Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Teaching And Consultative Capabilities
Certification
References
Timeline
Generic
ELISE D. TURNER

ELISE D. TURNER

Charlotte

Summary

Dynamic Senior Director with a proven track record at Sonic Automotive, excelling in Agile methodologies and team training. Spearheaded the creation of a robust Project and Portfolio Management team, enhancing release throughput and quality standards. Renowned for driving process improvements and fostering strong client relationships to elevate customer experiences.

Overview

26
26
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Senior Director, Agile Process, Quality, and Release Management

Sonic Automotive
Charlotte
08.2022 - Current
  • Built the Project and Portfolio Management team for Technology Department. This included Project Managers, Portfolio Management, Business Analysts, Release Train Engineers, and Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Quality Engineers, and Release Managers
  • Hired and trained incoming staff in the various roles on the team
  • Reorganized the team once in place into three pillars - Agile Process, Quality, and Release Management
  • Used past Agile/DevOps coaching experience to train internal and external teams on agile best practices (business partners, technology partners)
  • Created Project Intake Request process and Portal for Business Partners to request technology work while allowing leadership team to manage capacity and previous commitments
  • Lead the Quality Initiative to ensure quality standards in process and execution for newly built Quality Engineering function
  • Stood up the Release Management function from the ground up to accommodate the complicated cross team planning and deployment needs of our burgeoning internal software teams

Executive Director, Software Development Engineering

Comcast
Philadelphia
02.2021 - 08.2022
  • Built the Program and Portfolio Management team for M&S Domain. This included Systems Architects, Technical Product Management, Agilists (Scrum Masters, Release Train Engineers, Agile Coach), Project and Portfolio Managers
  • Hired and trained incoming staff in the various roles on the team
  • Reorganized the team once in place into three pillars - Agile Process, Work Readiness, Execution
  • Used past Agile/DevOps coaching experience to train external teams on agile best practices (business partners, technology partners) until Agile Coach was hired
  • Created a new internal Steering Committees to keep alignment with our technology partners
  • Created a new external Steering Committees to keep alignment with our business partners
  • Worked with technology leadership to find solutions for common technology project blockers (mock test data approaches, automation, etc)

Program Manager III, Release Management

Amazon Headquarters
Bellevue
04.2019 - 01.2021
  • Extensive experience in release management build outs; successfully guides owners through implementation steps for process improvement as 'a program manager of program managers.'
  • Creates overall release plan and scopes and delivers large process improvement projects end-to-end.
  • Coordinates with project owners and leadership to create and initiate release roadmaps to align with program initiatives.
  • Drives high-level strategic initiatives by breaking down large, complex projects into manageable pieces so teams can deliver them in a successful and timely manner.
  • A natural knack for removing barriers by focusing on solution delivery and building efficient releases that improve customer experiences.

Senior Consultant / Agile & DevOps Coach

CGI
Pittsburgh
01.2018 - 04.2019
  • Following a relocation to Pennsylvania, was recruited into a leadership role with a global IT consulting firm.
  • Provided introductory and advanced Agile/Lean/Scrum training to customer teams and project teams.
  • Excellent public speaking and workshop facilitation skills. Taught SAFe courses and DevOps SAFe courses for clients as primary Instructor.
  • Instructed teams on the adoption of DevOps tools, best practices, and standards.
  • Promoted the importance of forming strong, deep client relationships to drive businesses forward.
  • Detailed understanding of the full life-cycle of software development projects, including planning, executing, and tracking as well as costs, schedule, and scope.

Vice President, Consulting Services / Agile Coach

ALLIED AGILE
Cornelius
08.2017 - 01.2018
  • Proven track record of successful eCommerce DevOps implementation led to invitation to locate top technical talent then lead teams through the Agile Transformation process through mentoring and coaching.
  • Coached and cultivated a team of high-impact Agile Consultants and deployed them to assignments based on their skills and desires.
  • Drove innovation/improvement in release throughput. Guided leadership through a transition to DevOps, using modern methods to provide a smoother transition through test environments and production.
  • Strong training and recruitment skills. Streamlined Agile transformation recruiting approach to attract, create, and develop the highest quality coaches, Scrum Masters, and Release Train Engineering candidates.
  • Trained and mentored Scrum Masters in Agile Best Practices in order to equip them to better facilitate the transformation at the team level.

