Francis Somera, Pmp, Pmi-Acp, Safe 6 Lpm Email & Phone Number

Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland, New Zealand

Completed a Master’s Degree in IT Project Management with First Class Honours.Recipient: Design and Creative Technologies Dean’s Award for Excellence in Postgraduate Studies 2024

Singapore, Singapore

As a Senior Program Manager at Sabre Corporation, I spearheaded the successful transition of customers from a legacy platform to a modernised SaaS application, leveraging PMO processes and Scaled Agile (SAFe) practices. My leadership was instrumental in managing cross-functional teams of 19 members across India, Poland, and the US, ensuring the achievement of project goals, driving operational efficiencies, and overseeing resource planning and capacity management.Highlights/Achievements:- Led the migration of over 1,000 customers, a feat that not only achieved a 20% reduction in operational costs but also significantly improved the user experience.- Transitioned a SaaS application from AWS to GCP, enhancing security and infrastructure, reducing costs by 12%, and creating new revenue streams.- Oversaw multiple concurrent projects, delivering 100% of commitments with less than 10% schedule overrun.- Allocated and planned resources for a team of 19 members in India, Poland, and the US, minimising schedule overruns between 0% and 5%.- Demonstrated adept management of diverse stakeholder priorities and expectations through transparent planning and reporting, ensuring a smooth and successful project execution.- Successfully mitigated 98% of identified risks, minimising timeline impacts on deployments.- Ensured adherence to Agile and PMO governance requirements above 90%.- Facilitated continuous improvement, reducing integration risks by 80% through early mitigation.

Singapore, Singapore

Alongside my role as a Senior Program Manager, I took on additional responsibilities as a Scrum Master for other teams, enhancing alignment, accountability, and adherence to Agile practices. I led a team of 13 resources across the United States, India, and Poland, focusing on development and testing. As a scrum master, I led the team through pivotal infrastructure migrations and robust security enhancement initiatives while ensuring essential milestones were achieved. Owing to my PMI Agile Certified Practitioner training, I apply the ethos of agile leadership to foster greater alignment and accountability within sprints. This ethos extends to using an adaptive approach to improve the delivery of scrum ceremonies, which benefits the team’s rhythm, predictability, and cooperation and leads to holistic project success.Highlights/Achievements:- Improved team adherence to PMO standards by 40%, demonstrating enhanced compliance and project governance.- I spearheaded significant stand-up changes, backlog refinement, and planning processes under my leadership. These changes improved the alignment of project objectives and inspired a more efficient and effective work environment.- With a keen eye for detail, I monitored team velocity, burndown charts, and commitment status, ensuring operational realities were accurately reflected in Kanban. This commitment to detail is a testament to my dedication to project success.

Singapore, Singapore

Guiding the implementation of Sabre Hospitality products and services, I've navigated the nuances of projects from custom websites to SaaS integrations, even spearheading internal compliance-centric programs that only fortified my breadth of experience. Leveraging a collaborative approach, I've adeptly managed project lifecycles, from initiation to post-launch, ensuring risk mitigation, and timely, value-driven outcomes for our clients.AWARD-WINNING PROJECTS:2018 Best-in-ClassAmora Hotels & ResortsInteractive Media Council2019 WebAward for Outstanding Achievement in Web DevelopmentThe Setai HotelsWebAwards2020, Web Marketing AssociationHighlights/Achievements:- Managed the full project lifecycle for over 20 clients, resulting in an average 20% uplift in website conversions.- Engaged stakeholders effectively through regular touchpoints, aligning project objectives with client expectations.- Designed and led technology training sessions to ensure operational compliance.- Direct and manage project delivery through the entire lifecycle from initiation, analysis and design, development and test, deployment and post-project support during the warranty period. - Navigate the complexities of competing priorities and scheduling constraints, while keeping business value and budget in mind.- Gather assets on behalf of the project team from stakeholders often located in dispersed global locations spanning multiple time zones.- Identify and work with the project team to mitigate risks and address issues.- Lead technology training sessions with customers, while providing best practice guidelines to optimize the platform for their unique usage requirements. - Manage localisation and deployment of clients’ websites.- Track and report the earned value of the project throughout its lifecycle to ensure we are operating within budget, on schedule and delivering the business value expected by the customers.

Singapore, Singapore

Overseeing website performance, I've been instrumental in delivering new digital products and enhancements, leading to elevated customer conversion. My role centres on streamlining digital project delivery, from initial documentation to user acceptance testing, in collaboration with development leaders. Besides ensuring optimal performance for ZUJi and Webjet platforms, I liaise with IT teams for web development initiatives, craft specifications for new website features, and offer technical training and best practices for stakeholders. I also stand as a pivotal support for business stakeholders, handling system issues and escalations.Highlights/Achievements:- Directed the development and launch of new digital products, improving user engagement and operational performance.- Collaborated effectively with cross-functional teams, ensuring alignment with business objectives.- Oversaw web development initiatives, maintaining high standards of technical excellence.- Conducted user training sessions and provided best practice guidelines to enhance stakeholder utilisation of digital platforms.- Provide technical training for local stakeholders and provide best practice guidelines for conducting business through the website products and enhancements to the hotel reservation platform.- Provide system support for business stakeholders, as well as manage issue escalations.

