for performing those functions. Took UNIX and IBM Tivoli Management framework training to improve my skills in those areas.

·               Served as a consultant representing the Client Services group on the 900MHz to 2.4GHz Radio Frequency conversion project for the Target Stores. Participated in all phases of the project, from planning and development, conversion rollout, to acceptance of support from the support teams.

·               Completed a project to update the new hire setup, contractor setup, and the new hire training procedures, which I previously created. The updated training procedures included the additional server and desktop support responsibilities, and a skills assessment used for cross training.

Associate Technical Analyst 2000 – 2001
Chosen to serve on a newly created special projects team within the second level network and hardware support team. Responsibilities included managing support turnover of new equipment, systems, and technologies, and small project management.

·               Created, implemented and managed an end-to-end process for obtaining, filtering, and posting Change Management Notices for normal, expedited, and urgent changes to the production environment that would potentially impact second level network and hardware support. The process provided information not previously made available and eliminated the majority of manual work previously required. Created and published a user’s guide and the end-to-end procedures. Also worked with IBM (mainframe maintenance vendor) to standardize the process for notification of mainframe outages.

·               Initiated and completed a project to bring the Interactive Voice Response units (IVRs) at the Target stores into production support. Implemented network connectivity monitoring of the IVRs, and created operator instructions. Created and published support documentation, including network diagrams and troubleshooting tips.

·               Researched, revised, and published control room shutdown procedures for the Daytons, Marshall Fields, and Hudsons stores.

Enterprise Recovery Tech II 1999 – 2000
Second level network and hardware support for all stores, distribution centers, and headquarters locations.

·               Led a virtual team effort to create emergency Target store shutdown procedures. The procedures were used to quickly shut down critical equipment and systems to prevent data loss or damage to equipment in the case of an emergency such as a hurricane. Also modified the procedures to work for shutting down an entire Target store for normal closings such as holidays. Documented, published, communicated, and implemented the procedures.

·               Created, documented, and implemented new hire setup procedures and contractor setup procedures. Also determined all of the skills necessary to work as an Enterprise Recovery tech and created a new hire training task list.

·               Was selected to give technical tours of a Target store in Salem, NH for Wang’s tech support, escalation center, and first response personnel, after Wang (later to become Getronics) was signed to contract as the hardware maintenance vendor for all Target stores.

·               Led the mid-shift support team. Responsibilities included training and supervision of new employees and contractors, workflow priority, and escalation of high severity issues.

Enterprise Recovery Tech 1997 – 1999
Second level network and hardware support for all stores, distribution centers, and headquarters locations.

·               Successfully performed a full network upgrade to the Mervyn’s Distribution Center in Salt Lake City, UT. Worked with the Network Services engineer to replace, rewire, configure, and test the core router, core switches, and bunker switches.

·               Served as the second level network hardware support representative on the New Store Assistance team for the first group of new Target stores running Windows NT. Tracked and reported all required installs, and escalated all outstanding issues. Supported network and hardware through the install cycle until grand opening. Determined, documented, and published support procedures for any new technologies, systems, and equipment.

·               Served an extended period on loan to the Windows NT conversion team. Supported network and hardware for the original Target stores converted from running OS/2 to Windows NT. Documented and published new support procedures for the second level network and hardware support team.

·               Worked 3 months alone on overnights, demonstrating ability to work independently and with little direction.

United Parcel Service, Computer/IT Services, Eagan, MN

Technology Support Group Tech 1996
Responsible for network, system, data, and application support for all UPS package centers in the Midwest.

 

 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Business Certifications:  ITIL Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management – EXIN International
Associate’s Certificate in Project Management – George Washington University School of Business
Masters Certificate in Business Analysis – Business and Engineering Continuing Education, Auburn University

Technical Training and Certifications:  CCNA, CCENT (previously); Tivoli Management Framework 3.7 (IBM); Shell Programming for System Administrators (Sun Microsystems); UNIX Level I & II (Global Knowledge), Ethernet Network Analysis and Troubleshooting, Troubleshooting with the Sniffer Network Analyzer (Network Associates Sniffer University); NetView for AIX Operations Workshop (IBM); Spectrum One: Installed System Analysis (Symbol Technologies)

Personal Development Training:  Business Writing, Myers Briggs, Communication Styles, Facilitating Effective Meetings, Interpersonal Communication Skills, Your Personal Brand, Speaking with Impact, Influencing Others, Influence Without Authority, Mastering the Change Curve, Organizing Your Time and Resources, Everyday Creativity, Problem Solving, Thinking Styles, Finding and Using a Mentor

SKILLS

Project Management, Business Analysis, Technical Analysis, Process Development and Improvement, Communications,  Lotus Notes, Microsoft Office PowerPoint, Excel, Project, Visio, Microsoft Office Suite, Reporting, Network, Wireless, Server, Laptop, PC, UNIX

INTERESTS

Competitive Racquetball League Member, Avid Bicycle Rider, Organic Gardener