Manuela Marsha Lester

marsha.lester@gmail.com

IT leader with 15+ years of diverse experience in information technology, project and portfolio management, strategy creation
and execution, and staff development. Experience in both public and private sector organizations.
IT & PMO Leadership
Agile (Scrum) Transformation
Project/Portfolio Management

Budgeting and Cost Control

Process Development
RFP/RFI Creation & Response

Vendor Management
Client Relationship Management
Staff Mentoring & Development

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
REED TECHNOLOGY & INFORMATION SERVICES, INC.
A LEXISNEXIS COMPANY, HORSHAM, PA
SENIOR MANAGER, SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT (2009 to March 2015)
MANAGER, SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT (2007 to 2009)
Managed and supported custom software development projects (client/server, web, and cloud-based solutions) in the
following business verticals: Life Sciences, Intellectual Property, and US Patents.
Introduced and led organizations transformation to Agile Development Methodology.
Built Program Management Office, introducing new project management standards and processes, executive reporting,
qualitative and quantitative metrics, and process for monitoring benefits realization.

Created Organization Review Board (consisting of the President and his executive team). This governance structure was a
mechanism for providing executives with a holistic view of the portfolio and the necessary information to make decisions
about selecting and sequencing projects in alignment with corporate strategy.
Managed staff consisting of Project Managers, Scrum Masters, Business Analysts, Developers, and QA Testers (staff of 40).
Led selection of cloud-based project portfolio management tool (Workfront).
Implemented project portfolio model recognized by CIO Magazines 2009 CIO 100 Award. Reed Tech's implementation
leverages technology and analysis tools in an organization-wide and collaborative fashion, optimizing resource utilization,
and delivering projects with the broadest benefits first - a key innovation that improves outcomes for customers as well as
profitability for the business. - CIO Magazine

CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, MAYORS OFFICE OF INFORMATION SERVICES (MOIS)

DEPUTY DIRECTOR, ENTERPRISE SERVICES (2005 to 2007)

PROGRAM MANAGER (2004 to 2005)

Led 60+ staff of software development professionals (developers, DBAs, business analysts, project managers, including 5
managers and supervisors).

Directed staff in updated design and ongoing maintenance of the City of Philadelphia website (www.phila.gov).

Led IT implementations in numerous City agencies/departments, including:

o Implemented Automated Workflow for Prison Department intake system.
o Led cross-departmental team to select vendor for city-wide Enterprise Asset Management solution (Maximo
selected).
o Implemented imaging and Geographical Information System (GIS) applications for the following
departments: Fire, City Planning, Legal, Finance, Licenses & Inspection, and Streets Departments.

Established city-wide Data Management & Security Governance Board.

Established architecture and service delivery model for enterprise imaging and document management (using EMC
Documentum, Metastorm e-Works).

Worked with individual City departments to maintain up-to-date knowledge of departmental business strategy, current
and planned Information Technology initiatives, and service level agreements.

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, MASTER OF HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAM

INSTRUCTOR, ADJUNCT FACULTY (2004 TO 2012)

Taught second-year graduate level courses:

o Psychology of Community and Organizational Intervention (HUS 642)
o Psychology of Planned Change in Organizations and Communities (HUS 652)
Topics included: Project & Program Management, Organizational Change Leadership, Group Dynamics, Organizational
Design and Structure, Marketing, Leadership, Motivation
Supplemented course materials and assignments to include social media communications and marketing strategy.

Manuela Marsha Lester

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DELAWARE RIVER PORT AUTHORITY (DRPA), PORT AUTHORITY TRANSIT CORPORATION (PATCO)
DIRECTOR, INFORMATION SERVICES (2002 to 2004)
Responsible for leading software development efforts and providing project management services for the Information
Services Division for both DRPA and PATCO.
Managed staff of developers, business analysts, quality assurance analysts, project managers, and database administrators.
Established project management methodology

UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX, THE JOHN SPERLING SCHOOL OF BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

INSTRUCTOR, ADJUNCT FACULTY (2002 to 2004)

Taught graduate level MBA course: Human Relations and Organizational Behavior (ORG 502).