Senior Release Manager

LOWE'S COMPANIES, INC.
Mooresville
01.2014 - 05.2017
  • Hired to oversee multiple key product releases and technical integrations for Fortune 500 company over the course of three years.
  • Built the Release Management practice for Lowe's Digital from the ground up, utilizing the Full Cycle Release Management methodology.
  • Senior release manager for >$2.5B eCommerce website. Recruited, trained, and directed 10 Release Execution Managers who oversaw the testing, deployment, and service transition of countless feature-rich software projects for the site.
  • Promoted an environment of continuous improvement and cross-departmental communication: Educated other teams on standing up Release Management practices for their departments.
  • Created a 'Community of Practice' to share ideas/emulate knowledge across multiple practices.
  • Created and maintained Release Roadmap and Release cadence for Lowes Digital properties.
  • Asked to serve as Change Coordinator for department Change Control Board and liaison for Digital space to the Enterprise Change Board.
  • Used data analysis to track Key Performance Indicators and Predictors to benchmark process improvement progress and predict success of release quality.
  • Regarded for expert talent cultivation skills. Mentored two entry-level, at-risk employees with zero experience in release management or corporate culture, both of whom have advanced to leadership roles.
  • Transformed a broken, high prod defect process into a much leaner process that doubled release throughput and projects per release to >100 releases/year. Decreased defect average from roughly 47 per release to 1.

Manager of IT Projects

Lowe's
Mooresville
05.2013 - 01.2014
  • Led Integrated Services and Mobile Optimized Web development teams through waterfall and agile projects, including financial and cost planning.
  • Coordinated testing and environmental requirements to support release development and testing phases.

Release/Project Manager

NORTH HIGHLAND / TRUEBRIDGE RESOURCES
Mooresville
01.2011 - 01.2013

Quality Control Coordinator

MODULANT
North Charleston
01.2009 - 01.2011

Enterprise Release Program Manager / Product Specialist, eBilling

BENEFITFOCUS.COM, INC
Daniel Island
01.2005 - 01.2009

Owner/Senior Consultant

LAYERSEVEN CONSULTING
New Brighton
01.2003 - 01.2005

Assistant General Manager

LIBERTY CENTER VENTURES – FOREST CITY ENTERPRISE
Pittsburgh
01.1999 - 01.2004

Education

Master’s Degree - Information Systems Management

Robert Morris University
Moon Township, PA

Bachelor’s Degree - Business, Concentration in Information Systems

Geneva College
Beaver Falls, PA

Skills

  • Agile methodologies
  • Business analysis
  • Integration strategies
  • Team training and development
  • DevOps transformations
  • Public speaking and presentation
  • Program management
  • Client and vendor management
  • Key performance indicators (KPIs)
  • Process improvement
  • Customer experience enhancement
  • Test-driven development
  • Project management
  • Budgeting and cost control
  • Change management initiatives
  • Software development lifecycle (SDLC)
  • Quality engineering leadership

Teaching And Consultative Capabilities

  • Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) Program Consultant
  • Teaches or co-teaches SAFe and DevOps SAFe classes as a certified SPC.
  • Chief of Operations – ReTurn Marketing Consultants
  • Oversee financials for a full-service marketing firm in Pittsburgh, PA.

Certification

  • SAFe Program Consultant (SPC)

References

References available upon request.

Timeline

Senior Director, Agile Process, Quality, and Release Management

Sonic Automotive
08.2022 - Current

Executive Director, Software Development Engineering

Comcast
02.2021 - 08.2022

Program Manager III, Release Management

Amazon Headquarters
04.2019 - 01.2021

Senior Consultant / Agile & DevOps Coach

CGI
01.2018 - 04.2019

Vice President, Consulting Services / Agile Coach

ALLIED AGILE
08.2017 - 01.2018

Senior Release Manager

LOWE'S COMPANIES, INC.
01.2014 - 05.2017

Manager of IT Projects

Lowe's
05.2013 - 01.2014

Release/Project Manager

NORTH HIGHLAND / TRUEBRIDGE RESOURCES
01.2011 - 01.2013

Quality Control Coordinator

MODULANT
01.2009 - 01.2011

Enterprise Release Program Manager / Product Specialist, eBilling

BENEFITFOCUS.COM, INC
01.2005 - 01.2009

Owner/Senior Consultant

LAYERSEVEN CONSULTING
01.2003 - 01.2005

Assistant General Manager

LIBERTY CENTER VENTURES – FOREST CITY ENTERPRISE
01.1999 - 01.2004

Master’s Degree - Information Systems Management

Robert Morris University

Bachelor’s Degree - Business, Concentration in Information Systems

Geneva College

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ELISE D. TURNER