Gary Mullins
Birmingham
Summary
Dynamic leader with a proven track record at Scripps Networks Interactive, adept in project management and strategic planning. Excelled in transforming digital landscapes, evidenced by leading the migration to AWS, enhancing data services, and significantly reducing post-deployment bugs by 90%. Skilled in fostering cross-functional collaboration and driving stakeholder satisfaction through innovative solutions and team empowerment.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Program Manager/Project Manager
Scripps Networks Interactive/Discovery/Warner Brothers Discovery
01.2011 - 12.2022
- Senior Project Manager over large-scale digital products managing requirements, development timelines, project schedules, and technical implementation
- Successfully managed and served as the key point of contact for multiple project teams developing multiple brand website redesigns, mobile applications, site search systems, content relevancy and large scale data services
- Modernized and transformed on premise search and data services to cloud to AWS
- Modernized and architected Search from Endeca to SOLR
- Collected data, indexed data building restless API (modular) provided data for 60-70% web presence
- Built data lake foundation and data lake platform
- Built our custom in-house data fabric and data foundation
- Collected data from all the siloed data sources for machine learning and ad hoc analytics
- Streaming entries to data lake real time and giving customer s real time visualization of entries including Translated data, de duped that data – then sent for fulfillment
- Became the central source of truth for enterprise data
- Built self-service hubs to allow internal users to perform analytics (Google Data Plex – look it up) – used Talend
- Developed a T shaped development structure where devs had deep knowledge on one or two tech but were able to work across technologies
- Continuously refined methodologies and processes increasing cross-functional collaboration, team velocity, product quality, stakeholder satisfaction, and team morale
- Provided detailed reporting and analysis for as many as four teams for management and stakeholders
- Led implementation of an automated test strategy that increased test coverage, reduced code error by up to 83% per test, and reduced post-deployment bugs by 90%
- Served as JIRA administrators created automated workflows to improve team velocity, accountability and reporting also serving as SME for in-house JIRA team
- Functioned as a Business Analyst responsible for documenting product requirements that were then handed off to the development team for execution
- Lead Project Manager for the mobile app development and launches of Food Network in the Kitchen, Food Network on the Road (both app and web based), Food Network Favorites, Food Network Cupcakes, Food Network Slow Cooker Meals, Travel Channel Layover with Anthony Bourdain, and Travel Channel Man Vs Food game app
- Mobile Apps were published across Apple and Amazon platforms
- Led engineering teams responsible for six websites that generated five billion page views and one billion unique visitors monthly
- Collaborated with key stakeholders including product, design, content, ad operations, and analytics team to produce high quality products on schedule
- Led matrix development teams consisting of front end, back end, and quality assurance engineers in support of multiple websites including RecipeZaar/Food.com, FoodNetwork.com, HGTV.com, DIYNetwork.com, CookingChannelTV.com, and GACTV.com
- Reduced backlog of support request from over 300 to less than 30
- Change agent for the product engineering group’s transformation to agile SAFe development practices
- AWS services including S3, EC2, Redshift, DataPipeline, Lambda, Kinesis Data Streams, Kinesis Firehose, API Gateway, Qubole services including Hadoop, Presto and Spark clusters
- Talend ETL tool
- Directed automation team focused on automating manual workflows to bring efficiency and reduce time in the onboarding workflow
- Led search, relevancy and data teams in a multi-year migration of disparate legacy systems to new content distribution system
- I developed the multi-year roadmap for the migration, handled communication, scope management, risk mitigation for the same
- Leveraged project management expertise, skills, tools and techniques to successfully complete projects including scope, design, resource management, timelines, client communication and deliverables
- Provided continuous communication about project status to involved stakeholder
- Managed cross-functional team accountable for site search functionality as well as relevancy driven modules across all content owned by SNI
- Coordinated with project owners and managers to prioritize tasks and ensure projects stayed on time and on budget
- Introduced, mentored and coached team members in Agile process
- Developed communication channels across teams and business units to drive organizational understanding of business challenges and opportunities
- Managed cross-functional team accountable for site search functionality as well as relevancy driven modules across all content owned by SNI
