Michael Farkas
Old Bridge,NJ
Summary
Innovative, organized, goal-oriented and results-driven professional leader in the digital learning capabilities space. Deep experience with leading strategic training initiatives, business planning, business development, utilization effectiveness, and cross-functional team relationship building. Strong communicator with collaboration at all levels in fast-paced national environments. Successful at ensuring and creating optimal learning user experiences through effective design, implementation, and harmonization to meet business growth targets and objectives.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Associate Director, Learning Technologies
Bristol Myers Squibb (formerly Celgene Corp.)
03.2010 - 04.2023
- Overall responsibility for platform migration and innovative projects to support all business units/markets within the World Wide Commercial space, including but not limited to: Content Catalog & Standards to improve efficiencies, Learning Management System (LMS) Optimization to develop a self-service model, and migrating an outsourced resource platform into existing enterprise platforms to reduce cost
- Ongoing leadership and management of three (3) department resources, responsible for platform migrations and LMS responsibilities to support training content deployments and migrations activities
- Recruited, interviewed and hired personnel resources and implemented mentoring program to promote positive feedback and engagement.
- Cultivated positive rapport with fellow employees to boost company morale and promote employee retention.
- Proactively identify business requirements for innovative learning technology solutions to improve the user experience, reduce cost, and increase efficiency and ensure effectiveness of service delivery
- Collaborate with all US national departments and teams (and some global responsibility) to evaluate their initiatives and projects by suggesting viable recommendations leveraging available suite of technology applications to enhance the learner experience
- Delivered flawless execution to meet the technology needs of the therapeutic area (Hematology and Cell Therapy) teams including partnership with Information Technology (IT) and external vendor partners
- Worked closely with management to provide effective assistance for specific aspects of business operations.
- Oversee vendor partners to ensure alignment with contract requirements, establish performance metrics, and monitor time lines & contract pricing and payments
- Determine appropriate learning delivery methods in the context of development needs, audience, and instructional technology capabilities
- Consistently generating reports for clients within the LMS to track and measure employee's training history and/or audit requirements for compliance purposes.
- Continued to manage development of e-learning training materials and activities to enhance learning experiences.
Senior Manager, ELearning Training Operations
Merck (formerly Schering-Plough Corp)
04.2006 - 03.2010
- Worked with Training, Marketing, HR, Compliance, Legal and Sales Operations teams to create multiple modules ranging from disease state, Product knowledge, POA meeting prep, Leadership development, & Compliance courses.
- Recommended technology platforms currently available to enhance user experience to all supported teams.
- Managed development of e-learning training materials and activities to enhance learning experiences - approximately 50 e-courses.
- Managed large-scale projects and introduced new systems, tools, and processes to achieve challenging objectives.
- Identified cost improvement changes and cost savings plans to increase company savings.
- Defined clear targets and objectives and communicated to other team members.
Senior Business Training Manager
Merck (formerly Schering-Plough Corp)
04.2004 - 03.2006
- Designed, developed and led training and development for District Managers and Sales Representatives - approximately 10 training sessions per year.
- Collaborated with other departments to align training programs with organizational goals and objectives.
- Designed geography management training session - PRISM/VISION (geography management tools)
- Trained Interwise (older virtual meeting platform) to District Managers for effective virtual meetings.
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
Merck (formerly Schering-Plough Corp)
10.1999 - 03.2004
- Successfully increased market share for suite of promotional products: Clarinex (10.2% to 24.1%); Zetia (0% to 5.6%); and Nasonex (17.2% to 32.3%)
- Educated physicians and pharmacists on drug use, benefits, dosage and risks.
District Manager
Tenneco Automotive
05.1994 - 10.1999
- Performed sales, marketing, and training presentations for automotive clients specializing in Monroe ride control products
- Performed market analysis and identified growth opportunities to increase distribution and sales
- Successfully increased district sales from $2.6 million to $3.6 million
- Developed, customized, and presented marketing programs to all levels of the three-step distribution channel
- Presented training clinics to external customers on products and sales techniques.
- Modeled best practices for sales and customer service.
Education
BS, Applied Mathematics -
State University of New York
Brockport, NY05.1992
Skills
- Business Analysis
- Business Development
- Strategic Planning & Alignment
- Harmonization & Integration
- LMS Administration
- Project Management
- Instructional Design
- Vendor Management
- Key Relationship Management/Development
- Decision-Making
- MS Office
- Report Generation
- Hardware Configuration & Deployment Management
- Learning Software & Platforms: Articulate 360 Suite, Adobe Acrobat Professional, Camtasia, SuccessFactors (LMS), ComplianceWire (LMS), Veeva CRM, aCoach
- System Tools:
- Expense Control
- Process Improvement
- Analytical Thinking
Certification
- Change Management Foundations, 04/01/23, LinkedIn Learning
- Rapid Video Creation, 01/01/17, ATD
- Instructional Design for eLearning, 01/01/16, ATD
- Articulate Storyline Certificate, 01/01/15, ATD
- MLearning Overview, 11/01/11, ATD
- Instructional Design, 02/01/07, Training Magazine
Professional Accolades
- Seven Bravo Ovations/Applause Awards-2020 (2), 2021 (3), 2022, 2023 (BMS)
- Living Our Values Award-2015, 2015, 2017 (C)
- Transformational Award-2013 (C)
- Diamond Club recipient for training-2012 (C)
- Selected to attend the prestigious "The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg" program-2011 (C)
- Awarded Rookie of the Year-2000 (M/S-P)
Volunteer Experience
Old Bridge Soccer League Board member, Registrar (System Administrator) 13 years
Notable Accomplishments
- Managed the Veeva CRM to InterAct CRM Migration’s Training initiative which continues to be sustainably used as part of the new hire curriculum; this included: four (4) tracks (Sales, Clinical Nurse Consultants, Cell Therapy Account Managers, & MSLs); 563 learners, 25 vILTs (with average survey results on overall training 4.6/5.0), six (6) micro-modules (created to support the migration and to reduce time out of field). Integrated for new hires.
- Managed the iTrainU referencing portal to Hematology/Cell Therapy Learning Portal content migrations - a SharePoint learning portal structure.
- Provide strategic recommendations on the use of the LMS and other digital tools to enhance innovative, effective online and blended learning experiences.
- Migrated nearly 300 courses from ComplianceWire to SuccessFactors.
- Built evaluations in the LMS to support the HEM training team’s product certification process, which evolved into the Clinical Excellence Program certification process and resulted in saved evaluation time with the training team, and Leadership recognition.
- Flexibility: Small special projects – Some examples: Module/Assessment design, development, and deployment, Certifications for the Clinical Excellence Program for field based sales reps.
Timeline
Associate Director, Learning Technologies
Bristol Myers Squibb (formerly Celgene Corp.)
03.2010 - 04.2023
Senior Manager, ELearning Training Operations
Merck (formerly Schering-Plough Corp)
04.2006 - 03.2010
Senior Business Training Manager
Merck (formerly Schering-Plough Corp)
04.2004 - 03.2006
Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
Merck (formerly Schering-Plough Corp)
10.1999 - 03.2004
District Manager
Tenneco Automotive
05.1994 - 10.1999
BS, Applied Mathematics -
State University of New York
- Change Management Foundations, 04/01/23, LinkedIn Learning
- Rapid Video Creation, 01/01/17, ATD
- Instructional Design for eLearning, 01/01/16, ATD
- Articulate Storyline Certificate, 01/01/15, ATD
- MLearning Overview, 11/01/11, ATD
- Instructional Design, 02/01/07, Training Magazine
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