Topics included: Optimizing Individual Performance, Change Management, Group Dynamics, Situational Leadership

Developed online/interactive course materials.

CONSULTING ENGAGEMENTS
VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS (1997 to 2002)
CIGNA Healthcare, Philadelphia, PA (2001 2002): Requirements Manager for development of a customer self-service portal.
Used UML methodology, led RAD sessions with business partners and customers, organized customer User Acceptance testing
(UAT).
Bank One, Wilmington, DE (2000 2001): Project Manager for various software development, implementation, and data
conversion projects; managed business integration strategy for Stored Value Card; Requirements Manager for Integrated Voice
Response (IVR) system for Stored Value Card project.
Omnicare, Fort Washington, PA (1999 2000): Provided Information Technology direction and project management for
Pharmaceutics Services Division (about 150 users). Managed vendors and consultants during software development.
Morgan, Lewis, and Bockius L.L.P., Philadelphia, PA (1998-1999): Project Manager for development and implementation
of Client Analysis Expert system, used for client relationship management and executive reporting. Project Manager for
upgrade of firms time tracking system (Carpe Diem) for 12 offices, domestic and international.
University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, PA (1997 1998): Calculated ROI for Enterprise Master
Patient Index (EMPI) project. Conducted hardware and software needs assessments for EMPI user community, consisting
of various hospitals and hospital departments. Managed resources for data extraction from UPHSs entity legacy systems.

INFORMATION RESOURCES, INC. (IRI)

PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA
DIRECTOR, CLIENT SERVICES (1991 to 1997)
Provided senior level technical consulting and account management to consumer packaged goods companies which
purchased sales and marketing decision support systems and data from Information Resources, Inc.
Managed staff consisting of systems integrators, database administrators, end-user trainers, programmers and help
desk technicians.

EDUCATION
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
(CONCENTRATION IN MANAGEMENT)
THE WHARTON SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE, COMPUTER SCIENCE

(COGNATE IN MATHEMATICS)
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

Kraft Fellowship Award; National Black MBA Association Scholarship

Magna Cum Laude; Phi Beta Kappa; Presidents Scholarship; Kroger

Achievement Scholarship; Willis C. Johnson Scholarship

TECHNOLOGY & TOOLS

Databases: Oracle, MS SQL Server, MS Access, MarkLogic
Tools: Microsoft Tools (MS Project/Project Server, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Team Foundation Server, MS
Visual Studio, MS SharePoint), Workfront Project Portfolio Management, NetSuite CRM, Maximo.
Languages/Systems: C#, VB.NET, ASP.NET, Active Server Pages (ASP), XML, HTML, VBScript, MS Visual Basic, C/C++, MS
Visual C++, PL/SQL, ePower Workflow, Metastorm Workflow

Manuela Marsha Lester

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AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Reed Tech SPOT Award, December 2013, October 2009, November 2008
LexisNexis Award for Valuing Our Customers, 2010
CIO Magazines CIO 100 Award, 2009

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Project Management Institute (PMI), Member, PMI Global Seminar World Attendee
Scrum Alliance, Certified Scrum Master (CSM); Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)
Society of Information Management (SIM), Regional Leadership Program
CIO Executive Council, Pathways Leadership Development Program; Pathways Leading Change Forum
Agile Philly, Member & Corporate User Group Meeting Host
Network of Women in Computing Technology (NWCT), Past Member
Black Data Processing Associates, DE Chapter, Past Chapter Vice President and Chapter Co-Founder

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES
Career Wardrobe, LexisNexis Cares Day Coordinator & Volunteer
Mayors Commission on Literacy, Adult Literacy Tutor
United Way Business Mentoring Youth Program, Mentor