Carla Brown

STRATEGIC PLANNING • PROGRAM MANAGEMENT • PROCESS IMPROVEMENT Houston, TX | - |-| linkedin.com/in/carla-brown-pmp-b Executive Summary Accomplished and results-driven program manager with extensive experience leading strategic initiatives and delivering high-value outcomes in both public and private sectors. Proven track record of driving complex projects to successful completion by aligning business objectives with actionable roadmaps, managing cross-functional teams, and fostering strong stakeholder relationships. Adept at transforming strategic vision into tactical execution, leveraging data-driven insights to facilitate informed decision-making, enhance operational efficiency, and achieve measurable business impact Proficiencies Project Management Process Improvement and Development Certified Scrum Master Agile PM Product Development Vendor Management Vulnerability Management Industries of Practice IT - On Prem / Cloud (Infrastructure, Network, Prod Tech, Security, Compliance) Disaster Recovery Telecom Facilities Management Oil and Gas Technical Skills / Applications Microsoft Office Suite (Project) SharePoint Jira Clarity PPM Azure DevOps Smartsheet Qualys Professional Experience: HCLTECH (CHEVRON) Enterprise Program Consultant May 2024 – Nov 2024 Executed a tactical roadmap for the $16MM global Microsoft Teams Rooms (MTR) and VCaaS program, aligning closely with enterprise strategic goals and emerging technological trends. Led the modernization and deployment of advanced video conferencing and hybrid meeting infrastructure across 35 domestic and international sites, successfully completing over 500 VCaaS upgrades. Facilitated high-level stakeholder engagements, conducting executive steering committee sessions to support strategic alignment and secure buy-in for program objectives. Managed regular communications and strategic updates with digital and regional engagement managers, swiftly addressing risks, resolving escalations, and ensuring consistent alignment across teams and vendor partners. Coordinated cross-functional teams including IT specialists (Data/Infrastructure Architects, Change Management, Security professionals), three vendor teams, and regional managers to deliver seamless project execution within aggressive timelines. Established and enhanced governance frameworks implemented key process improvements, and managed comprehensive data cleansing initiatives to improve operational efficiency. Leveraged collaboration platforms (Microsoft Teams, WebEx, SharePoint) and project management tools (Azure DevOps, Smartsheet, Microsoft Project) for accurate tracking, streamlined reporting, and improved transparency of project milestones. Proactively identified, managed, and mitigated program risks, improving deployment velocity and fostering continuous improvement in a fast-paced and dynamic environment. CISCO Project Manager, Webex Calling & Contact CenterJan 2022 – Oct 2023 Webex Calling – Beta Program Development & Execution Designed and launched a structured beta program in collaboration with Engineering, Product Management, and Beta teams, ensuring early-stage testing and feature validation. Established standardized processes, procedures, and a new platform to improve beta testing efficiency and enhance user engagement. Led cross-functional efforts to collect and automate feedback, increasing user participation and efficiently closing the feedback loop. Identified and resolved bugs and UX issues pre-production, reducing post-launch issues and improving overall product quality. Increased beta program adoption by 35%, onboarding 150+ companies and expanding feature testing by 45% through process standardization. Webex Contact Center – Strategic Program Management Led a newly established mission team, aligning business goals with customer needs to develop vision strategies, product roadmaps, and backlog management. Formalized PMO best practices, introducing Scrum of Scrums and WSJF prioritization for efficient backlog management. Streamlined product operations by optimizing workflows, standardizing tasks, and enhancing execution for scalable product delivery. Spearheaded quarterly and annual strategic planning initiatives, aligning objectives with broader business strategies. Launched an early access customer demo initiative, driving product adoption and accelerating user feedback loops. CROWDSTRIKE Engineering Program Manager & Scrum Master Sep 2020 – Dec 2021 Led global, cross-functional teams including cloud developers, sensor developers, UX designers, and UI developers to drive development and maintenance of mission-critical cybersecurity solutions. Integrated DevSecOps into development processes, enhancing software security and ensuring compliance with industry standards. Managed the development of security-focused tools, including file integrity monitoring, vulnerability management, and forensic endpoint security solutions leveraging Falcon’s EDR/XDR capabilities. Facilitated Scrum ceremonies and executed SDLC initiatives, including new product builds, feature enhancements, and optimizations. Partnered with product managers, development managers, and engineering teams to align deliverables with product roadmaps. Proactively identified dependencies, mitigated risks, and resolved issues across teams to ensure smooth execution. FISERV Senior IT Project/Program Manager & Scrum MasterOct 2018 – Sep 2020 Managed large-scale IT projects spanning compliance, security, infrastructure, and product development, reporting directly to C-suite executives. Led cybersecurity risk remediation projects in compliance with PCI-DSS, SOC2, and NIST security frameworks, overseeing vulnerability remediation across 11 platforms and resolving over 14,000 vulnerabilities in nine months. Implemented TLS 1.2 across 300+ servers, securing internal/external applications and improving system resilience. Directed DSS and SOC compliance audits for two consecutive years, achieving 197 remediations in 2019 and 60 in 2020, ensuring regulatory adherence. Spearheaded infrastructure migration projects, including a CD/DVD production move and automation initiatives, reducing operational complexity and enhancing efficiency. Led product development initiatives, introducing full color printing technology, reducing SKUs from 3,000 to three, and cutting OPEX while streamlining implementation by 30%. SLALOM (CHEVRON ACCOUNT) IT Project Manager Apr 2018 – Oct 2018 Led IT projects, delivering value-driven solutions, including a coordinate reference system for GIS applications, serving as a system of record for geodetic parameters. Managed project scope, aligning business requirements with technical execution and stakeholder expectations. Provided cross-functional leadership, ensuring alignment between executive teams, decision review boards, and business units. Oversaw hybrid cloud transformation initiatives, coordinating application migrations and cloud enablement strategies to drive operational efficiency and cost savings. INSIGHT ENTERPRISE IT Program/Project Manager & Consultant Jan 2017 – Oct 2017 Led an $800K Sysco Network refresh program, managing a 10-person team of engineers, architects, and vendors. Oversaw 21 operating company network transitions across the U.S., driving discovery, survey, design, deployment, testing, and closeout activities. Developed repeatable program processes and procedures to standardize and scale deployment efficiency. Partnered with solution architects and engineers to establish a technical QA process, improving implementation consistency and technical delivery. Maintained program reports, schedules, risk logs, communication plans, and change management documentation to ensure project transparency and alignment with business objectives. Certifications Project Management Professional (PMP)® License - Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®) License 933520 Professional Organizations / Affiliations Project Management Institute – Houston Chapter - Member Logistic Support and event planning for board members – 2014 – 2015 Annual Conference: 2014 – Technical Lead; 2015 – Facilities Director; 2016 – Conference Advisor Houston Agile Leadership Network – Houston Chapter - Member Annual Conference: 2018, Facilities Lead 2019 Education BBA, Computer Information, University of Houston Downtown AA, Fine Arts, Houston Community College