- Coordinated with project owners and managers to prioritize tasks and ensure projects stayed on time and on budget
- Liaison with special projects/tentpole teams to endure team alignment with time sensitive goals
- Managed a group of 14 developers and quality assurance analysts that provided maintenance for the company’s public-facing websites that deliver lifestyle-oriented content for its interactive brands: HGTV, FoodNetworks, DIYNetworks, HGTVRemodels, CookingChannel, and Great American Country
- Built a maintenance team that increased throughput of maintenance and enhancements requests for the corporate websites
- Increased communication with business units for establishing development priorities and reporting development status
- Provided end-to-end oversight and Agile leadership for community platform initiative, including the execution of key digital strategies and delivery of digital media products in alignment with enterprise business plans and direction
- Headed large-scale consolidation to integrate a community platform capable of handling 100 million unique daily users with key web properties such as HGTV, Food Network, Travel Channel, and DIY Network
- Held accountability for $3M budget and drove program management activities, including scope control, planning, change management, vendor/contractor management, cost tracking, and timely resolution of project roadblocks
- Managed project staffing and contributed to decision-making regarding key program staff, such as competencies, fit, capabilities, and performance, to ensure efficient team mix, training, and mentoring
- Partnered with the product management team in developing, refining, and executing roadmaps, including financial analysis, feature and functionality prioritization, and new product development and launch
- Reduced time-to-launch for new products 80% by heading the transition of community platform to a cloud infrastructure built on Amazon’s EC2 Web Services
- Responsible for large AWS based data platform which supports data exploration, reporting, visualization and analytics for the digital organization
- Lead team in development of a robust data platform, leveraging the new AWS cloud computing environment, optimizing performance and generating numerous data products
- Developed customized self-service data platforms to democratize data and enable data exploration, ad hoc analysis, and data product creation
- Developed Machine Learning (ML) knowledge and created ML models to classify and aggregate digital content metadata, providing insights into content consumption, asset affinity and user behavior
- Directed the migration of digital asset, advertising and consumer data to an extensive AWS cloud environment, thus generating substantial savings by providing access to an extended data platform while eliminating the capital investment required for software, infrastructure, and systems support
- Lead team in development of a robust data platform, leveraging the new AWS cloud computing environment, optimizing performance and generating numerous data products
- Developed customized self-service data platforms to democratize data and enable data exploration, ad hoc analysis, and data product creation
- Developed Machine Learning (ML) knowledge and created ML models to classify and aggregate digital content metadata, providing insights into content consumption, asset affinity and user behavior
- Advanced the Search Technology product offering
- Successfully migrated Search & Retrieval functionality to new platforms to deliver dynamic web pages and contextual content based on business rules and relevancy
- Created static and dynamic content delivery modules for property web sites
- Collaborated with Product and Project Management to coordinate search migration with ongoing site redesign projects
- European digital privacy initiative is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a comprehensive law that sets strict standards for how companies can collect, store, and process personal data of individuals within the European Union, aiming to give individuals greater control over their privacy in the digital age
- The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
- Maintain Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance
- Manages the project management team that develops, operates and maintains Scripps Networks lifestyle category leading websites, including HGTV.com, FoodNetwork.com, CookingChanneltv.com, TravelChannel.com, GACtv.com and many others
- Responsible for setting direction, driving change, and maturing project methodology and consistency across the project management and business processes
- Directs project activities to ensure high quality results within defined schedules
- Identifies, evaluates and recommends solutions to address changing business needs
- Mentors and educates the project management staff
- Optimized to the scope, scale and frequency of meetings by quantifying cost and productivity impact of meetings
- Introduced and championed the strategic integration of business processes, financials and project management processes for the Digital Operations organization
