Thomas Ludwig Kast, PMP
Home phone: (503) 636-0139
Email – tomkast@yahoo.com
Manager --
twenty years of experience in information technology.
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PMP (Project
Management Professional) Certification
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Experience
implementing CMM (Capability and Maturity Model) and RUP (Rational Unified
Process)
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Expert in aligning
IT to the needs of business
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Experience with
TOGAF and BPMS
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Solid experience
managing cross functional teams
The Bank of
Vice President
Managed 15-member team (developers and business
analysts) to work cohesively and efficiently to deliver the Inform platform for
Bank eCommerce applications: http://ii.bankofny.com. The Inform
platform includes a portal and set of shared services to be leveraged by
eCommerce applications bank-wide.
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Created project
plan, monitored progress and reported on project milestones.
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Held regular
meetings with analysts and developers.
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Delivered
client-facing Inform portal.
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Delivered twenty-two
services included security, event logging, scheduling, software distribution,
file transfer/client file delivery, report archival, fax/email and a
two-phase-commit transaction service.
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Made strategic
acquisition of source code to speed time to market for scheduling service.
Delivered portal and shared service infrastructure currently
used by 70% of the client-facing applications at the Bank. Significantly decreased costs and increased both
predictability and quality through shared services, standard implementations
and repeatable process.
The Inform
platform features a reporting application, Inform Reports. Tasked with joining an existing team as a
technical project manager, led a 5 member development team to develop, test and
deliver a high-profile client-facing, front-end and back-end enhancement for
Inform Reports.
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Joined team in the construction phase.
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Mentored front-end team on J2EE best practices.
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Guided back-end team on performance metrics and tuning/analyzing test
results.
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Led team through system testing and performance tuning.
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Reported on project status, risks and dependencies throughout
construction, testing, production delivery and post-production monitoring.
Delivered a
successful major release for the high-profile, client-facing Inform Reports –
on time, on budget and on scope.
As part of the
next generation for Inform Reports, the Bank chose to replace a large
enterprise reporting application with a buy solution: Crystal Enterprise. Selected by Senior Vice President to be
responsible for product evaluation, led 25 member team to achieve
predictability in application performance, scalability and availability for
this high-profile, high-risk, client-facing project.
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Created project plan, monitored progress, delivered weekly project status
to sponsor.
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Front loaded performance testing to increase predictability across all
key areas of functionality.
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Worked with product staff to create more technical service level descriptions.
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Led technical staff through performance test planning, execution and
analysis.
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Provided lucid performance data to top executives to drive license
negotiation.
Discovered
critical performance and scalability issues in Crystal Enterprise 9 that were
addressed in version 10. Significantly
reduced project risks, drove down costs and added predictability in the
hardware provisioning process.
Tasked with creating, integrating and
managing the QA team.
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Managed 4 QA
staff.
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Mentored team on
the CMM SQA role.
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Created
integration test and system test templates and project milestones.
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Hired a QA
manager, transitioned role.
Succeeded in creating and integrating a QA team into
the software development lifecycle.
Bank needed to
reduce redundant technology implementations and develop a repeatable process to
deliver software for the 192 member division. Senior Vice President assigned
technology convergence task with goal of increasing predictability and quality.
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Developed a four-point plan: common components, process milestones,
standards for tier-based functionality, and common support model.
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Worked with technical and functional representatives from each department
within the division to gain consensus.
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Led weekly meetings, published results, reported on status, goals and
deliverables
Succeeded in
implementing technology convergence initiative.
Delivered predictability, efficiency and decreased time to market for
all application projects in the division.
Published common components and best practices, significantly improving
access to key knowledge resources across the division.
Chosen
to participate in Bank-wide CMM roll out with quarterly reporting to CIO.
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Mapped
all CMM Key Process Areas through level 5, to CMM groups.
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Created
standard CMM groups: Software Product Engineering, Software Quality Assurance,
Project Analysis, Software Configuration Management, Subcontract Management and
Software Engineering Process Group.
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Empowered
CMM groups to meet the requirements of the CMM.
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Translated
CMM requirements into manageable milestones.
Helped
the CIO deliver on commitment to bring the Bank to CMM level 2 on an
organizational level.
Following
the
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Purchased
PC’s, inventoried software licenses, and re-established long-cycle development and
production support for 196 employees over 25 projects and 8 teams at new
locations.
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Leveraged
the transition as an opportunity to increase homogeneity in technology across
the Bank division including creation of a single image for PC software
development teams across the division.
The Bank realized significant cost savings.
Reestablished Bank
operations.
