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RICHARD J. GARD                                                                richardgard@verizon.net

VICE  PRESIDENT - Merrill Lynch

Financial Services  ~  Banking  ~  Chemical/Pharmaceutical


Dynamic, results-oriented technology professional with a passion for leadership offering over 20 years experience in Systems/Network Engineering, Application Development Lifecycle, and Defect Resolution.  Experience includes over seven years managing technical teams, both virtual and direct.   Capable of evaluating merger opportunities from business and technology perspectives.  Offering outstanding scientific methods in problem solving, (utilizing Kepner – Tregoe Decision Making techniques and Apollo Root Cause Analysis methods), combined with proficiency in business practices.  Able to assess merging corporate cultures, cultural compatibility, and design integration plans for their cultures, as well as, assessing technology of an acquisition target.  Currently pursuing MBA in Management with three classes remaining.


Global Problem Management Process Owner     SWAT Manager (3rd Level Production Support, Problem Solving, Special Tools and Tactics)
Knowledge Management Thought Leader

  Application Design & Guidance Manager

CAREER  ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Merrill Lynch

·       Selected as Lead for Global Support Model’s ITIL based Problem Management.

·       Mergers and Acquisitions Technical Liaison, 2006.

·       Supplied and Managed Blackrock Integration Resources (enabling transfer of MLIM resources to Blackrock).

·       Initiated Technology Convergence Tracking System.

·       Multiple technology and special recognition awards from 2000 to 2005.

·       Lead Operational Readiness Assessment Team Prior to Wealth Management Technology Platform (WMTP) Deployment, July 2003.

·       Technical Lead for the WMTP Outsource Contract, 2002.

·       Resolved Numerous Production Stability and Performance Issued Post WMTP Deployment.

·       Established Rapid Response SWAT Practice for WMTP Production.

·       Establish Trusted Global Advisor Performance and Stability Practice (3rd Level Productions Support), 1999.

·       Implement first build Automation, Active-X control packaging/deployment, 1997-1998.

·       Chief Architect for Source Control Management System (SCMS), 1996.

·       Publications include three papers on mathematical modeling and computer simulation of biological systems.


PROFESSIONAL  EXPERIENCE

MERRILL LYNCH, Pennington, New Jersey                                                                            1996 - Present

Knowledge Management Thought Leader  (2007 – Present)

  ·       Major contributor to knowledge management business process design and content management implementation.   

  ·       Responsible for Inserting ITIL version 3 Knowledge Management into a Global Support Model.

  ·       Influenced the adoption of Knowledge Management (second generation), Knowledge Life-Cycle, Knowledge Processes, Knowledge Management Sustainability.

Global Problem Management Process Owner  (2007 – Present)

·       ITIL Foundations Certified.

·       Actively engaged in all phases of Global Support Model Design, Build and Activation.

·       Primary source of management and stakeholder information about the Problem Management Process.

·       Ensure process and working practices are effective and efficient. 

·       Established and communicated required process roles and responsibilities.

·       Heavily involved in process automation decisions and conducted ongoing process improvement efforts.

·       Motivate staff responsible for performing process, improving performance.

·       Develop tight process linkages where required.

·       Lead development and compliance of standards and policies.

·       Establish and report process performance metrics and compliance service levels.

Application Design and Guidance Manager  (2005 - 2006)

·       Managed team providing strategic application design guidance through architecture, design, code reviews.  Consulted with client from inception to transition in a full software lifecycle support model.

·       Ensured software specifications are in alignment with Middle Tier Integration Framework, Presentation Tier Framework, and CA’s Siteminder Architecture.

·       Tracked technology convergence across all GPC BTO organizations; inventoried over 1000 products to the point and assessed technology convergence on 80% of those products.

·       Provided development environments for IF/PF/Siteminder initiatives.

·       Designed and produced training material; instructor based, CBT, and MLU Online Content.

GPC SWAT Manager  (2000 - 2005)

·       Managed Critical Problem Resolution to production issues.

·       Subject matter expert in financial institution technology strategy and implementation. 

·       Directly managed team of 4 professionals, and managed virtual teams of up to 50 in critical situations.

VMWare Product Manager  (2002 - 2004)      

·       In charge of VMWare Systems Architecture and Implementation; Wks, GSX, ESX.  VMWare workstation became standby/backup solution for retail broker during the 1 year rollout of Wealth Management Workstation solution.

Subject Matter Expert for the Wealth Management Technology Platform  (2000 - 2002)

·       One of three people responsible for technical specifications in WMTP outsource legal contract.   Worked with legal team to draft Schedule A, which served as starting point for outsource initiative negotiations.

3rd Level Support Engineer  (1998 - 2000)

·       Responsible for supporting production Trusted Global Advisor platform and pre-production systems.

MS Solutions Provider  (1996 - 1998)

·       Lead technical consultant in Microsoft Project.  Responsible for “how-to” and implementation details, designed numerous solutions.


MICROS SYSTEMS, Beltsville, Maryland                                                                                  1995 - 1996

Software Development Manager

AW COMPUTERS, Mt. Laurel, New Jersey                                                                               1993 - 1995

Lead Software Development /Object Oriented Design Specialist

SIGMA IMAGING, New York, New York                                                                                  1991 - 1993

Senior Software Engineer / Object Oriented Design Specialist

EDUCATION

 

RIDER UNIVERSITY, Lawrenceville, New Jersey

MBA (Management), Expected Graduation, May 2008

 

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, Seattle, Washington

Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, (Computer Science and Business Administration Minors), 1983

 

ADDITIONAL TRAINING:

·                  Influence – Collaborating for Results, The Forum Corporation, 1999

·                  Toastmasters – Working towards CTM status

·                  Dale Carnegie Leadership Training, 2006

·                  Blue Ocean Strategy (Roch Parayre, Senior Fellow at Mack Center for Technological Innovation, Wharton, U of Penn)

·                  Innovative Thinking (Roch Parayre)