John W Novak
Bloomington,IL
Summary
Results-driven Observability Product Owner with a proven track record in developing and delivering high-impact observability solutions. Skilled in translating business needs into actionable product strategies, I excel in fostering collaboration across teams to enhance operational efficiency and system reliability. Recognized for my ability to transform complex data into actionable insights, I bring a strategic vision and deep industry knowledge to drive innovation and optimize product competitiveness.
Proficient in software, hardware, and networking protocols, overseeing storage area network (SAN) performance, and customer/user experience (CX/UX). Interacts effectively with multi-functional project teams, clearly presents complex technical information to all levels of decision-makers, builds customer relationships, and negotiates with vendors. Additional technical processes and business skills of relevance include the following: IT Service Management, Technology Virtualization, Quality Control Testing, Risk Assessments / Mitigation, Incident Management, Disaster Recovery, Issue Resolution, Cloud Integration and Deployment, Budget Management, Technical Writing / Documentation, KPI Reporting.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Product Owner/Technical Administrator
State Farm Insurance
01.2019 - Current
- Coordinate with the product manager in overseeing integrated technical services that encompass optimizing on-premise infrastructures and managing mission-critical workloads, data centers, and SAN performance
- Implement key product strategies and work performed by guiding Scrum Masters and Product Managers in sprint & release planning focusing on backlog items, new updates, and story points
- Drive quality control as an integral first point of contact to ensure a favorable business user experience
- Contribute to authoring technical documentation and supporting articles and advising implementation teams on enterprise architecture support, network security, testing standards, and code reviews
- Leverage expertise in application performance monitoring, DevOps, and integrated cloud migration employing a cutting-edge unified application security and artificial intelligence platform (Dynatrace)
- Effectively conduct root cause analysis to identify new and potential issues impacting user experiences
- Develop acceptance stories and perform measurable tests to promptly resolve defects and bugs to ensure accurate platform functionality
- Recognized by superiors for efficiently prioritizing stories for completed vendor work to move Datadog and Dynatrace forward
- Streamlined communication and scheduling for customers and new users that included training on product onboarding utilizing Dynatrace Quick Start and ongoing coaching sessions
- Facilitated additional system processes for Dynatraces' digital user monitoring (DEM) & real user monitoring (RUM) and AWS/Terraform working sessions
- Implemented a mutual action plan and prioritized new stories/issues within Git - backlog refinement in addition to planning for forthcoming pipeline work
- Worked with the vendor on building a roadmap for a SaaS migration plan, performed operational health in Dynatrace to cover the current deployment and initiatives, and established cost analysis for Dynatrace for annual renewals
- Aggressively developing professionally, working on completing two significant certifications (Dynatrace Associate and AWS practitioner)
- Recently completed State Farms' internal Product Owner Bootcamp.
Data Center Technician (Facility Hardware Planner)
Jones Lang LaSalle
01.2018 - 01.2019
- Drove quality control by providing hands-on technical support for mapping networks, troubleshooting distributed systems and hardware platforms (HSM and Cisco Nexus), and incident monitoring utilizing HP Service Manager and ServiceNow
- Maintained relevant documents, logs, and user guides accordingly
- Proactively identified and implemented solutions to minimize potential defects and maintained & inspected data center operations to ensure optimal performance
- Performed “rack and stack” of enterprise IT and equipment (servers, switches, & cables) and additional hardware
- Ensured adherence to established procedures for work operations and regularly liaised with vendors to maximize uptime and delivery of high-quality services
- Maintained concise records of service activities, to present to management teams.
Senior Product Configuration Strategist/ Customer Support Engineer
Hitachi Vantara/Hitachi Data Systems
01.2000 - 01.2018
- Achieved progression to higher levels of responsibility serving as an influential resource in supporting product management processes, early adoption of new product technologies, and solution components for a next-generation digital business transformation suite
- Recognized by peers, cross-functional teams, and customers as a subject matter expert for Hitachi HNAS and Unified Solutions
- Led engineered solutions for one of the largest Insurance companies in the U.S
- That included 32 major data centers
- Achieved several outstanding service awards for one of Hitachi Vantara's largest accounts
- Drove supported services activities for project lifecycles, including scheduling, performance testing, productivity, post-sales account management, and delivery of hardware & software products
- Provided pre-sales configuration support within the North American Deal Operations Center (DOC) for quoting new & innovative solutions and upgrades to existing deployed platforms
- Partnered with operations and field sales teams to expedite SLAs and ensure the accuracy of marketed solutions
- Proactively identified issues developed recommendations and implemented solutions that bolstered sales productivity and increased revenue streams
- Maintained expert-level knowledge of all Hitachi Vantara solutions, product components, and configuration requirements
- Meticulously researched current customer-installed licensing, components, and maintenance terms for all Hi-Track remote monitoring systems
- Optimized technical competencies through continuing education and training on new products and processes used in maintaining inventory awareness, advising projected lead times, and awareness of market developments.
Education
College of Lake County
Grayslake, ILSkills
- Product Strategy
- Agile Methodology
- Stakeholder Management
- Data Analysis
- Incident Response
- Cross-functional Leadership
- Observability
- Azure
- AWS
- VersionOne
- Gitlab
Websites
Accomplishments
Accomplished Observability Product Owner with a significant achievement in leveraging SAN performance tooling to optimize underutilized storage arrays and tools. Instrumental in identifying efficiency gaps, I implemented strategic measures that resulted in substantial cost savings, exceeding one million dollars for the company.
Certification
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
- Food Safety Manager Certification
Personal Summary
Founder of JL Harvest LLC, a thriving hot sauce company with a decade-long presence in local markets. My wife and I have successfully navigated the culinary landscape, cultivating a loyal customer base. Currently, we are expanding our operations and venturing into mass marketing by securing an industrial kitchen. Excited to continue our journey of delivering exceptional hot sauces to a broader audience.
Timeline
Product Owner/Technical Administrator
State Farm Insurance
01.2019 - Current
Data Center Technician (Facility Hardware Planner)
Jones Lang LaSalle
01.2018 - 01.2019
Senior Product Configuration Strategist/ Customer Support Engineer
Hitachi Vantara/Hitachi Data Systems
01.2000 - 01.2018
College of Lake County
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