Managed a 15 member team to complete a
price-performance, platform-evaluation project.
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Coordinated a
large team with participants from various areas of the bank as well as vendor
participation.
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Maintained
project time line, completed all deliverables, including executive summary and
presentation on time, on budget and on scope.
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Compared price
performance of BEA WebLogic on the Intel/HP/Microsoft platform with the
existing Sun/Solaris platform.
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Discovered a 3/1
price performance advantage for Bank on the Intel platform.
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Reduced hardware
costs for Bank on existing platform by increasing alternatives.
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Senior Vice
President and myself delivered presentations
on project findings at BEA eWorld 2003.
Added strength to the relationship between BEA and Bank.
Project was a key accomplishment in
lowering hardware platform costs.
Project also significantly drove down risks by proving that the
application under test (production application) could port across operating
systems and hardware vendors without recompiling.
Environment: BEA WLS 5.1,
BEA WLS 6.1; BEA WLS 8.1 PLATFORM; IBM UDB, IBM MQ, IBM DB2/UDB; SYBASE DB;
RATIONAL ROSE; SUN SOLARIS, SPARC; MS IIS, MS SQL SERVER, MS OFFICE; GRINDER 3,
Systems
Architect
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Coordinated 25
developers to facilitate daily builds.
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Integrated IBM
Visual Age for Java, V.A.J. binary repository and built-in V.A.J. build system
for existing development team.
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Prototyped unique
claim number generator EJB for compatibility with mainframe claims-handling
system.
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Worked on both
insurance provider and client member portal teams.
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Chose software
packages for universal user management and single sign on.
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Architected Servlet/EJB sign in and registration on
WebLogic Application Server.
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Stress tested WebLogic
Application Server/Oracle.
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Architected data
replication system between application service providers.
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Hiring
/interviewing developers, architects and project managers.
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Developed ASP
pages.
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Integrated
creative HTML design work with ASP functional development.
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Conducted
performance testing on multiple servers for production releases.
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Hired/interviewed
developers, architects and project managers.
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Designed and
managed component level testing for an eight-person development team.
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Developed stored
procedures in SQL Server 7.
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Designed
server-side ASP to communicate with MAOI Java classes running on WebLogic.
Environment:
BEA WEBLOGIC; IBM WEBSPHERE;
ASP; ADO; IIS; SQL SERVER 7.0; VISUAL J++ 6.0; JDK 1.2.2; JAVASCRIPT; VISUAL
CAFE ; VISUAL INTERDEV 6.0; VISUAL SOURCE SAFE 6.0; MOAI/LIVE EXCHANGE 3.0;
DREAM WEAVER 2.0; PERFORMANCE MONITOR; RADVIEW WEBLOAD;ORACLE 8i;SOLARIS.
Lead Developer
As Lead Developer for a Market Conduct Examination
System, was responsible for the following:
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Developed
reporting application using Visual Basic 5.0 and Excel 8.0 objects for a set of
standards established by the NAIC (National Institute of Insurance
Commissioners) including trend analysis, financial analysis, timeliness, random
sampling and graphing.
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Developed data
migration functionality from a Mainframe environment to ACCESS.
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Developed
software to track documents, archive documents and record history of data
manipulation for automated inclusion in reports.
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Developed ACTIVE
X business objects to deploy application on corporate Intranet. The tool is
used as a stand-alone VB application and on the corporate intranet.
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Environment:
VISUAL BASIC 5.0; COM/DCOM; ACCESS; EXCEL; ASP; IIS; INTERNET EXPLORER; VB
SCRIPT.
As Software Engineer on an insurance workflow system,
was responsible for the following:
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Designed a suite
of ACTIVE-X business objects called The Master Control Program responsible for
all security, document tracking, stage updating and automated email. Components
were deployed in a stand alone executable on Citrix Winframe.
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Environment:
VISUAL BASIC; ORACLE; CITRIX WINFRAME.
As Architect and Web Master for delivery business, was
responsible for the following:
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Designed business
system including order taking software, accounts payable, payroll and automated
general ledger.
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Developed weekly,
monthly, and quarterly automated reporting.
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Designed and
maintained web site that advertised delivery restaurants.
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Managed three
full-time programmers.
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Environment:
HTML; FTP; TCP/IP; INTERNET EXPLORER; NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR; UNIX; MAC; WINDOWS
95; EXCEL 4.0/5.0; VISUAL FOX PRO 5.0; VISUAL BASIC 5.0.
As New England Digital audio engineer, performed video
post-production audio and record production.