- Responsible for discovery, design, execution and delivery of 70+ processes and reports that are the backbone of the how the organization functions on day to day basis as well as over the long term
- Processes include work intake, product prioritization, resource allocation and management, project management processes, documentation management, development and operational process integration, finance reporting, budgeting and time tracking
- Responsible for Change Management and IT Compliance process improvement projects that support the operational maturity strategic objectives on time, on budget and compliant with IT governance and SOX404 controls
Consultant - Project Manager
Independent Consultant
07.2007 - 12.2011
- Managed and developed the following online and multimedia projects: E-commerce solution, organic SEO and social media plan for manufacturers of TVGuardian
- Technology consultant for Codder Humanitarian Foundation in charge of all technical aspects of the organization including development of web presence and intranet for staff, and social media
- Web community strategy, content development, organic search engine placement and social media plan for Masterbuilt Manufacturing’s Dadgum That’s Good cookbook
- Develop job description, position duties and requirements, assisted in hiring of social media staff
- Planned and developed web presence and social media strategy for Prick-less, sales force organization for the Sharps Terminator needle incineration device
- Developed plan for e-commerce solution for Palmtech
- Developed supply channel options for drop ship and bulk suppliers
- Online e-commerce solution for start-up vitamin and nutritional supplements company
- Options for white label manufacturer and distribution
- Feasibility study as well as research for e-commerce site
Sr. Project Manager
Intermark Group
07.2006 - 06.2007
- Managed and developed the following online and multimedia projects: Web site redesign of Compass Bank’s site including visual, architectural, application, SEO and content improvement
- Compass Bank’s “Build to Order Checking” online registration system
- System permitted new and existing customers to register for new checking program, while creating their own custom package of checking account features
- Compass Bank’s Free Checking Free Gift online application that allowed new customers to sign up for Compass checking accounts and receive a free gift
- Portions of the development for a large scale lead generation system for Toyota of North America
- McLeod Software’s site redesign including addition of lead generation and e-commerce
- Web site redesign of B&G parts tracking system and customer fulfillment system
Sr. Project Manager
Pomeroy IT Solutions
01.2004 - 07.2006
- Planning and management of the following projects: Astea AE software system upgrade, customization and configuration for Pomeroy’s internal transaction system to address critical performance issues
- Reported directly to C level officers weekly
- Internal National Dispatch Center parts system redesign to reduce losses associated with failure to successfully process warranty parts claims on time
- Reduced losses by 50% in first six months
- Realized $2.7 million in savings and eliminated an additional $750,000 in 'hidden cost'
- Reported directly to C level officers weekly
- Schneider Electric desktop refresh of over 1,000 Engineer desktop systems in 146 locations nationwide
- Project included 14 wireless network installations
- Network systems refresh of 46 network switches for Honda North America’s 3 Ohio plants
- Fiscal accountability for $2.4 million budget
- IP telephony and wireless IP pilot program for Honda North America’s Marysville Motor Plant
- Developed and wrote homeland security grant requests for Calera & Piedmont Alabama municipalities
- Worked with technical team to develop initial business case for surveillance system utilizing networked cameras over a fiber optic WAN
Director of IT
Southern Medical Association
06.2001 - 12.2003
- Created the information and media services department, responsible for all technical and creative projects for Southern Medical Association
- Recruited, trained, managed and evaluated a high performance team of technical and creative personnel
- Reported directly to CEO and Board of Directors
- Responsible for $2-2.5 million departmental budget and as many as 18 staff
- Led technical and creative team in redesign of both the not-for-profit and the for-profit subsidiary web sites
- Including application development for numerous online transactions
- The organization’s client server network, reducing downtime by 85%
- Developed internal IT staff and help desk system, reducing the cost of maintaining network systems by 43%
- Initiated and managed migration of enterprise information management system from DOS/COBOL environment with more than 40 data stores and 700 applications to a single unified SQL database with an integrated user interface
- Managed development of multiple applications designed to improve overall business performance
