Raja Kolluru
Herriman,UT
Summary
Dynamic and results-oriented Strategic Initiatives Manager/Product Manager with over 18 years of experience in the financial services industry, specializing in Payments Technology [ACH, Debit Cards, Cheques/Mobile Cheques and Wire Transfers] within Retail Banking. Adept at driving strategic initiatives from conception to implementation, with a strong track record of delivering innovative solutions that drive business growth and enhance customer experiences. Skilled in cross-functional collaboration, market analysis, and product lifecycle management. Proven ability to lead teams and foster a culture of innovation and excellence. Passionate about leveraging technology to solve complex business challenges and drive organizational success.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Principal Operations Strategy
Discover Financial Services
02.2015 - Current
- Internal departmental Point of Contact and coordinator of Strategic Initiatives for ACH process.
- Helped create and maintained annual road map for ACH Process, delivered monthly status reports, and oversight of organization's project management activities.
- Collaborated with management in development and implementation of process improvement plans. Analyzed customer feedback to identify areas for process improvement and adjust processes accordingly.
- Developed and documented process flows. Established and executed key performance metrics to track and analyze efficiency of business processes.
- Identified and implemented automation in ACH Stop Payment Process, realizing 90% Operation Efficiency.
- Achieved reduction in risk from 45% to 13% in major project where we moved to new vendor for External Account Management solution.
- Created and maintained accurate process improvement documentation for ongoing process operations.
- Generated reports to track progress and identify areas of improvement.
- Formulated and executed strategic initiatives to improve product offerings
- Directed cross-functional teams for successful execution of major projects, leading to increased profitability and growth
- Monitored key business risks and established risk management procedures
- Developed and executed strategic plans that resulted in significant cost savings and improved operational performance
Senior Consultant
Capgemini Financial Services
07.2008 - 02.2015
- Managed team of 15 consultants to successfully complete multiple projects within tight deadlines.
- Developed comprehensive reports and executive summaries for stakeholders outlining project progress and results.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure successful project delivery.
- Led customer training and onboarding initiatives to ensure successful implementation of new products and services.
- Advised and coached junior team members on best practices and professional development.
- Analyzed data and identified key trends to develop effective solutions to complex business problems.
- Implemented data-driven approaches for assessing project success, continuously refining processes based on insights gained over time.
- Provided expert guidance on change management initiatives, leading to successful organizational transformations.
- Presented project scopes to employees and executives, proposing timelines, budgets and specifications
- Streamlined project management processes, improving efficiency and reducing overall costs
Software Engineer
Lehman Brothers Services Pvt Ltd
06.2006 - 07.2008
- Utilized various manual and automated testing techniques to evaluate software quality.
- Monitored and reported on software performance and identified any potential areas of improvement.
- Maintained comprehensive database of test results to document software performance.
- Investigated and resolved software issues to ensure software is functioning correctly. Contributed in development of software documentation and user guides.
- Conducted regression testing and submitted observations to development team.
- Tested and deployed scalable and highly available software products.
- Maintained existing software systems by identifying and correcting software defects
Education
Bachelor of Technology - Computer Science And Engineering
Biju Patnaik University of Technology
Rourkela, India08.2004
Skills
- Process improvement
- Strategic management
- Relationship building
- Results-oriented
- Strategic Planning
- Customer Journey & Process Mapping
- Project Management
- Problem Resolution
- Analytical Skills
Accomplishments
- Recipient of the quarterly Excellence Award in Q3 2017 and Q2 2019 @ Discover Financial Services .
- Recipient of the BU Award in the category of “Customer Delight” for managing and delivering the four work streams in the Deposits module and also for contributing seamlessly into other modules of the project as well @ Capgemini
- Recipient the Star Performer Award for single handedly delivering the project involved the complex Revolving Loan functionality @ Capgemini
- Recipient the Lehman Brothers Achievers Award for delivering a critical project before its schedule @ Lehman Brothers India Ltd
Timeline
Principal Operations Strategy
Discover Financial Services
02.2015 - Current
Senior Consultant
Capgemini Financial Services
07.2008 - 02.2015
Software Engineer
Lehman Brothers Services Pvt Ltd
06.2006 - 07.2008
Bachelor of Technology - Computer Science And Engineering
Biju Patnaik University of Technology
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