James Crook Email & Phone Number

Oak Park, Il, Us

Boston, Us

At Coura, I am part of a mission-driven team dedicated to empowering underrepresented entrepreneurs through strategic brand and technology solutions, helping transform innovative ideas into revenue-generating ventures.As a Technical Project Manager, I oversee the successful delivery of technology projects for clients, ensuring they are completed on time, within scope, and aligned with the strategic goals of Coura’s diverse clientele. My role is a blend of project oversight, client communication, and technical support.Key Responsibilities:Project Planning & Management: Creating detailed project plans, timelines, and roadmaps to meet client objectives.Resource Allocation: Strategically managing resources to optimize productivity and enhance project outcomes.Risk Assessment & Mitigation: Proactively identifying potential risks and implementing strategies to mitigate them.Performance Tracking: Monitoring milestones, deliverables, and KPIs to ensure projects stay aligned with client goals.Client Communication & Coordination: Acting as the primary point of contact, ensuring clear communication and managing client expectations.Quality Assurance & Testing: Leading QA processes to deliver high-quality project outcomes.Technical Support & Updates: Providing ongoing support for website updates and enhancements, including for HCL clients.By aligning brand strategy with technology, I help Coura’s clients turn their visions into thriving, scalable businesses, enabling growth and impact in their industries. My work is driven by a commitment to fostering innovation, collaboration, and success for every client we serve.

From May 2023, I took a professional sabbatical following the elimination of my role due to organizational changes. This period allowed me to dedicate time to supporting my immediate family and to focus on personal development and upskilling, preparing me for the next chapter in my professional journey.

Chicago, Illinois, Us

- Led strategic overhaul of the solutions delivery process, enhancing client delivery turnaround.Partnered with global leads to rebuild the JIRA workflow, boosting development team efficiency and agility.- Hired and mentored a diverse team, including Front-end, Back-end Developers, Tracking Developers, and QA Engineers, fostering career growth and skill advancement.- Acted as Risk Manager, retaining enterprise clients through effective issue resolution and risk management, ensuring high client satisfaction.- Bridged communication across Sales, Marketing, Support, and Client Management, optimizing resource allocation and strategic alignment.- Directed budget planning for the USA Development Team, aligning financial strategies with operational needs.- Supported a 24/7 global development, testing, and launch cycle, enhancing project agility and expanding global reach.- Guided cleverbridge through significant restructuring as Global Change Manager/Culture Coach, promoting a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

Chicago, Illinois, Us

- Spearheaded the Adobe Experience Manager migration for Swash USA/CA, EveryDrop, and Affresh, elevating user experience and customer engagement.- Directed strategic e-commerce migrations, enhancing digital interaction and brand presence.Championed Agile and SAFe methodologies, significantly improving team productivity and stakeholder relations.- Led cross-functional collaboration with Whirlpool's product owners, release managers, and stakeholders, ensuring efficient workflows and on-time project delivery.- Served as principal risk owner, proactively managing project risks and scope changes to maintain integrity and timelines.- Orchestrated successful testing plans for major promotional launches, achieving over 75% sales growth during key campaigns.- Drove technical migrations and launches, markedly boosting online visibility and engagement for major brands.- Demonstrated leadership in Agile project management, cultivating a culture of continuous improvement and strategic teamwork.

Cologne, De

- Project Managed the Solutions Delivery Development process for the USA-based development team. In partnership with global team leads, rebuilt the JIRA workflow for the Development team, which improved client delivery turnaround.- People Manager: Hiring Manager for Front-end Developers, Back-end Developers, Tracking Developers, and Quality Assurance Engineers. Lead career development and mentoring of new and existing team members.- Team Escalation / Risk Manager which helped retain enterprise clients and responsible for client-facing resolution communications.- Cross Team Lead: in charge of communication flows across Sales, Marketing, Customer Support, and Client Management to ensure the Technical Services team resources were allocated respectively. Lead budgeting for the USA Development Team.

Cologne, De

- Spearheaded the strategic transition of the USA Client Services team to an International Technical Services team at cleverbridge, streamlining processes and boosting efficiency.- Orchestrated a technical architecture overhaul, reducing the codebase by 70%, establishing new guidelines to enhance system performance.- Led a pivotal year-long project to distribute workload globally, promoting shared responsibility and project agility.- Appointed as a Culture Coach, played a key role in a global team to define and implement core values, strengthening organizational culture and team dynamics.- Facilitated key communication channels between cross-functional teams and executive leadership, encouraging innovation through biannual summits and bi-weekly brainstorming sessions.- Revolutionized the solutions delivery process with automated testing and measurable frameworks, significantly cutting client delivery times.- Supported around-the-clock global development, testing, and launch operations, significantly extending the company's reach and agility.- Directed cleverbridge through a major international restructuring as Global Change Manager, ensuring the company's resilience and growth in a dynamic industry.

Cologne, De

- Developed HTML/CSS and JavaScript enhancements, adhering to web standards for a seamless user experience at cleverbridge.- Engineered cross-browser compatible shopping carts, ensuring functionality across all desktop and mobile platforms.- Created e-commerce shopping carts and landing pages for major global accounts, including Parallels, WinZip, and Corel, enhancing online presence and sales capabilities.- Implemented cross-browser compliant e-commerce solutions, optimizing accessibility and user engagement for top clients.

Cologne, De

- Served as the primary point of contact for payment processing resolutions at cleverbridge, offering comprehensive support via phone, email, and chat.- Assisted a diverse customer base with e-commerce payments and subscription inquiries, focusing on swift and accurate solutions.- Specialized in supporting software utility-based clients, ensuring client satisfaction and retention through expert problem-solving and customer service.

Austin, Tx, Us

- Combining my years of customer support and passion for cooking to produce superior smoked meats.- Maintains high standards in quality and taste of all products in the smokehouse venue.- In-charge of prep, production, and presentation of all smoked foods.- Consistently strives to improve venue by product development, menu development, and implementation of processes and procedures.

Providence, Utah, Us

- Managed tier 1 in-office staff within the Chicago Office.- Responsible for all 1st, 2nd, and 3rd shift schedule logistics to provide 24-hour support.

- Moderation of all forums within the Radio-info online community.- Manages all communication between the online community and leadership.