- Planned and managed telephone system upgrade to IP telephony and integration of phone and data systems, creating a VoIP network improving functionality and reducing overall phone system cost by 31% per year
- Implemented call accounting system, improving analysis of call traffic patterns and phone system usage
- Initiated implementation of ACD/IVR system to manage incoming calls, reducing on-hold times, call abandonment and over reliance of voice mail, reducing cost of inbound 800 services by approximately 50%
- Planned and initiated the development of CTI (computer telephony interface) to link incoming calls to back-end data systems improving quality of customer service through reduced call times and fewer transfers
- Calls and responses could be tracked to measure problem resolution and identify common issues to improve in overall service
- Implemented email and fax broadcast capabilities, improving marketing and member communication, reducing cost by 73% while adding detailed tracking and analysis of read/response rates
- Planned and led team that developed disaster recovery/business continuity plan to bring all business services back online within 5 working days in the event of worst-case scenario
Education
BA - Communication (Advertising Major, Marketing Minor), Business Administration (New venture development focus)
University of Alabama
Skills
- Project Management
- Web site and web application development
- Data driven application development
- Content management systems
- Web and social media campaigns
- Web optimization
- SEO
- Interactive systems development
- Systems development
- Software development
- Network infrastructure deployment
- IP Telephony deployment
- Client deployment
- POS deployment
- Business analysis
- Business intelligence
- Budgeting
- Forecasting
- Planning
- Project rescue
- Project recovery
- Quantitative analytical skills
- Team leadership
- Social media strategy development
- Social media implementation
- Brand development
- Web strategy development
- SDLC models
- PMBOK methodologies
- Joint Applications Design
- Waterfall
- Adaptive Project Framework
- Agile Development
- Lean Development
- SCRUM
- RUP
- Extreme Programming
- RAD
- Microsoft Solutions Framework
- 6 Sigma framework
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft MapPoint
- Microsoft Visio
- Microsoft Site Server
- Microsoft Exchange Server
- Microsoft Project
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Windows
- Cold Fusion
- Linux
- AIX
- Mac OS
- Adobe Graphic Software
- Adobe Presentation Software
- Non-linear editing systems
- Drupal
- Decision-making
- Strategic alignment
- Team training and development
- Attention to detail
- Software documentation
- Human resource management
- Data collection & research
- Cross functional team builder
- Budget preparation
- Sales and marketing
- Partnerships and resource mobilization
- Work delegation
- MS office applications
- Lean / six sigma
- Stakeholder management
- Compliance enforcement
- Vendor sourcing
- Vendor management
- Training and development
- Systems optimization
- Scheduling and planning
- Multi-operations management
- Team development
- KPI tracking
- Project management
- Program leadership
- Business systems
- Onboarding and training
- Remote team management
- Utilization management
- Quality assurance
- Interpersonal skills
- Cost estimates & budgets
- Enterprise resource planning
- Change management
- Profitability optimization
- Vendor relationship management
- Community outreach
- [Type] equipment proficiency
- Logistics operations
- Proposal development
- Documentation proficiency
- Electronic and communication systems
- Recruitment and hiring
- Customer and personnel training
- Talent recruitment
- Problem-solving
- HAZMAT programs
- Employee scheduling
- Process mapping
- Partnership development
- Production development
- Adobe applications
- Supply chain distribution
- Individual instruction
- Team management
- Verbal and written communication
- Good judgment
- Cultural sensitivity
- Influencing skills
- Google workspace
- Strategic planning
- Scope management
- P&L management
- Business development
- Testing, repair, and troubleshooting
- Quality assurance evaluation
- Organizational performance
- Product development
Methodologies
- Various SDLC models
- Various methodologies based on PMBOK
- Joint Applications Design
- Waterfall
- Adaptive Project Framework
- Agile Development
- Lean Development
- SCRUM
- RUP
- Extreme Programming
- RAD
- Microsoft Solutions Framework
- Have worked within the 6 Sigma framework
Recognition
Top 40 Business Leaders Under 40, The Birmingham Business Journal, 2003
Timeline
Program Manager/Project Manager
Scripps Networks Interactive/Discovery/Warner Brothers Discovery
01.2011 - 12.2022
Consultant - Project Manager
Independent Consultant
07.2007 - 12.2011
Sr. Project Manager
Intermark Group
07.2006 - 06.2007
Sr. Project Manager
Pomeroy IT Solutions
01.2004 - 07.2006
Director of IT
Southern Medical Association
06.2001 - 12.2003
BA - Communication (Advertising Major, Marketing Minor), Business Administration (New venture development focus)
University of Alabama
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