Margaret Grant Wooden

MARGARET GRANT-WOODEN Columbus, GA |-|- |LinkedIn SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS Experienced professional with a strong track record of spearheading operational improvements, strategic planning, and cross-functional collaboration. Adept at balancing strategic thinking with tactical execution. Excellent communicator, adaptable team leader, and analytical thinker. Committed to delivering results under tight timelines. AREAS OF EXPERTISE Project/Program Management Portfolio Management Servant Leadership Conflict Management Cross-Functional Collaboration Process Improvement Governance & Compliance Metrics & KPIs Risk Mitigation Change Management Strategic Planning Agile (Scrum) Business Case Development Leadership & Team Building Stakeholder Management Resource Management PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Senior Operations Manager, Advocate for Human Potential. – Sudbury, MA (Remote) 02/2023 – 12/2023 • Pioneered the development and implementation of standardized project management processes, tools, and templates. • Oversaw and reported on project performance metrics, ensuring alignment with strategic objectives. • Spearheaded process improvements to boost project delivery and operational efficiency. • Directed initiatives to standardize and streamline project management practices. • Cultivated and maintained strong relationships with key stakeholders, including project sponsors and senior leadership. • Provided strategic leadership and mentorship to project managers and PMO staff. • Implemented process optimization strategies that streamlined project workflows, resulting in a 30% increase in overall efficiency. Project Management Office (PMO) Manager (Contractor), NewWave Telecom & Technologies, Inc. – Elkridge, MD (Remote) 02/2022 – 12/2022 • Spearheaded the continuous development and maturation of the Project Management Office (PMO), driving tangible improvements in support of Operations and Program Delivery. • Accountable for project management process improvement; Lead initiatives to optimize workflows, resource allocation, and project management. • Collaborated with leadership to develop, refine, and execute the organization's strategic plans and goals.. • Responsible for the Project Management Framework and its governance and ensuring compliance. • Provided visionary direction, adept leadership, and mentorship to PMO staff, assigning tasks, establishing performance objectives, and effectively managing the performance review process. • Orchestrated impactful project reviews and Monthly Sponsor meetings, ensuring precise project prioritization and meticulous planning for seamless execution. • Elevated PMO Effectiveness & Alignment, Enabling Faster Project Delivery. Transformed PMO Operations, Driving 15% Increase in Project Success Rate. New Request Process Manager, Emory Healthcare System – Atlanta, GA 04/2019 – 11/2021 • Orchestrated the project request intake and ideation process, fostering collaboration and managing the New Request portfolio. This included defining typology and categories for all incoming initiatives. • Collaborated with stakeholders to crystallize requirements and guided them through the solution discovery journey, enhancing project clarity. • • • • Streamlined internal processes, identified areas for improvement, and implemented strategies to enhance operational efficiency. Communicated portfolio achievements and overall health to leadership using various channels such as status reports, metrics, checkpoints, and scorecards. The refined intake process and insightful analytics facilitated better-informed decision-making, fostering an agile and aligned approach to projects, ultimately propelling the organization closer to its strategic goals. Improved customer satisfaction ratings by 15% and reduced process time by 30%. Transformed IT project intake and governance, resulting in a 30% increase in project alignment with corporate strategy. Project Portfolio Manager (Contractor), The Intersect Group – Atlanta, GA 10/2017 – 07/2018 • Devised and presented constructive suggestions for change, identifying opportunities for optimization while nurturing a culture of continuous enhancement. • Collaborated closely with Project Leads, ensuring meticulous identification, and planning of critical crossprogram interdependencies. • Leveraged Salesforce Agile Accelerator to accurately forecast, manage, and eliminate roadblocks for project teams, ensuring seamless execution. • Anticipated resource constraints proactively, collaborating with resource managers to explore alternative solutions and guarantee resource availability. • Spearheaded the monitoring and reporting of portfolio performance, ensuring project health and alignment with executive strategic objectives. • Successfully implemented changes and interventions, driving the attainment of project and program goals. • Orchestrated streamlined work planning sessions, introducing a backlog management process that showcased relevance, improved work efficiency, and provided an accurate view of the work portfolio. • Elevated Cross-Functional Collaboration, Leading to 15% Increase in Project Efficiency Process Engineer, WellStar Healthcare System – Atlanta, GA 11/2015 – 11/2016 • Authored and disseminated comprehensive root cause analysis reports, harnessing appropriate monitoring and data collection tools aligned with the ITIL framework. • Operated as a dynamic emissary and change agent, providing invaluable coaching and advisory services to shape and execute the IT Change & Problem Management framework. • Led the charge in devising and executing curative and preemptive measures for the IT infrastructure and development partners, championing proactive issue resolution. • Orchestrated result-oriented RCA meetings, fostering alignment among internal and external stakeholders to identify root causes, track remediation steps, and proactively prevent future incidents. • Exhibited expertise in designing, developing, and maintaining solutions within the Remedy/ServiceNow environment, amplifying ITIL processes through tailored enhancements. • Concluded investigative analysis, delivering insightful reports on persistent incidents, contributing to informed decision-making and process optimization. • Enhanced IT Efficiency through Strategic Process Refinement, Resulting in 25% Faster Incident Resolution IT PPM Tool System Administrator, WellStar Healthcare System – Atlanta, GA 09/2013 – 11/2015 • Provided comprehensive application support, including account provisioning and Planview administration. Orchestrated system maintenance, overseeing software upgrades and patch management to ensure optimal functionality. • Accountable for project management process improvement; Lead initiatives to optimize workflows, resource allocation, and project management. • Engineered dynamic dashboards and reports to evaluate project inter-dependencies, portfolio health, critical path analysis, and earned value metrics. Generated actionable insights to enhance portfolio performance. • Expertly configured the application to align with business needs, integrating it seamlessly with other critical applications. • Diagnosed and resolved application issues, offering end-user support, and liaising with vendors to drive enhancements, implement solutions, and resolve support tickets. • • • Conducted end-user training, producing comprehensive training materials, and delivering demonstrations to facilitate seamless system use and administration. Translated user requirements into effective design and configuration, considering change readiness for system upgrades and other initiatives through thorough stakeholder analysis. Elevated Application Performance and User Engagement, Facilitating Smoother Project Execution IT PMO Analyst, SYNOVUS – Columbus, GA 09/2010 – 09/2013 • Recognized potential issues, recommended solutions, and managed efforts to identify best practices; Escalated and/or created action plans as needed • Partner with Project and Program managers to support identification, planning and delivery of key cross-program interdependencies. • Led project quality and lifecycle gate reviews; Organized & facilitated IT Governance meetings including steering committees, project control & status meetings, deep dives, pre-planning (business case analysis) and closeout sessions • Governance & Lifecycle Approver: Performed quality checks, audits & portfolio analysis to ensure project deliverables are preserved & available for external audits & adhered to IT Governance processes & methodologies • Performed comprehensive research and communicates recommendations to leadership; Use project and resource data to report trends & KPIs and ensure project & portfolio objectives align with corporate strategies • Gathered monthly, quarterly, & yearly updates for leadership to show performance amongst the divisions against forecasted metrics and initiatives EDUCATION Keller Graduate School of Management – Oakbrook Terrace, IL Master of Public Administration Columbus State University – Columbus, GA Bachelor of Arts; Communications –