Stephen Arbour
319 Tulpehocken Avenue · Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, 19027 · 267-266-5548 · sarbour@zyggyrat.com
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
- Over 15 years experience of outstanding software product leadership and experience. Demonstrated track record of successfully managing portfolios of small to large projects from start to finish.
- A highly motivated and energetic professional, dedicated to understanding and meeting client needs. Knowledgeable in project management tools, processes, and techniques.
- Exceptional focus, follow-through and coordination skills. Proven ability to develop and manage project schedules, and known for working well with cross-functional teams to achieve on-time project completion.
- Strong skills in software development, requirements gathering, marketing, analysis, negotiation, writing, and planning.
TECHNICAL PROFILE
Database: MS SQL Server, MS Access, MySQL, Filemaker, T-SQL, SQL Delta, ERD, xBase
Desktop Publishing: Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Framemaker, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Quark XPress, Multi-ad Creator
Issue Tracking: JIRA, Mindtouch Deki Wiki
Languages: C/C++, Flex, Perl, HTML, .NET, SQL, Visual Basic, Visual FoxPro, XHTML, XML, XSLT
Networking: TCP/IP, HTTP, FTP, SOAP
Office Applications: Excel Word, Powerpoint, Google Docs
Operating Systems: Apple OS-X, Palm OS, MS DOS, UNIX, MS Windows
Project Tracking: MS Project, AtTask
Source Code Management: CVS, SourceSafe, SVN
Web Servers: Apache, MS Internet Information Server
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1997 – Present, Managing Editor Inc., Jenkintown, PA
VICE PRESIDENT OF TECHNICAL SERVICES, 2010-
Lead growing professional services organization with oversight over professional services delivery, product management, quality assurance, and information technology.
- Lead development efforts for DAM, CMS, and production automation products for the publishing industry.
- Helped expand professional services to include custom development, consulting, and integration services.
- Provided project management and execution on numerous professional services engagements including Adobe Digital Publishing Suite customizations, Vjoon K4 Editorial System integrations, production automation development, andApple iPad application development.
- Expanded delivery options of the department to include Adobe DPS, Adobe SiteCatalyst, Adobe CQ5, and eBook production automation.
- Helped diversify MEI’s target markets to include biomedical, retail, and corporate publishing segments.
DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, 2004 – 2010
Lead aggressive product portfolio as executive team member of $14M software development company serving newspaper, magazine, book, and directory publishers worldwide.
- Increased active product portfolio from 7 to 18 products while maintaining existing staffing levels.
- Manage as many as four direct reports, including three Product Managers and one Quality Assurance Manager.
- Administer the company’s JIRA issue tracking system which is used for defect tracking, requirements tracking, project management, and feature requests.
- Expanded product management duties to include oversight over MEI’s Integrated Production Suite, the Qwalla Social Networking product line, the Page Director ALS series of desktop layout applications, and various Adobe plug-ins and Quark XTensions.
- Program and maintain database-driven applications using JavaScript, T-SQL, Visual Basic .NET, Flex, HTML, XML, and XSLT.
- Negotiated staff augmentations with various offshore development and quality assurance firms and consistently kept outsourcing costs under a budget of $300k yearly.
- Diversified MEI’s target market to include ad agency and online publishing segments in addition to print.
- Served as company liaison to the AdsML Consortium (a joint initiative between IFRA, The Newspaper Association of America,and IDEAlliance) and worked on the XMP implementation of the AdsML Metadata Standard in the Technical Working Group. AdsML is an XML framework for the interchange of advertising information throughout the entire value chain from advertiser to publisher in all forms of media.
INTERIM DIRECTOR OF TECHNICAL SERVICES, 2006 – 2007
Led customer service team of 10 Product Specialist supporting MEIs’ advertising management products for over 2500 customers and over 50 distributors located around the globe.
- Directly managed training, installation, and helpdesk staff providing 24/7 support.
- Established standard operating procedures for department.
- Coordinated internal cross-training program to ensure that every staff member was capable of providing support across the entire advertising management product line.
- Designed and managed the department’s ERP system, whose features include schedule management, a knowledge base, time-sheet management, call tracking, activity reports, and helpdesk issue resolution.
PRODUCT MANAGER / QUALITY ASSURANCE MANAGER, 1999 – 2004
As Product Manager, led cross-functional teams in the market analysis, customer engagement, requirements specification, project management, sales support, documentation, creation, implementation, and release of various software products
- Product portfolio included handheld and desktop applications, plug-in modules, web services, and n-tier products with an emphasis on the TruEdit Editorial System, the Quicksilver Production Tracking System, the Roundhouse Ad-tracking System, and the AdsUp Wireless Sales-Force Automation and CRM System. The Roundhouse product was inducted into the Computerworld-Smithsonian Permanent Research Collection, 2000.