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Managed team of
engineers.
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Managed
construction digital audio suites in
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Trained users
on-site internationally, including
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Responsible for
operating digital audio super computer.
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Sound effects and
programming for major label record production and general market advertising.
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Composer for
Ballet including The Jeoffrey Ballet and the Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance
Theatre.
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Environment: NEW ENGLAND
DIGITAL SYNCLAVIER; SMTP; SSL CONSOLE; MAC; OPTICAL WORM DRIVE; DAT; HALF INCH
VIDEO; 24 TRACK TAPE; 32 TRACK DIGITAL TAPE.
Consulting in Finance and
Software Development (Jan 2003 to present)
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Presented on the enterprise performance management software market. Delivered framework defining market segments
and associated requirements/features (July 2003)
Sun Microsystems
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Presented to Sun EVP and direct reports on the value of Java and the
scope of Sun Software in the enterprise. (January 2003)
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Presented to Sun EVP and direct reports on Sun’s future on the Intel
platform from both Sun hardware and Sun software perspectives. (November 2003)
BEA Systems
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Presented at the 2003 eWorld show on price
performance analysis. (February 2003)
Mortgage Bank
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Reviewed 14
frameworks and presented on a chosen framework.
Based on the Bank’s unique organizational needs, chose TOGAF (The Open
Group Architecture Framework). Delivered
an executive summary. (July 2004)
Life Insurance
Co.
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Worked with
current state application owners, documented current state architecture. Documented future state architecture. Worked with stakeholders to insure that
architecture conformed to enterprise-wide standards and business
requirements. Delivered document
walkthroughs. (Aug – Oct 2004)
Certifications:
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Microsoft Certified Professional ID #1424983, Visual
Basic 5.0, Visual Basic 6.0
SUN Java 2 Programmer
SUN Java 2 Developer
SUN J2EE
SUN Solaris Certified Systems Administrator
SUN Solaris Certified Network Administrator
Bank Training:
Bank: CMM implementation Training Program
Bank Project Management Training Program
Bank: Worldwide Custody Training Program
Bank: Advanced Anti-Money Laundering
Application
Server
BEA WLS 5.1, BEA WLS 6.1, BEA WLS 8.1, BEA PORTAL
8.1, BEA INTEGRATION 8.1, WEBSPHERE APPLICATION SERVER 5.0.2, WEBSPHERE APPLICATION
SERVER 5.1, WEBSPHERE PORTAL 5.0.2, CRYSTAL ENTERPRISE 9, CITRIX WINFRAME,
MOAI/LIVE EXCHANGE 3.0,WEBSPHERE
Databases/Queues
IBM UDB, IBM MQ, IBM DB2/UDB, SYBASE DB, MS SQL
SERVER, ORACLE 8, MS ACCESS,VISUAL FOX PRO 5.0
Development
Tools
WSAD (WEBSPHERE STUDIO APPLICATION DEVELOPER) 5.1,
WSAD EMS, VI, TEXPAD, ECLIPSE, ANT, CHECKSTYLE, CVS, CLEAR CASE, HARVEST,
JUNIT, HTTPUNIT, RATIONAL ROSE, MS OFFICE, VISUAL CAFÉ, VISUAL INTERDEV 6.0,
VISUAL SOURCE SAFE 6.0, DREAM WEAVER 2.0, FIRECRACKER
Operating
Systems
SOLARIS 7, SOLARIS 8, MAC, WINDOWS 95, 98, NT, ME,
XP, 2000, 2003, DOS
Platforms
SUN SPARC, HP INTEL
Web Server
MS IIS
Security
NETEGRITY SITEMINDER, PKI, VERISIGN, SECURE ID
Load
Generators
GRINDER 3, LOAD RUNNER, WEB LOAD
Languages
JAVA, SHELL, VISIO, ASP, JSP, JAVASCRIPT, HTML, XML,
VISUAL BASIC 5, VISUAL BASIC 6, VISUAL C++, SQL
Microsoft
VISUAL
BASIC, VISUAL C++,
Protocols
FTP, TCP/IP, HTTP, HTTPS, T3, T3S
Browsers
INTERNET EXPLORER, NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR, OPERA
Performance
Monitoring
WILY INTERSCOPE,PERFORMANCE MONITOR
Video Post-Production
NEW ENGLAND DIGITAL SYNCLAVIER, SMTP, SSL CONSOLE,
MAC, OPTICAL WORM DRIVE, DAT, HALF INCH VIDEO, 24 TRACK TAPE, 32 TRACK DIGITAL
TAPE.