M. Brian Mills
Creative, professional leader and manager


M. Brian Mills
Product Manager: Mobile, Web, Software
www.mbrianmills.com
Over 20 mobile and web software products delivered on-time and to-spec
  • Product management
  • Service integration
  • Team building
  • Relationship management
  • People development
  • Communication
  • Collaboration
  • Sales engineering
  • Business development
  • Solution creation and delivery
  • Creative problem solving
  • Mobile devices and applications

Experience

Product Manager; Bongarde Media www.bongarde.com; Seattle, WA; 2011 – Present

Bongarde Media provides international B2B products for organizational health and safety.
This role owns the company's cloud-based SaaS safety management and training solution, SafetySmart, which accounts for more than half of the company's total revenue.

  • Steer product development based on research and analysis of market and technology trends in addition to customer needs/feedback
  • Collect, create and disseminate use-case scenarios, requirements, and specifications to appropriate teams and stakeholders
  • Anticipate roadblocks, develop contingency plans and uncover alternative routes for product direction
  • Prioritize bugs and issues as reported both by end users as well internal users
  • Debug code, create hotfixes and patches, or provide detailed information and specifications to outsourced, overseas development team for corrective action
  • Work extensively with SQL database in manually inserting, extracting, updating, and/or deleting data as well as writing scripts for the aforementioned tasks
  • Improve database functionality by making changes to database structure and improving and optimizing queries
  • Collaborate and coordinate with an array of stakeholders across sales, marketing, editorial/content, design, and development teams to reduce issues and increase usability

Languages, technologies, and protocols used: ASP.NET, VB.NET, PHP, HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, JQuery, AJAX, FFMPEG, Apache, HTTP, FTP, IIS, DNS, Google analytics, Amazon AWS, MS SQL Server, Transact SQL (T-SQL), DOS/batch scripting, Classic ASP
Tools: Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel), Adobe CS (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Dreamweaver, Acrobat), SalesForce, Bugzilla, Mantis, BaseCamp, Clarizen
Operating systems: Windows (desktop and server)
Other: SCORM, eLearning

Product Manager; Tarsin Inc.; www.tarsin.com; Seattle, WA; 2005 – 2010

Tarsin develops mobile application products built on top of their platforms and are used by tens of millions of users in 200 countries and 30 different languages.
I started as the Technical Support Manager and the role evolved into a hybrid role crossing amongst Product/Project/Program and Technical Support Management.

Selected applications and products:

  • Hallmark Mobile Greetings
  • Dilbert Mobile
  • KODAK Mobile Wallpaper
  • Motorola BACKUP
  • MyMobileMemory (for The CarPhone Warehouse (CPW))

Tarsin has applications published in:

  • iTunes App Store
  • BlackBerry App World
  • Nokia Ovi Store
  • Android Marketplace
  • Oversaw all software deployments to production servers including four separate platforms and over 20 branded/rebranded products built on top of the platforms
  • Logged and prioritized bugs, debugged issues to determine root causes, created fixes or escalated items to development
  • Prioritized the scope of product development through stakeholder meetings, requirements gathering/authoring, task prioritization, time line/schedule, and resource management
  • Gained in-depth understanding of mobile application and SMS (text messaging) market
  • Developed and activated the technical support team, systems, and procedures for millions of customers worldwide in a 24x7x365 production environment
  • Setup systems-monitoring via automated, tiered escalation of alerts to critical team members both in the software and at the server level
  • Collected data on existing products and processes, statistically analyzed it to uncover defects, and define opportunities for improvements
  • Operated as a technical interface between product and development teams by thoroughly understanding the products and the customer needs

Languages, technologies, and protocols used: Java, JSP, PHP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, shell scripting, XML, AJAX, Apache, HTTP, FTP, SCP, AWStats, DNS, Amazon AWS, MySQL
Tools: Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel), Adobe CS (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, Dreamweaver, Acrobat), Eclipse, Bugzilla
Operating systems: Windows (desktop and server), Mac, Linux
Mobile platforms: Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, Windows Mobile, Java

Help Desk Engineer; San Francisco Art Institute www.sfai.edu; San Francisco, CA; 2003 – 2005

  • Diagnosed and resolved technical hardware and software issues
  • Determined urgency and severity of situations prioritizing and escalating as needed
  • Kept systems up to date by applying latest software changes and updates
  • Assisted and trained students in the use of imaging, design, and video software

Sales Representative; MarketStar (PowerQuest Software) www.marketstar.com; Ogden, UT; 2002 – 2003

  • Initiated, from scratch, a multi-million dollar base in under nine months
  • Introduced a brand new, server-side software solution to VARs and SVARs for PowerQuest
  • Traveled approximately 75% of the time working with clients as a technical sales advisor
  • Directed seven inside sales people in keeping focused on the same goal

Technical Support/Trainer; DAKCS Software Systems www.dakcs.com; Ogden, UT; 1999 – 2002

  • Supported software package though programming/database repair and technical instruction
  • Developed core software and performed database creation and enhancements
  • Designed and wrote ETL (extract, transform, and load) applications and scripts for clients to transfer data in or out of their databases
  • Trained clients and coworkers via in-person presentations as well as webinars

Web Developer; Freelance; Seattle, WA; 1999 – Present

This part-time freelance endeavor allows me to stay on top of changes in web development and provides a test-bed for creating and delivering new strategies via the internet.

  • Business development: prospect for and develop relationships with clients
  • Development: Generate wireframes, graphics, and database architecture leading to database driven websites in LAMP environments as befitting client needs
  • Marketing: Utilize SEO best practices and implement SEM campaigns (CPC/CPM) through major outlets like Bing/Yahoo AdCenter and Google adWords

Languages, technologies, and protocols used: PHP, HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, shell scripting, JQuery, AJAX, FFMPEG, Apache, TCP/IP, HTTP, FTP, SCP, AWStats, DNS, Google Analytics, Amazon AWS, MySQL


Technology Summary

Languages, protocols, and technologies: Java, JSP, PHP, ASP.NET, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, shell scripting, XML, VB.NET, JQuery, AJAX, FFMPEG, Apache, TCP/IP, HTTP, FTP, SCP, IIS, AWStats, DNS, analytics, Amazon AWS, MySQL, MS SQL Server, Transact SQL (T-SQL), Oracle, ISAM
Tools: Microsoft Office, Adobe CS, SalesForce, Eclipse, Bugzilla, Mantis, BaseCamp, Clarizen
Platforms: Windows (desktop and server), Mac, Linux, UNIX


Education

Master of Business Administration (MBA); University of Washington; Bothell, WA; 2010-2011 (degree incomplete; not currently enrolled)
MBAA Representative; Merit Scholarship recipient

Coursework, Computer Science: Java; Truckee Meadows Community College; Reno, NV; 2006

Baccalaureate of Fine Arts (BFA); San Francisco Art Institute; San Francisco, CA; 2005
Student Union Undergraduate President; Student Leadership Award; Spring Show Award; Student Life Committee Student Representative; Safety Committee Student Representative; Student Union Publications Director

Associate of Science (AS); Weber State University; Ogden, UT; 1998
Dean's List; Debate team; Mountaineering club; Ski team; KWCR radio-D.J.; Signpost newspaper-journalist; Special Olympics volunteer


Community Service

Marymoor Velodrome Association - Volunteer; Cascade Bicycle Club (and Seattle International Bicycle Expo) - Volunteer; Take Your Bike A Party - Volunteer

 

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