Dean Klotz, PMP

Professional Summary

Dynamic and passionate technology professional with over 15 years of experience in the web space. Superb leader and communicator who intuitively connects with customers and teams. Expert in project management and myriad SDLC methodologies. Enthusiastic and determined with a history of keeping focus on long difficult projects while maintaining high team moral and customer confidence. Extremely well rounded and educated professional with time in numerous roles, including developer, project manager, product manager, executive and consultant. USAF Veteran, Masters degree and PMP certified.

Core Competencies

• Team leadership and mentoring • Business and technical consulting  • Content management systems (CMS)
• Project management • Project pipeline management • Search engine technologies • Web application design
• Project scoping • Project proposals • Agile development • Open source technologies • Process redesign
• Communication and presentation • Client management • Sales and business development • SDLC • Planning

Professional Experience

2009-Present Taser Virtual Systems
Senior Director Product Management
Company Summary: As the software division of Taser International, Taser Virtual Systems (TVS) develops high-end video evidence management systems specifically focused on secure video ingest, transcoding, playback and sharing for law enforcement, military and security customers. The Evidence.com platform is comprised of three primary products, AXON, Evidence.com and Evidence SYNC and is a culmination of bleeding edge online, client and hardware technologies.
Duties: Manage product pipeline for software products. Responsible for leading the charge in product feature innovation, capitalizing on market opportunities and aggregating user input into future product development. Manage product management and design teams, lead usability studies and acquire key talent as needed to accomplish company goals. Stay current with new technologies and online trends and maintain close ties with key industry experts.
Achievements: Dramatically improved the usability and information architecture web platform, Evidence.com. Delivered a comprehensive and disciplined methodology to managing the product requirements and pipeline. Streamlined user interface of Taser’s mobile video platform, AXON. Improved the reliability and quality of product deliverables while establishing a repeatable, flexible process. Procured and maintain an exceedingly high-end team that delivers with competence and elegance.

2008-2010 Sprawl3 Studios, Inc.
Founder and Independent Contractor
Company Summary: A boutique consulting operation, specializing in strategic product development, e-business consulting, enterprise web content management system implementations, web project management services, and social and personalization platforms.
Duties: Manage all operational activities, P&L and sales funnel. Act as principal consultant on high-level contracts. Engage prospects in early sales cycle. Advise clients on complex technical and organizational issues. Assist in system selection and RFP process. Manage project lifecycle, including technical resources, subcontractors and in-house teams.
Achievements: Established reputation as an industry expert in Web Content Management and Project Management.
Started a profitable business with few financial resources.
Developed profitable partnerships with key companies, such as SDL Tridion, Ocenture and Amakozi.
Developed superb sales and implementation process that proved invaluable to partners and company.

2007-2008 HintTech, Inc.
General Manager and Chief Consultant
Company Summary: International Technical Professional Services company with over 2.5 million in annual revenue in the US and 50 million internationally. Specialized in web content management, language translation automation and enterprise web platforms. 
Duties: Managed overall US operations. Managed for P&L and managing consulting staff. Managed sales and project pipelines. Acted as principal consultant on key projects. Ensured transparency and reporting to Dutch central office. Managed procurement of technology, staff and services. Engaged clients and partners in contract and RFP processes.
Achievements: Changed financial outcome of the company from operating loss to cash flow positive in 3 months.
Increased annual revenue by over 200% while reducing operating costs.
Awarded profitable contracts with clients such as SDL Tridion, SunAmerica, Union Bank of Cal, Tibco, et al.
Successfully renegotiated contracts with partners and vendors to be more favorable and cost effective to the company.

2001-2007 Move, Inc.
Vice President Product Development
Company Summary: Leader in online real estate search for resale, new and rental homes. Operator of the world’s largest real estate website, Realtor.com, serving over 100 million users annually.
Duties: Executive manager for product development teams responsible for core product systems, including WCMS, data aggregation, search, personalization and consumer content channels. Managed directors for product management, user experience, project management and development. Oversaw operational budget, recruitment and vendor management.  Developed and executed product roadmap for consumer features and supporting systems. Responsible for cross-functional SDLC and compliance processes.
Achievements: Successfully managed many of the company’s largest multi-million dollar projects, establishing a reputation for excellence and delivery.
Built an industry renowned Project Management Office (PMO) responsible for managing all corporate projects.
Promoted to Vice President of Product Development in 2006.
Promoted to Director of PMO in 2002
Hired as Sr. Project Manager in 2001.

1999-2001 Wine.com
Technical Project Manager (PMO)
Company Summary: Founded as Virtual Vineyards and later wine.com, leading internet/ecommerce start-up selling wine and gifts to consumers in over 46 states.
Duties: Managed cross-functional projects related to user experience systems, such as search, registration and shopping cart. Managed web content including implementation and operations of WCMS and third-party syndication systems.  Managed full-lifecycle projects, producing project scope, plans, Gantt charts, change orders and status reports.
Achievements: Successfully managed implementation of content management system (Interwoven).
Launched site redesign required by merger with wineshopper.com.
Implemented new search engine and consumer shopping cart and registration systems.
Helped establish mature project management methodologies, greatly improving project delivery.

1997-1999 Sonoma State University
Assistant Director, SSU Writing Center
Company Summary: Founded to develop a new distance learning and online writing tutorial program, the SSU Writing Center is a renowned organization that broke ground on bringing next generation writing instruction to both students and the web.
Duties: Teach classes on business and new media composition. Manage tutorial staff. Develop instructional materials and programs. Assist professors in developing supplemental lab instruction. Compose and maintain content for center website.
Achievements: Built first institution’s first online tutorial center from the ground up.
Established new paradigm for distance instruction in the language arts departments.
Developed online tutorial applications and “grammar hotline.”
Presented at the CCC and other academic seminars and events.

Education

Masters Degree, Rhetorical Theory: Sonoma State University, 1999
Bachelors Degree, English: Sonoma State University, 1997
PMP Certification: Project Management Institute, 2003 (current)
Formal Training in Effective Project Management, OOP, UML Westlake Village, June-September 2001
Veteran and former 5-Level Certified Air Craft Crew Chief, United States Air Force 1989

Activities and Publications

Contributor to several technology blogs and co-host to weekly BlogTalkRadio.com podcast
Guest Speaker at the Ventura PMI Chapter: “The PMO Imperative: Ideology, Politics & Dangers of Business as Usual.”
Researcher and contributor to Cybertypes: race, ethnicity, and identity on the Internet, Lisa Nakamura, PhD.
Founder and Managing Editor for SSU Rhetoric and Composition Students Association Newsletter 1996-1999.

Technologies and Processes

Technical: Open Systems, Drupal, Joomla, Tridion, Interwoven, WordPress, XML, HTML, LAMP, Content Management Systems, .Net, Java, PHP, Lucene, Solr, Fast, MySQL. MS Project, Project Server, Sharepoint, MS Office, Open Office, Visio, iPhone SDK, Flash Lite, Android, Adobe CS, Windows, Mac OS X, Linux.
SDLC Methodologies: RUP, Agile, XP, Scrum, Spiral, Waterfall, Iterative and other custom processes.

Download Dean Klotz’s Resume