Edith G. Blackwood
Florence,USA
Summary
Dynamic Program and Process Expert leader with a proven history of driving efficiencies through leading broad-based, cross-functional business transformation and technology. Focused on delivering business value through process optimization, business analysis, automation, risk and control. Strong, collaborative leader in coaching highly effective teams and providing strategic project management objectives with standardization, change management, resource management, performance management, relationship management, and training.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Principal Program Leader, Process Expert / Lean Six Sigma
Independent Consultant
01.2022 - Current
- Engineered and launched a dashboard for FP&A and Finance executives to track crucial metrics
- Proactively initiated and facilitated an enhanced Request and Approval process, driving significant simplification, and substantial cost savings
- Designed comprehensive guides and provided training to ensure proper upkeep of dashboards
- Implemented new processes to reduce overtime hours and save costs for Global FP&A
- Provided detailed technical data flows, with improved efficiency, and risk and controls
- Crafted a robust strategic project roadmap for implementing future state process improvements and advancing digital automation for FP&A
- Analyzed call data and provided actionable recommendations to bring operations in-house, unlocking significant cost-saving opportunities
- Ensured strong stakeholder buy-in, and engaged employees through a focused, cross-functional Change Management Communication Plan
- Led over 25 detailed interviews to identify gaps and opportunities
- Delivered a comprehensive technology roadmap to enhance simplification and efficiency by meticulously assessing current-state processes and technology
AVP, Sr Programs Leader/ Project Manager / Business Process Manager
Fifth Third Bank
01.2018 - 01.2022
- Managed Consumer IT Portfolio and led a project management team that ensured timely project delivery, budget adherence, and maintained business relationships
- Optimized the value chain through automation of check adjustment processes, achieving unexpected cost reductions
- Led a cross-functional, enterprise, external customer-facing technology initiative that resulted in right-sizing the IT team, removing waste and inefficiencies in the IT process, and improving cycle time
- Led the Gartner Pace Study in 2019, earning recognition from IT leadership and delivering an operational and strategic IT transition roadmap
- Recognized as a top performer for delivering the digital check adjustments solution that exceeded business case cost savings
- Assessed utilization of IT resources in compliance endeavors, resulting in decreased cycle times and costs
- Optimized project testing cycles for enhanced feature validation in credit and debit card transactions
- Orchestrated shift from waterfall methodology to agile within IT Consumer, Payments
- Devised Operational Excellence Strategy focusing on lean processes and automation within Consumer IT Shared Services in 2022
- Delivered detailed process flows using Blueworks Live to shift from the current state to the future state IT support model
Sr IT Portfolio Management / Principal Portfolio Analyst
Fifth Third Bank
01.2017 - 01.2018
- Awarded top performer status for managing an IT risk assessment encompassing upwards of 200 service management procedures
- Delivered an improvement plan for remediating risks, identifying automation opportunities, and streamlining processes
- Guided robust portfolio governance to maintain compliance with updated IT policies
- Evaluated overall capacity requirements for better resource allocation
- Crafted MS Access database and VBA to facilitate IT project and program reporting
- Guided Green Belt in implementing process enhancements within designated responsibilities
Sr Finance PMO Manager / Project Leader / Lean Six Sigma
Schneider Electric, Inc.
Erlanger, USA
01.2015 - 01.2016
- Initiated North American PMO for Finance overseeing technology and business transformation programs
- Awarded for exceptional process simplification and risk reduction in escheat tax regulatory compliance across twenty-six affiliates
- Deployed project management standards, accompanied by training, coaching, and visible key performance measurements
- Developed a repeatable business case model for validating compliance requirements and capturing cross-business resources for enterprise IT programs, resulting in a positive impact of $2M additional capitalization
- Developed an executive-level portfolio dashboard emphasizing strategic priorities that resulted in shifting employees from lower-value projects to strategic-level projects, which improved success
- Achieved uniform key performance metrics across the enterprise through a new business process management framework
- Coached and mentored Green Belt candidates in process improvements
Sr Business Program Manager / Project Leader North America (Shared Services Operational Excellence)
Schneider Electric, Inc.
