Wayne Keels
Senior PMO & LSS Professional
Sumter,SC
Work Preference
Summary
Wayne Keels is a senior leader with 20+ years of experience in PMO methodologies (Agile/Waterfall/Hybrid), process improvement, business intelligence, and transformations across financial services, technology, insurance, manufacturing, and nonprofit sectors. He is adept in project management, Lean Six Sigma, strategic planning, change management, and technology integration. Results-driven executive with extensive experience in strategic leadership and operational excellence. Proven track record in driving growth, optimizing processes, and fostering team collaboration. Exceptional skills in strategic planning, financial management, and stakeholder engagement. Adaptable and reliable, consistently achieving high-impact results in dynamic environments.
Overview
27
27
Years of professional experience
4
4
Certifications
3
3
Degrees
2
2
Patents
Work History
VP of PMO & Continuous Improvement
SAFE Federal Credit Union
Sumter, SC
12.2022 - Current
- Led cross-functional teams of 15+ to deliver new projects with a combined budget of $7 million+ annually, utilizing Jira for project management and a hybrid waterfall/agile methodology.
- Developed the Business Intelligence strategy, executed the RFP process for 7 vendors, and led the integration project for 10 disparate systems into a unified cloud-based data warehouse.
- Led the creation of business process maps for the lending, risks, marketing, and collection departments; improving project planning and estimation efficiency by 40%.
- Implemented 25 user stories across business functions, creating data sets and visual (Power BI) dashboard data analysis capabilities for executives, reducing over 100 conventional reports.
AVP of PMO & Continuous Improvement
SAFE Federal Credit Union
Sumter, SC
12.2021 - 11.2022
- Established an enterprise PMO in 8-months with standardized processes, procedures, templates, and KPIs; customized Jira software to manage multiple project types, improving on-time delivery by 30%.
- Implemented a cloud knowledge base platform that streamlined access to standard operating procedures (SOPs) and banking fraud alerts, reducing frontline member friction by 20% over 6-months.
- Deployed the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), established KPIs and balanced scorecards, enhancing strategic alignment and fostering a culture of accountability and collaboration across ten business units.
Director of Continuous Improvement
SAFE Federal Credit Union
Sumter, SC
12.2018 - 11.2021
- Orchestrated a $3.7M core conversion program from Fiserv to Symitar, enhancing operational efficiency through strategic vendor partnerships and roadmaps for new product launches within 12 months.
- Transformed the digital online banking experience by implementing a new $1.7M platform, resulting in improved member satisfaction, streamlined business operations, and increased user adoption by 25%.
Business Transformation Lead for Discover Lean Group
Discover Financial Services
Riverwoods, IL
06.2018 - 12.2018
- Pioneered change management systems, integrating SAFe Agile principles to drive an adaptive and responsive transformation from the traditional waterfall, increasing efficiency by 30%.
- Empowered and motivated senior leadership through lean six sigma training, enhancing their ability to identify pain points, value creation, develop and align to strategic goals during operational planning.
- Optimized business strategies by aligning value streams with organizational goals, leveraging a digital Agile Kanban board for a more visual project management approach.
Program Manager for Consumer Banking
Discover Financial Services
Riverwoods, IL
03.2015 - 05.2018
- Led $10M banking core conversion, leading the origination and disbursement cross-functional team in a matrixed environment; optimized requirements gathering, compliance and testing.
- Streamlined issue resolution processes within the software development lifecycle, resulting in a 20% reduction in project delays by implementing structured research reviews and executive summaries.
Lean Six Sigma Consultant for Discover Lean Group
Discover Financial Services
Riverwoods, IL
06.2014 - 02.2015
- Performed process mapping, value stream analysis, and failure mode effects analysis (FMEA) leading to the identification of risks and the implementation of controls for greater software reliability.
- Leveraged Lean methodologies to optimize workflows, resulting in efficiency gains across the organization; established the baseline architecture for banking core conversion.
Senior Program Manager
National Merit Scholarship Corporation
Evanston, IL
06.2013 - 06.2014
- Spearheaded the migration of legacy AS400 systems, overhauling standard operation procedures, reducing downtime by 40% and enhancing system reliability.
- Led Agile team to develop a user-centric scholarship web application portal, resulting in increased student candidates' engagement and application rates.
- Implemented CRM software (Salesforce), revolutionized sponsor relationships and enhancing support mechanisms for improved program outcomes and increased scholarship awards budget.
Lean Six Sigma Consultant for Allstate Technology Group
Allstate Insurance Company
Northbrook, IL
09.2012 - 05.2013
- Consolidated software delivery methodologies across six business units, achieving $300k in cost avoidance through organizational change and a reduction in cost of poor quality (CoPQ).
