Mary Holzhauer
Houston,TX
Summary
Forward-thinking team leader skilled at operating departments efficiently to meet goals. Successful background matching employees with roles for maximum performance. Proactive and hardworking individual focused on continuous operational improvement.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Director of Operations | Founder
Southern Roots Insurance Group
02.2024 - Current
- Founded and scaled a tech-forward independent insurance agency, managing full operations from quoting to retention
- Migrated 400+ clients from a prior agency with 88% retention, using strong service and communication strategies.
- Expanded book of business by $150K+ in under a year through digital marketing and referral partnerships.
- Deployed NowCerts/Momentum systems, implemented AI tools for quoting and communications, and oversaw QuickBooks and ePayPolicy setup.
- Defined, implemented, and revised operational policies and guidelines.
- Worked collaboratively with functional leaders to implement new procedures and corrective actions to improve quality.
Enterprise Technical Delivery Manager
Affinaquest
12.2021 - 12.2023
- Led large-scale enterprise integrations using Azure Services; reduced delivery time by 50%.
- Hired and managed a6-person technical team; launched the Professional Services division.
- Created cross-functional handoff protocols, improving client satisfaction and team velocity.
- Increased revenue by 75% through strategic P&L oversight and service expansion.
- Built client-facing integration platforms to streamline collaboration and data flow.
- Demonstrated effective stakeholder management skills by actively engaging key decision-makers in project discussions.
- Promoted cross-team knowledge sharing to foster an environment of continuous improvement throughout the software development process.
- Negotiated contracts with vendors to secure the best possible resources at optimal costs for projects.
Product Owner / Scrum Master
L3 ForceX
09.2020 - 12.2021
- Managed feature delivery and backlog for defense SaaS products, resulting in a $13.5M contract award.
- Facilitated agile implementation cycles, delivering ahead of schedule and under budget.
- Drove internal adoption of process improvements via user groups and stakeholder forums.
- Boosted customer satisfaction by 15% through structured feedback and iteration.
- Analyzed customer feedback to identify areas for improvement.
- Focused on building critical features up front in order to identify constraints and technical challenges.
- Coordinated beta testing programs to gather user feedback, refining product features before general release.
Product Owner & Lead Business Analyst
Deloitte
07.2018 - 06.2020
- Directed multi-cloud SaaS builds (Azure, AWS) for enterprise clients.
- Transitioned Deloitte’s “Magnet Program” from TFS to VSTS, setting a firmwide precedent.
- Oversaw 50-person dev/design team; delivered $500K in added client value.
- Analyzed customer feedback to identify areas for improvement.
- Enhanced product usability by conducting user research and incorporating feedback into development.
- Facilitated communication between development teams and stakeholders, ensuring clear understanding of requirements and expectations.
- Prioritized bug fixes and enhancements based on user impact, maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction.
Senior IT Business Analyst / Scrum Master
LKQ Corporation
06.2016 - 07.2018
- Delivered IT/business alignment in a high-velocity sales environment.
- Led Agile ceremonies, requirements analysis, and stakeholder communications.
- Enhanced system functionality for increased efficiency through detailed analysis of user needs and software capabilities.
- Managed projects from inception through completion, consistently delivering on-time and within budget constraints.
Business Analyst / Project Manager
AECOM (United States Pentagon)
12.2014 - 03.2015
- Conducted operational GAP analysis and re-engineered business processes within a federal directorate.
- Implemented best-practice methodologies that improved overall project delivery timelines while maintaining quality standards.
- Increased resource efficiency by analyzing detailed business requirements.
- Improved business processes by analyzing current practices and recommending optimization strategies.
Business Analyst
CACI/Kratos (Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD)
05.2006 - 11.2014
- Spearheaded Army telecom system integrations and security-focused requirements analysis.
- Interacted with internal customers to understand business needs and translate into requirements and project scope.
- Supported software development projects by defining clear requirements and effectively communicating them to technical teams.
- Collaborated closely with stakeholders to identify opportunities for process improvements and drive continuous innovation in the organization.
Education
M.S. - Instructional Design
Troy University
Augusta, GA01.2008
B.A. - Communications & Marketing
University of St. Thomas
TXSkills
- SaaS & Platform Implementation
- Agile / Scrum / PMP Leadership
- Cross-Functional Team Management
- Insurance Ops & Client Retention
- AI Automation & Workflow Tools
- P&L Management & Business Scaling
- SSO/2FA
- Agile Tools
Accomplishments
- Scaled a tech-enabled insurance agency to $150K+ growth in under 12 months
- Migrated 400+ clients with 88% retention using custom SaaS workflows
- Increased revenue by 75% at Affinaquest through strategic P&L and delivery optimization
- Cut enterprise delivery time by 50% using Azure Integration Services
- Directed 50-person cross-functional teams across cloud platforms (Azure, AWS)
- Secured $13.5M defense contract through SaaS product delivery at L3 ForceX
- Delivered $500K in added client value at Deloitte during COVID-era SaaS pivot
Certification
- Certifications: PMP | CSM | CSPO
- Licenses: Property & Casualty Licensed Agent (TX)
Timeline
Director of Operations | Founder
Southern Roots Insurance Group
02.2024 - Current
Enterprise Technical Delivery Manager
Affinaquest
12.2021 - 12.2023
Product Owner / Scrum Master
L3 ForceX
09.2020 - 12.2021
Product Owner & Lead Business Analyst
Deloitte
07.2018 - 06.2020
Senior IT Business Analyst / Scrum Master
LKQ Corporation
06.2016 - 07.2018
Business Analyst / Project Manager
AECOM (United States Pentagon)
12.2014 - 03.2015
Business Analyst
CACI/Kratos (Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD)
05.2006 - 11.2014
M.S. - Instructional Design
Troy University
B.A. - Communications & Marketing
University of St. Thomas