Erlanger, USA
01.2009 - 01.2015
- Standardized North American finance processes and workflows into a unified framework
- Implemented the Process Excellence framework across North America Finance Shared Services
- Implemented consistent methodologies for inventory, deployment, and performance monitoring
- Developed a prioritized multi-year strategic project roadmap and a Process Capability Maturity Model Integration improvement program
- Oversaw the completion of post-M&A integration deliverables alongside a focused group of project management professionals
- Spearheaded financial process integration for over 12 entities into a shared service environment, achieving significant cost savings
- Spearheaded Change Management Plan to streamline resource allocation in shared service model
- Steered e-invoicing solution deployment in intricate technical settings, achieving $500K yearly savings
- Facilitated worldwide integration of OCR technology, enhancing electronic invoicing efficiency
- Implemented comprehensive improvements in employee stock plan, achieving $500K cost recovery
- Drove continuous improvement with process accountability and targeted key measures with appropriate benchmarking, resulting in combined multi-million-dollar cost efficiency
- Deployed technology solutions in Credit and Collections, Global Finance Shared Service Help Desk, Global Accounts Payable e-invoicing, and OCR
IT Program / Project Manager / Business Relationships
Schneider Electric, Inc.
Erlanger, USA
01.2006 - 01.2009
- Partnered with senior Finance leadership in prioritizing key opportunities supplemented with a business case of more than $10M for integration of Finance back office into ERP solution adopted and later deployed
- Collaborated with business partners to retire legacy systems and to provide alternative solutions for a simplified infrastructure and reduced costs
- Increased visibility and operation improvements by implementing an IT key performance scorecard for the North America financial community to improve internal customer satisfaction
Senior Program / Project Leader / IT Consultant and Owner
Bitz Company LLC.
Florence, USA
01.2001 - 01.2006
- Developed and directed an entrepreneurial venture offering IT consultancy to regional pharma organizations
- Centralized multiple data sales data sources into a unified company-wide data warehouse, enhancing automated processes
- Developed intranet, improving accessibility of internal critical and time-sensitive sales information
- Developed an application to assess 6S quality in manufacturing
- Replaced legacy CRM, improving sales targeting and marketing with a new reporting tool that met business needs
Senior IT Manager for North America
Shire Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Florence, USA
- Managed North American IT infrastructure and operations of the global organization through substantial acquisitions and mergers growth, involving network, servers, communications, data warehousing, help desk, voice/data, ERP, EDI, and Disaster Recovery planning
Manager, Sales Operations
Shire Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Florence, USA
- Partnered in territory redistricting, sales incentive programs, and quota management systems
- Deployed substantial efficiencies by implementing automated technology solutions in these areas
Education
Master of Business Administration -
Xavier University
Cincinnati, OHBachelor of Business Administration - Finance
Ohio University
Athens, OHSkills
- PMP
- LEAN Six Sigma Black Belt
- Change Management Specialist
- Agile Scrum Master
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
- MS PowerPoint, Excel, Access, Word, Teams
- SharePoint Admin
- Power BI Developer
- Minitab
- Jira
- Digitalai
- Smartsheet
- Visio
- Blueworks Live
- Lucid Charts
- SCRIPTING
- VBA
- DAX
- SQL (Intermediate)
Certification
- Project Management Professional, PMI, 01/2008
- LSS Black Belt, Schneider Electric, 01/2016
- Certified Scrum Master
- Certified Change Management Specialist, 01/2022
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, 01/2022
Personal Information
Title: Independent Consultant
Timeline
Principal Program Leader, Process Expert / Lean Six Sigma
Independent Consultant
01.2022 - Current
AVP, Sr Programs Leader/ Project Manager / Business Process Manager
Fifth Third Bank
01.2018 - 01.2022
Sr IT Portfolio Management / Principal Portfolio Analyst
Fifth Third Bank
01.2017 - 01.2018
Sr Finance PMO Manager / Project Leader / Lean Six Sigma
Schneider Electric, Inc.
01.2015 - 01.2016
Sr Business Program Manager / Project Leader North America (Shared Services Operational Excellence)
Schneider Electric, Inc.
01.2009 - 01.2015
IT Program / Project Manager / Business Relationships
Schneider Electric, Inc.
01.2006 - 01.2009
Senior Program / Project Leader / IT Consultant and Owner
Bitz Company LLC.
01.2001 - 01.2006
Senior IT Manager for North America
Shire Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Manager, Sales Operations
Shire Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Master of Business Administration -
Xavier University
Bachelor of Business Administration - Finance
Ohio University
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