As Quality Assurance Manager, reduced open defect count from over 1500 down to less than 300 defects over a three year period with quality assurance staff of five Quality Assurance Engineers.
- Established standard operating procedures for department.
Created transparent reporting mechanism to increase awareness of quality issues, investment, and team accountability.
SENIOR SITE INTEGRATION ENGINEER, 1997 – 1999
Installed, trained, and supported over 27 installations of the Roundhouse Ad-tracking System at newspaper and magazine publishers in the United States, Canada, and Europe while growing department to a staff of four Site Integration Engineers.
- Performed on-site, Internet, and telephone diagnosis and troubleshooting of mission-critical systems and networks.
- Consulted on workflow automation methodologies for print and Internet publication of advertising content for publishers.
- Managed Microsoft SQL Server database installations in assistance to our DBA. This included tuning, optimizing, replicating, and backing up databases as well as writing stored procedures, views, and triggers using Transact-SQL.
- Developed interface applications using Visual Basic and Perl.
- Provided support for sales and marketing teams including technical sales, attendance at trade shows, and performing product demonstrations.
1996 – 1997, LAN Solutions Inc., Wilmington, DE
VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS, 1997
Managed operations as executive team member of $2M VAR/ISP serving newspaper, petrochemical, construction, health care, and education firms and local government in Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania while being directly responsible for direct sales in excess of $400k.
- Developed applications using T-SQL, C, HTML, and Visual FoxPro.
- Provided management and sales on Web Services, Application Development, Cabling, and Network Installation projects.
DIRECTOR OF WEB SERVICES, 1996
Operated Internet Service Provider with several Points-of-Presence in the Southeast Pennsylvania and Northern Delaware area serving over 2,000 dial-up and broadband customers.
- Managed helpdesk and graphic design staff.
- Created and implemented security policies.
- Installed and configured web hosting services and back-end databases.
- Implemented online classified search engines for major Philadelphia-area newspapers using T-SQL and ObjectView.
- Taught classes in HTML and web design.
1996, Security Dynamics Inc., Cambridge, MA
ACCESS CONTROL MODULE TECHNICAN [Contract]
Configured, installed, and serviced Secure-ID Access Control Modules for military, government, financial services, and telecommunications clients across North America in support of a critical ACM Firmware Upgrade initiative through remote and on-site methods.
1995 – 1996, Dartmouth Publishing Co., Watertown, MA
TYPOGRAPHER
Typeset a number of textbooks and cookbooks using Quark XPress and Adobe Illustrator for a $2M design house offering typography and medical illustration services for major publishers including HarperCollins, McGraw-Hill, and Simon & Schuster.
1993 – 1996, Frank J. Fabozzi Associates Inc., New Hope, PA
MANAGING EDITOR
Led the editorial and creative process for a start-up publishing company which reached $1.5M in net worth based on a combination of textbook sales, consulting services, and conferences for institutional investors.
- Delivered book creation, graphic design, and typography services. Provided project management and design on every manuscript. Managed book resale, accounting, and distribution.
- Developed marketing materials for conferences and book sales.
- Published: CMO Portfolio Management, 1994; Valuation of Fixed Income Securities, 1994; Collateralized Mortgage Obligations, 2nd Ed., 1994; Whole Loan CMOs, 1995; Valuation of Fixed Income Securities and Derivatives, 1995; The Handbook of Equity Style Management, 1995; and Corporate Bonds, 1996.
- Served as the Assistant Editor for The Journal of Portfolio Management.
- Consulted with Reuters on the Decision 2000 real-time financial information system.
- Operated as an adjunct employee working for Yale University, Alex. Brown & Sons, Inc., and First Southwest Company. Also consulted with Bear Stearns, Mortgage Risk Assessment Corp., and others as a research assistant to Dr. Fabozzi.
1992 – 1993, Reynwood Trading Corp., Short Hills, NJ
SOFTWARE DEVELOPER
Created volatility tracking and forecasting programs for financial simulations used by commodities and foreign exchange traders to pinpoint arbitrage opportunities and increase trade yield using C, FoxPro, and Excel Macros.
EDUCATION
MBA, Technology Management, University of Phoenix (Online Campus), Phoenix, AZ, 2004
BA, Music, Drew University, Madison, NJ, 1994
AFFILIATIONS
2000 – Present, Professional Association of SQL Server Specialists Member
2003 – Present, Software Process Improvement Network, Philadelphia Chapter Member
2003 – 2007, American Society for Quality Senior Member
2003 – 2005, Project Management Institute Member
1998 – 2001, VINCA Certified Systems Engineer
1997 – 2001, Microsoft Certified Professional
1996, Security Dynamics Certified ACM Technician
LANGUAGES
Fluent in English
Conversational proficiency in Spanish
Basic proficiency in Italian, French, and German
