Michelle Hardy

Senior IT Project Manager with expertise in strategic project governance and driving operational efficiency. Successfully led cross-functional teams in delivering complex SaaS and ERP integrations, aligning technology implementations with business objectives. Focused on fostering collaborative environments that facilitate change management and sustained innovation.

• President, Choices Women’s Resource Center, 01/96, Present
• Member, American Association of Christian Counselors, 03/09, Present
• Member, Sigma Beta Delta, 2026
• National Society of Leadership and Success, 2026

• Project Management Professional (PMP-Equivalent Certification), MicroTrain Technologies
• Agile Scrum Master (CSM), MicroTrain Technologies
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, MicroTrain Technologies
• ITIL Foundations (IT Service Management), MicroTrain Technologies
• Agile Scrum (CSM), MicroTrain Technologies
• Business Analyst Fundamentals, MicroTrain Technologies
• Certified Mediation Specialist, American Association of Christian Counselors

• Ruby’s Daughter, LLC, Chicago, IL, 04/24, Present, Sr. Project Manager, Directed enterprise-level projects within a multifaceted organization, focusing on mentorship programs, employee training, and workplace/workforce management., Applied PMO and project management practices to design and implement workforce productivity systems, aligning organizational operations with measurable outcomes., Directed project initiation, KPI development, and governance standards, setting up infrastructure and managing operations for scalable growth., Led mentorship and training programs, coaching teams to deliver consistent, accountable performance and achieve project milestones., Advanced diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in collaboration with HR and leadership, embedding governance frameworks that ensured compliance and cultural transformation.
• USG, Chicago, IL, 01/24, 03/24, Senior Project Manager, Engaged on a short-term contract to lead multiple IT initiatives, including the enterprise-wide integration of a next-generation call center platform., Directed project initiation, governance, and vendor engagement, while streamlining delivery processes, driving innovation strategy, and implementing critical IT infrastructure components., Developed detailed project schedules and Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), ensuring clear milestones, deliverables, and accountability across cross-functional product development teams., Applied Lean risk management practices to identify, assess, and mitigate potential technical and operational risks, enabling optimal project outcomes., Led vendor evaluation, contracting, and governance activities, ensuring procurement and implementation of compliant hardware, software, and infrastructure solutions., Built and sustained strategic partnerships across IT, operations, and customer service to align project outcomes with organizational strategy and customer experience goals.
• University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 01/21, 12/23, Senior Project Manager, Directed end-to-end program and project management for strategic ERP integration, software development, and product design across the university., Implemented PMO governance practices within DevOps, led Agile development initiatives, and drove innovation in enterprise systems., Partnered with third-party vendors to manage resources, contracts, and delivery, leveraging Jira and MS Project to ensure alignment with scope, budget, and organizational goals., Successfully led the migration of 40 business units from Drupal 7 to Drupal 9 platform following the depreciation, ensuring a seamless transition, data integrity, and full functionality across all sites., Directed cross-functional onshore and offshore teams in delivering complex ERP integrations across multiple business units, ensuring governance, milestone tracking, and alignment with organizational strategy., Implemented change management frameworks and proactive risk mitigation strategies, embedding Lean practices to minimize disruption and accelerate project delivery across the enterprise., Delivered 100% of project KPIs by fostering partnerships across departments, vendor ecosystems, and offshore teams, driving measurable value realization and operational efficiency., Standardized PMO governance practices across the development process, overseeing budgets, resources, and schedules to ensure projects were delivered on time, within scope, and with minimal disruption., Optimized outcomes by resolving financial, scheduling, quality, and benefit realization challenges, ensuring fiscal stewardship and consistent delivery of value to stakeholders., Applied both Scaled Agile and Waterfall methodologies to manage technical implementations, balancing governance with flexibility, while maintaining strict oversight of project financials., Built alliances with executive stakeholders to drive organizational change and ensure system interoperability, delivering seamless integration of Concur-FST and other enterprise systems., Partnered with academic departments and administrative leadership to manage enterprise-level system migrations, student information platforms, and enrollment-related integrations, work that mirrors public-school access and enrollment operations.
• Centene Corporation, Chicago, IL, 10/17, 03/20, Sr. Actuarial Program/Project Manager, Directed the full lifecycles of enterprise actuarial programs, leading cross-functional teams to meet SLAs and deliver high-value initiatives on time, within scope, and on budget., Embedded regulatory governance and compliance standards across technology products while mentoring project managers on delivery best practices, risk mitigation, and mission-critical system upgrades., Directed system-wide actuarial programs valued at $10M+, embedding governance, fiscal controls, and risk management to deliver improved loss ratios (8%), client retention (+12%), and annual cost savings (15%)., Oversaw the design and launch of 50+ digital solutions, guiding teams through initiation, governance reviews, and regulatory approvals to accelerate product innovation and market readiness., Led software development teams through Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), milestone tracking, and PMO governance, ensuring alignment of budgets, schedules, and quality standards to improve profitability and performance., Enabled data-driven decision-making by managing the delivery of predictive models and analytics platforms, aligning outputs with business goals and system-wide reporting standards., Provided coaching and mentoring to project managers and cross-functional teams, enhancing PMO maturity, improving delivery consistency, and aligning team performance with enterprise strategy., Maximized operational efficiency through vendor governance, contract management, and stakeholder engagement, ensuring streamlined workflows and alignment across enterprise initiatives.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Chicago, IL, 04/15, 03/17, Project Manager, Directed enterprise-scale projects by developing detailed project plans, Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), and milestone roadmaps to guide cross-functional teams through complex product launches., Oversaw multimillion-dollar budgets, applied governance and risk management frameworks, and ensured successful deployments across business and clinical operations., Realigned digital transformation projects with corporate and clinical strategy, embedding governance standards and guiding teams through adoption of innovative enterprise solutions., Applied Agile and Waterfall methodologies to resolve project conflicts, accelerate product launches and reduce costs, while maintaining compliance with governance and quality standards., Established a PMO governance framework that standardized planning, stakeholder engagement, milestone tracking, and risk management, resulting in consistent on-time deployments across the organization., Partnered with business and clinical stakeholders to deliver customer-focused, compliant solutions, ensuring innovative strategies aligned with enterprise needs and exceeded customer expectations., Coordinated cross-departmental teams (IT, marketing, clinical, operations) to execute on-time product launches, ensuring deliverables aligned with governance, risk, and strategic objectives., Developed change management processes to ensure achievement of post-implementation KPIs, including customer satisfaction, operational excellence, and sustained financial growth.
• Nielsen Data, Chicago, IL, 01/20, 12/20, Sr. Project Manager
• CNA INSURANCE, Chicago, IL, 09/14, 01/15, Project Manager / UAT Coordinator
• Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL, 04/14, 09/14, Business Analyst / Consultant
• Walgreens, Deerfield, IL, 07/12, 03/14, Balance Rewards Innovator
• Independent Contracts, Illinois and Wisconsin, 02/08, 07/12, Strategic Project Consultant
• Walgreens Health Initiatives, Deerfield, IL, 10/06, 08/09, Sr. Quality Assurance Leader
• Walgreens Health Initiatives, Deerfield, IL, 07/02, 09/06, Sr. Eligibility Administrator
• Allscripts HC Solutions, Deerfield, IL, 01/00, 07/02, Contract Specialist