Singapore, Singapore

I was instrumental in bolstering recruitment collateral, from design to narrative. I crafted the brand's messaging platform, established protocols for brand consistency, and liaised with vendors through precise RFI/RFPs, ensuring project goals were met on time. Additionally, I championed a site remediation project, mentored on effective presentation strategies, and explored innovative channels to enrich our marketing efforts. My endeavors also focused on refining the digital brand experience by integrating the latest user-friendly technologies.Highlights/Achievements:- Support the collateral and presentation needs of the recruitment team, from design to copywriting (brochures, case studies, brand documentation, profile submissions).- Formulate a brand and messaging platform that will power brand identity projects.- Formulate brand protocol documentation to guide application of brand and service marks.- Develop RFI/RFP documentation and project/design briefs to ensure project alignment with vendors.- Manage third-party projects, maintain timelines and ensure milestone achievement.- Spearhead site remediation project, while creating related documentation. - Provide guidance on presentation delivery training.- Evaluate new channels and technologies to augment marketing practices within budget.- Refine digital executions of the brand while incorporating new technologies to ease user experience.

Singapore, Singapore

I harnessed web diagnostic and customer experience tools to glean insights that supported our business strategy, pinpointing innovation areas on the platform. I effectively spotted conversion lapses using Tealeaf and Google Analytics, providing the Site Conversion teams with actionable insights. My bi-weekly digital marketing presentations kept our team updated on emerging tech trends and optimization tactics. I proactively identified customer challenges and assessed user experience via multiple tools like Tealeaf and WebTrends. My regular quarterly assessments of visitor behaviors further refined our offerings, and I diligently tracked campaign success and site engagement levels.Highlights/Achievements:- Identified conversion leaks within the site using Tealeaf and Google Analytics resulting in increased awareness of key opportunity areas by Site Conversion teams and enabling funnel uplift.- Bi-weekly digital marketing best practice presentations to increase Marketing team’s awareness of emerging technology trends, social media optimization, case studies and thought leadership.- Proactive identification of customer pain-points and user-experience metrics using Tealeaf, WebTrends, GOMEZ and Google Analytics.- Quarterly reviews of visitor behaviour trends to optimize offerings.- Measured in-site engagement and track campaign effectiveness.

Philippines

At Emerson, I spearheaded the tactical rollouts for global brand communication, focusing on synergizing content with ongoing campaigns for our inaugural brand site (www.emersonnetworkpower.com). This role involved the integration of pre-existing brand initiatives and external marketing programs, ensuring optimal user experience and aligning with corporate messaging. My contributions ranged from developing web content best practices to collaborating with global agencies for site enhancements. Highlights/Achievements:- Liased with marketing directors to leverage campaign integration opportunities across ongoing sales programs - Proofread and repurposed content submissions for compliance with recommended communication style and structure.- Rolled out the Critical Difference global messaging campaign through successful creative pitches that were implemented in China and the United States.- Developed best practice guidelines for web content that integrates visual identity guidelines, web authoring protocol and recommended writing styles.- Collaborated with global third-party agencies to develop functional improvements on the site, as well as digital marketing communication agencies on creatives.- Optimized web content and user-journey through data derived from WebTrends and Google Analytics enabling increased user satisfaction.- Recommend structure, navigation, content and interaction changes according to web usability principles and Foresee site satisfaction data.- Provided support for ATL content requirements.- Managed the site content and monitored daily site health with IT development and infrastructure teams.- Improved search engine position for Embedded Computing business by optimizing content and advising on other tactical measures such as link building and optimizing thought-leadership landing pages, among others.- Optimize site pages from a content, presentation and navigation standpoint.

Philippines

At Baker & McKenzie, I oversaw global communications content for the firm's official website (www.bakernet.com), ensuring alignment with established visual and messaging standards. I strategically rolled out the messaging platform across the site and boosted our online exposure through SEO optimization programs. A major contribution was my evaluation of regional content, ensuring a consistent global voice across the platform. Additionally, I supported the Writing Desk with online content and was entrusted with maintaining the public site's content management system, addressing bugs, and suggesting functionality enhancements during my contract period.Highlights/Achievements:- Tactical editorial rollout of messaging platform for the entire site.- Increased web presence and exposure by implementing SEO optimization programs that increased site relevance on the web.- Evaluated regional editorial contributions for adherence to global style and form that created a unified firm-wide voice.- Provided online content support for the Writing Desk.- Maintain and manage the public site’s content management system, as well as reporting bugs and functionality enhancements during my limited contractual tenure.

Philippines

At Lenovo, I worked on various marketing projects for both ATL and BTL implementations to help increase brand awareness. Collaborating with global advertising and press agencies, I focused on maintaining consistent brand messaging across different media. I helped craft campaign guidelines for the Vietnam market and explored alternative communication channels to further introduce Lenovo as a global brand. I also contributed to the setup of the first Lenovo exclusive store in the Philippines.Highlights/Achievements:- Liaised with global advertising and press agencies for tactical rollouts and ensured brand consistency on all media.- Developed campaign rollout guidelines and monitored executions for the Vietnam market unit’s execution. - Explored different communications channels and tapped alternative media in order to introduce Lenovo as a global brand to the market. - Provided oversight for the construction of the first Lenovo exclusive store in the Philippines.- Regular participation in alliance partners’ events to ride on market exposure and generate brand recall.

Philippines

At PNB, I played a key role in rejuvenating the bank's image through a strategic brand management plan and executed numerous CSR projects to showcase the bank's philanthropic side. Notably, these efforts contributed to PNB receiving the Reader’s Digest Gold Super Brand title consecutively in 2004 and 2005. Additionally, I managed various bank events and served as the Deputy Secretary General for the Asian Pacific Bankers Club in 2004/2005.Highlights/Achievements:- Increased the institution’s top-of-mind awareness allowing the bank to win the Reader’s Digest Gold Super Brand title two years in a row for 2004 and 2005.- Events management and execution of the bank celebrations, and corporate functions, among others.- Provided administrative support to the Asian Pacific Bankers Club as the Deputy Secretary General for (2004/2005).

Master Of Science (Msc)

Bachelor'S Degree