- Enhanced incident response SLAs by integrating ServiceNow ITSM with ClearCase software management, reducing the defect triage, root cause analysis, and resolution cycle times.
- Analyzed testing and release management processes with executives, identifying gaps that improved product quality by 25% within 6 months.
Supply Chain Quality Manager for Mobile Devices
Motorola Mobility
Libertyville, IL
07.2006 - 08.2012
- Established a metrics-driven Supplier Chargeback Process, achieving $2 Million in savings within 12 months by enhancing warranty cost management strategies.
- Facilitated cross-functional collaboration to resolve manufacturing quality issues, leading to a 30% reduction in product returns within 6 months.
- Led cross-functional team to streamline supply chain manufacturing and tooling for production lines reducing the product portfolio size by 80%.
Project Manager and Lead Systems Engineer
Motorola Networks & Global Telecom Solutions
Arlington Heights, IL
01.2003 - 01.2006
- Led a cross-functional team of 10+ engineers to deliver telecom projects on schedule and within budget, utilizing waterfall methodology to enhance project efficiency.
- Standardized process for development of business cases and technology requirements; decreasing defects during software development phases, improving the go-to-market timelines.
Software Engineer and Architect
Motorola Networks & Global Telecom Solutions
Arlington Heights, IL
01.1999 - 01.2003
- Developed embedded software solutions using C and C++, enhancing system efficiency and reliability.
- Architected reliable and fault tolerant mobile base station systems, improving performance, scalability, and customer satisfaction (5-nines).
- Spearheaded the software change control board (CCB), enhancing operational readiness by implementing innovative solutions to triage complex issues within 3 months.
Education
MBA - Project Management & Marketing
DeVry University
MS - Computer Science
Purdue University
BS - Mathematics
Shaw University
Skills
- Agile
- Atlassian Jira
- Balanced Scorecards
- Budget Management
- Business Intelligence
- Business Process Management (BPM)
- Business Transformation
- Change Management
- Contract Negotiation
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Data Governance
- Financial Services
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
- Lucidchart Process Mapping
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Microsoft Project
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Organizational Development
- Performance Metrics
- Portfolio Management
- Power BI
- Process Improvement
- Project Management
- Project Management Office (PMO)
- Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
- Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)
- SDLC
- SQL
- Stakeholder Management
- Strategic Leader
- Strategic Planning
- Systems Integration
- Training and Coaching
- Vendor Management
- Waterfall
Certification
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSSBB), Breakthrough Management Group International (BMGI)
- Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Management Institute (PMI)
- Certified Business Intelligence Professional (CBIP), Transform Data with Intelligence (TDWI)
- Certified Credit Union Executive (CCUE), America's Credit Unions (ACU)
Personal Information
Title: PMO and Continuous Improvement Leader
Publications
Detection of Cloned Communication Units Based on Message Contents, 2005-10-01, Patent, 455410000, H04M003/16
Languages
English
Full Professional
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Affiliations
- Project Management Institute (PMI)
- The Council for Six Sigma Certification (CSSC)
- America's Credit Unions (ACU)
- Transforming Data With Intelligence (TDWI)
Quote
People don't resist change, they resist being changed.
Peter Senge
Timeline
VP of PMO & Continuous Improvement
SAFE Federal Credit Union
12.2022 - Current
AVP of PMO & Continuous Improvement
SAFE Federal Credit Union
12.2021 - 11.2022
Director of Continuous Improvement
SAFE Federal Credit Union
12.2018 - 11.2021
Business Transformation Lead for Discover Lean Group
Discover Financial Services
06.2018 - 12.2018
Program Manager for Consumer Banking
Discover Financial Services
03.2015 - 05.2018
Lean Six Sigma Consultant for Discover Lean Group
Discover Financial Services
06.2014 - 02.2015
Senior Program Manager
National Merit Scholarship Corporation
06.2013 - 06.2014
Lean Six Sigma Consultant for Allstate Technology Group
Allstate Insurance Company
09.2012 - 05.2013
Supply Chain Quality Manager for Mobile Devices
Motorola Mobility
07.2006 - 08.2012
Project Manager and Lead Systems Engineer
Motorola Networks & Global Telecom Solutions
01.2003 - 01.2006
Software Engineer and Architect
Motorola Networks & Global Telecom Solutions
01.1999 - 01.2003
MBA - Project Management & Marketing
DeVry University
MS - Computer Science
Purdue University
BS - Mathematics
Shaw University