AJ FRIESEN
Omaha,NE
Summary
Accomplished professional with a proven track record in technology leadership, project management, and service optimization. Recognized for exceptional presentation skills, innovative training programs, and a strategic approach to system architecture. Adept at fostering collaboration, streamlining processes, and implementing transformative solutions to drive organizational success. Experienced in managing diverse teams and creating a positive work culture.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Client Program Manager
Fiserv
01.2023 - Current
- Spearhead the execution of client delivery and service projects, aligning initiatives with strategic objectives to enhance overall outcomes.
- Develop and implement program management frameworks to optimize resource use and streamline project timelines.
- Lead cross-functional teams, ensuring clear communication and collaboration, resulting in a 15% improvement in project efficiency.
- Expertly communicate technical information to audiences of non-technical backgrounds in easy to understand language.
- Routinely tapped as the technical expert to drive complex cloud migration projects while managing multiple workstreams and projects concurrently.
- Defined the firewall support vertical and was a founding member of the Infrastructure Support Service team, a new revenue stream for Partner Optimization, on track to bring in over $150K in its first three months.
- Actively building the digital wallet program for efficiency and improvement in client satisfaction.
- Trusted mentor, trainer, and coach for multiple teams
IT Demand Manager
FNBO
01.2021 - 01.2023
- Created and streamlined the Demand Process within the PMO
- Built quality relationships and developed trust with assigned segments
- Assisted in collaborating and communicating between Business Units and IT Teams increasing productivity by 15%
- Collaborated with a team to create and produce a demand assessment toolkit, including a playbook and templates resulting in clear communication and improved work streams
- Contributed to the development of the first Portfolio Review process for leadership
- Revamped the Annual Financial Expenditure process leading to 25% increase in net deadlines
- Scheduled and facilitated meetings to identify work streams and needed parties as a liaison between business and IT
- Worked with Senior Leadership to coordinate project work, needed players, dependencies, and timelines
- Trained users in creating the proper tickets within ServiceNow to document work eliminating single points of failure and improving response by 30%
- Participated in the PMO Engagement Team CoE
- Led philanthropic activities as a member of the PMO Engagement Team Championed BIG Interfaith initiatives
Systems Architect
McCallie Associates
01.2021
- Designed and implemented onboarding and offboarding systems along with corresponding processes and procedures resulting in accelerated addition to teams and work streams by several weeks
- Leveraged my organizational abilities to optimize workflows and improve communication effectiveness.
- Formed study groups and offered extra training options for team members leading to a 40% improvement in passing scores
- Use my talents for organizing people to create systems of work flows while eliminating barriers to communication and effectiveness
Systems Architect
TekSystems
01.2021
- Designed and implemented onboarding and offboarding systems along with corresponding processes and procedures resulting in accelerated addition to teams and work streams by several weeks
- Leveraged my organizational abilities to optimize workflows and improve communication effectiveness.
- Formed study groups and offered extra training options for team members leading to a 40% improvement in passing scores
- Use my talents for organizing people to create systems of work flows while eliminating barriers to communication and effectiveness
Service Center Director
Doane University
01.2017 - 01.2021
- Assisted in the creation and management of the Service Center from a localized help desk.
- Managed Service Center Operations for 4 campus locations as well as the online presence, supervising 3 full time staff and 20- 25 Student staff
- Created cyber security training for our end users resulting in decreasing our phish prone population from 40% to 6% within 6 months.
- Increased office efficiency and accountability by 50% by implementing improved processes and procedures
- Created and implemented an innovative gamification training program catching the attention of several tech conferences and educational institutions
- Optimization of Service Center to streamline tasks and services allowing for savings in administration hours and reduced software costs by 65%
- Assisted with VOIP phone system integration and operation.
- Introduced proper IT training and education to work study and Tier 2 staff
- Successful rebranding of “Help Desk” to Tiger Tech and worked to rebuild trust with our customer base bringing customer satisfaction from less than 50% to 98% within 6 months
- Implemented 2 new incident management systems with appropriate service catalogs and web-based interfaces
- Reduced response time to incidents by eliminating single points of failure and creating a thriving ecosystem of improvement through active learning and Improved resolution time by 80% with the introduction of new incident management software and improving training methodology
Education
B.A. - Emphasis English and Social Science
University of NE at Kearney
Skills
- Servant leadership style fostering team growth and accountability
- Strategic planning and execution aligned with organizational goals
- Project management across cross-functional teams
- Vendor and contract negotiation and oversight
- Staff supervision, coaching, and professional development
- Relationship building across departments and external stakeholders
- Workflow optimization for increased productivity Operations & Process Management
- Systems architecture design and implementation
- Onboarding and offboarding process management
- Demand process oversight and continuous improvement
- Expertise with ITSM and ITOM platforms
- Agile and ITIL methodology application
- Policy, documentation, and portfolio review process development Technical Proficiencies
- Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace
- Windows and Apple device management
- Active Directory troubleshooting
Leadership & Management
- System analysis and diagnostics
- Financial tracking: budgeting and expenditure monitoring
- Process improvement and automation Training & Education
- Instructional program design and implementation
- IT and cybersecurity education delivery
- One-on-one coaching and group workshop facilitation
- Training needs assessment and continuous improvement
- Experience using gamification to increase engagement
- Staff onboarding and upskilling for administrative and technical roles Communication & Collaboration
- Strong interpersonal and written communication skills
- Serve as liaison between IT and business units
- Stakeholder engagement and cross-department collaboration
- Development of technical documentation, playbooks, and templates
- Skilled in translating technical concepts for non-technical audiences Analytical & Strategic Thinking
- Strategic thinking for long-term operational improvement
- Organizational and systems structure analysis
Accomplishments
- Developed a system of gamification of the Service Center, resulting in better retention of concepts and staff retention, in addition to better levels of service being provided.
- Gave an unscheduled conference presentation on the fundamentals of gamification, resulting in an invite to speak at another institution, a second conference invitation, and an offer to sit on the board of directors for ResNet.
- Selected as one of the top ten presenters out of 40 to speak at SpiceWorld, a national tech conference.
- Built a service center out of a helpdesk, allowing the university to offer more areas of customer service at an expedited rate.
Other Experience
- LA PETITE ACADEMY, Lincoln, NE School Age Lead Teacher
- Top skills/Responsibilities: Curriculum planning and instruction, conflict resolution, vendor contracting, technology implementation and improvement., and management. November 2015 - July 2016
- ALLSTATE FINANCIAL SERVICES, LLC, Lincoln, NE Licensing Associate
- Top skills/Responsibilities: Liaison between Allstate and agents for state licensing requirements in all 50 states. Communication in multiple formats, September 2014 - November 2015
- SUPPORT.COM, Remote Remote Service Technician February 2014 - September 2014
- DELL SERVICES, Remote Client Support Technician/Team Lead 2010 - September 2013
Timeline
Client Program Manager
Fiserv
01.2023 - Current
IT Demand Manager
FNBO
01.2021 - 01.2023
Systems Architect
McCallie Associates
01.2021
Systems Architect
TekSystems
01.2021
Service Center Director
Doane University
01.2017 - 01.2021
B.A. - Emphasis English and Social Science
University of NE at Kearney
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