Amaka Dakwak
San Francisco,CA
Summary
Program Manager with 7+ years of experience leading AI-driven initiatives in startups, insurance, enterprise technology, financial technology . Skilled in Agile, SAFe, waterfall and Kanban. Experienced with managing 3-4 teams simultaneously in a fast-paced environment and leading end-to-end project lifecycles for automation initiatives. Adept at collaborating with cross-functional teams to define scope, objectives, and technical requirements, while ensuring resource allocation aligns with project timelines. Skilled in facilitating agile ceremonies, leading User Acceptance Testing (UAT) sessions, and acting as the primary technical liaison for stakeholders. Proven record of accomplishment in fostering collaborative environments and driving projects to successful completion in dynamic, fast-paced settings. Adept at implementing AI-driven solutions to enhance productivity, improve decision-making, and align with strategic goals.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Program Manager
W.R Berkely
San Francisco, CA
04.2022 - Current
- Managed four agile teams (underwriting, maintenance, data & analytics and claims finance) on large-scale generative AI initiative, improving claims processing efficiency and fraud detection through advanced data analysis
- Directed the Data & Analytics team to implement AI-driven data analysis, identifying patterns and optimizing claims processing, which reduced fraudulent claims by 15% and improved operational efficiency by 20%
- Guided teams towards on-demand release through continuous integration and deployment, accelerating feature rollout by 40% and enhancing the value of data engineering products
- Worked closely with product, development, and QA teams to resolve dependencies and foster the adoption of agile principle, which improved inter-team communication and project management
- Implemented AI-driven insights to monitor project milestones and provide real-time updates, resulting in a more informed decision-making process and 30% improvement in meeting deadlines
- This approach facilitated better alignment with program goals and fostered a self-organizing team
- Collaborated with internal and external teams to define program goals, success criteria, deliverables, and outcomes
- Developed Detailed plans with clear milestones, scope commitments, resource allocation, and schedules
- Tracked and managed dependencies blocker, and risks, executing mitigation strategies to support program momentum and ensure success
- Demonstrated a startup mindset, driving projects from ideation to execution
- I am known for taking initiatives from concept to implementation, adapting quickly to challenges and fostering a collaborative, experimental work culture
- Experienced in managing human data labeling and annotation projects, ensuring accurate and efficient data processing to support AI-driven initiatives
- Familiar with data development processes and AI technologies, including large language models (LLMs) to optimize data-driven decision-making and enhance project outcomes
- I managed complex projects effectively, supporting high organizational standards and effective communication skills to facilitate collaboration, experimental work culture
Scrum Master
Freddie Mac
McLean, VA
01.2022 - 04.2022
- Led the digital application and automated underwriting teams to leverage financial technology for automated mortgage underwriting, streamlining creditworthiness assessments and improving customer experience by enabling real-time mortgage status tracking
- Facilitated pre-PI planning events and coordination with multiple cross-functional teams, summarizing team PI goals, enhancing transparency and stakeholder visibility across the organization
- Partnered with the Product Owner to refine backlog continuously and coaching teams on effective backlog definitions and prioritization, leading to a 30% increase in backlog grooming efficiency
- Utilized ADO and Kanban boards to track boards to track key scrum metrics, including burn charts, velocity, and dependencies to support project momentum
- Completed thorough risk assessments and deployed management and response strategies to prevent roadblocks.
Project Manager
Tatva soft
McLean, VA
08.2018 - 01.2022
- Led a cross-functional team in implementing a comprehensive information security program, enhancing data protection and compliance with industry regulations
- This initiative reduces security vulnerabilities by 40% and resulted in a successful audit with zero compliance issues
- Managed relationships with multiple vendors, ensuring prompt delivery and alignment with projects objectives
- Negotiated contracts and facilities regular check-ins, resulting in a 15% reduction in vendor-related delays and achieving cost savings of 20% through optimizing sourcing and contract terms
- Directed an enterprise-wide risk assessment, naming critical gaps and implementing targeted solutions that decreased potential cyber threats by 50% and improved the organization’s security posture
- Spearheaded agile transformation by facilitating scrum ceremonies, including daily standup, sprint planning, sprint review, backlog refinement, and retrospective, which led to a 30% reduction in time-to-market for key deliverable
- Utilized tools like Jira and Tableau to track progress, which enabled proactive adjustments and resulted in a 25% improvement in project completion times
- Directed the complete lifecycle of projects, from initial scope definition and roadmaps creation to execution and delivery
- Collaboration with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment with business objectives, resulting in a 20% increase in project efficiency
GTM Program Manager
PayPal
Arlington, VA
05.2016 - 07.2018
- Led Large-scale, complex programs within a Technology PMO, ensuring project milestones were met across multiple teams and global markets
- Facilitated alignment across sales, finance, and operations, resulting in a cohesion GTM strategy that accelerated EA adoption by 15%
- Streamlined processes and set up robust metrics to measure and report on project performance, leading to significant reductions in cycle time, increased productivity, and improved transparency, which enhanced overall success rates for complex B2B projects
- Architected comprehensive EA programs, successfully launching initiative that met evolving market demands and improved customer retention
- Enabled seamless transition for engineering teams by implementing agile methodologies, reducing project completion times by 30%
- Maintained effective communication with executive leadership, resulting in a 40% improvement in both internal and external stakeholder satisfaction scores
Education
Bachelor of Science - Information logistics technology
Virginia State University
Petersburg, VASkills
- Data analytics
- Agile coach
- Oracle
- Generative AI
- Annotation
- Risk analyst
- Creating road maps
- Time management
- Blockchain technology
- Change management
- Quality analysis
- Business analysis
- Story writing
- Scrum
- Agile
- SAFe Agile
- Kanban
- Waterfall
- Financial technology
- Insurance technology
- Cross-functional team management
- Digital payments
- Customer success
- Startups
- Machine learning
- Collaboration
- Problem-solving mindset
- Communication
- Data development
- Detail oriented
- Software proficiency
Certification
- Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
- AI and Agility
- ACP-600: Project Administration in Jira Server
Personal Information
Title: Program Manager
Timeline
Program Manager
W.R Berkely
04.2022 - Current
Scrum Master
Freddie Mac
01.2022 - 04.2022
Project Manager
Tatva soft
08.2018 - 01.2022
GTM Program Manager
PayPal
05.2016 - 07.2018
Bachelor of Science - Information logistics technology
Virginia State University
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