VARUN SURESHKUMAR
Director | Program & Release Management | Strategic Leadership
MBA | SAFe Certified Agilist | PMP Certified
📞 18602996148 | ✉️ [email protected] | 📍 Ellington, CT | 🌐 LinkedIn
SUMMARY
Results-driven Program Management Director with extensive experience in delivery management and project/program management. Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams to successfully deliver complex projects in the Finance, Health Care Insurance, Corp IT & Manufacturing domains. Adept at aligning technology solutions with business objectives to enhance operational efficiency and improve customer outcomes. Strong strategic thinker with excellent stakeholder management skills, committed to driving innovation and ensuring compliance with industry regulations.
Seeking a Director / Program Manager position, where I bring my program management and operational process expertise to support the organizational mission and drive impactful solutions.
EDUCATION
Master of Business Administration – University of Connecticut
- UConn School of Business
Bachelor of Engineering – Information Technology, Bharathiar University
- Kumaraguru College of Technology
- President, Rotaract Club of Coimbatore (2001–03)
- Best Outgoing Student Award – IT, 2003
EXPERIENCE
Program Manager – Accenture
- Improved transition efficiency by maintaining role consistency during re-badge from TIAA to Accenture.
Lead Program Manager – TIAA
- Led the release management program, achieving a 98% on-time delivery rate and enhancing client satisfaction.
- Designed the "Release Management Scorecard," improving executive decision-making and operational visibility by 25%.
- Acted as SME for Change Request Automation, driving CI/CD deployment and Release on Demand (SAFe).
- Reported on program health and IT governance, ensured compliance for each release, and facilitated communication among stakeholders.
- Addressed crises, mentored junior managers, and provided feedback to enhance change and release management processes while supporting resource management and budgeting.
- Collaborated with product and engineering teams to establish a structured governance model.
- Defined Project Scope and Objectives, collaborated to gather Input & developed Budget Forecasts.
- Won several awards at TIAA in this role.
Senior Program Manager – NTT DATA
- Managed delivery of $20+ million accounts for financial, health care & insurance clients at NTT Data.
- Develop and execute program strategies that align with organizational goals in the Health Care & Finance domains.
- Lead multiple programs and projects, overseeing all aspects from initiation through delivery, ensuring adherence to timelines, budgets, and quality standards.
- Mentor and lead cross-functional teams, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and professional development.
- Ensure all programs comply with industry regulations and standards, implementing quality assurance processes.
- Drive innovation in program methodologies and processes, leveraging emerging technologies and best practices.
Project Manager & Project Leader – KEANE
- Managed multiple programs in Health Care and Corporate IT.
- Drafted and reviewed SOWs, conducted requirements analysis, created traceability matrices, and oversaw project implementation with risk analysis and mitigation.
- Handled negotiations, escalations, and problem-solving.
- Developed WBS, allocated resources, and managed teams while ensuring effective time management and project planning using MS Project.
- Designed system architectures with MS Visio 2010 and executed procedures and queries using MS SQL Server 2000–05.
- Implemented change management procedures.
Team Leader, Sr. SW Engineer & SW Engineer – Caritor Solutions India Pvt
- Led the development of PLM & PDM systems for Honeywell Specialty Materials, utilizing Enovia MatrixOne (eMatrix 10.5).
- Responsibilities included requirements analysis, design documentation reviews, unit testing oversight, source code reviews, and deployment to live servers.
- Additionally, managed onsite support for several mission-critical applications.
Software Engineer – IT Solutions
- Implemented EJB 2.0 to develop a Benefits Recovery System for the DCF Tallahassee, Florida.
- Responsibilities included requirements analysis, design documentation, unit testing, program development, source code and peer reviews, and serving as Configuration Team Lead and Module Lead.
- Managed unit testing, integration, and system testing, along with deployment to live servers.
- Provided UAT Support and addressed customer changes during post-production support.
VOLUNTEERING
Vice Principal – Bharathi Tamil Academy
- Dedicated to teaching the Tamil language and preserving its rich cultural heritage.
- Manage operations of a school of 180 students.
Educator – Bharathi Tamil Academy
- Affiliated with California Tamil Academy.
- Inspired students in grades 1–6 for 6 years, fostering language skills and cultural appreciation through engaging lessons and activities.
Director – Windermere Village
- Home Owner's Association for a single family home community.
- Oversaw community management and operations, HOA rules and regulations.
- Facilitated communication between residents and the board, organized community events, and addressed concerns promptly.
- Managed budgets and financial planning, coordinated maintenance and improvement projects.
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
- TIAA TFS CIO Technology Award – Led the most productive program at TIAA with 200+ releases annually for 5 successive years.
- TIAA TFS People Choice Awards – Prized Partner, Dream Team, Unsung Hero.
SKILLS
Management Skills:
Strategic Thinking
Stakeholder Management
Project Management & SDLC
Risk Management
Communication Skills
Team Leadership
Change Management
Financial Acumen
Problem-Solving
Negotiation
Mentoring & Coaching
Scaled Agile & Waterfall
Scrum of Scrums
Technology Skills:
Python
Java
Visual Studio Code
Microsoft Office 365
Slack Integration
Salesforce CRM
Heroku Cloud
CERTIFICATIONS
- PMP – PMI | Credential ID: 1399650 | Issued Apr 2011 | Expires Apr 2027
- SAFe Certified Agilist – Scaled Agile, Inc | Credential ID: 19730325–2999 | Issued Dec 2017
- Python Programming – MITx | Issued Mar 2020
- Computational Thinking & Data Science – MITx | Issued Jun 2020
INTERESTS
Tennis – Level 4.0 player with a passion for the game, consistently improving skills on and off the court!