Michael Harshbarger Email & Phone Number

Bloomington, Illinois, United States

I founded AccessabilityFirst Soultions LLC so I could continue to assist companies in their digital accessibility journey.- Leadership and Strategy: Founded AccessibilityFirst Solutions LLC, developed and implemented strategic plans to grow the company and expand its service offerings.- Accessibility Training: Designed and delivered comprehensive accessibility training programs for clients, including Fortune 100 companies, enhancing their understanding and implementation of accessibility practices.- Accessibility Assessments: Conducted detailed assessments of digital properties to evaluate and improve their accessibility, providing actionable recommendations for compliance with relevant standards and regulations.- Project Management: Managed multiple accessibility projects simultaneously, ensuring timely and successful completion using project management methodologies.

United States

I directed organizations in creating inclusive programs and practices that enhanced accessibility integration.• Engaged with clients, including many Fortune 50 companies, resulting in significant improvements in accessibility integration throughout their product design and development processes using methodologies such as Lean and Agile. - Conducted extensive training for 4,000+ participants, enhancing understanding and implementation of WCAG accessibility standards across different roles, including executives and program leaders.- Created long-term partnerships with corporate clients by tailoring training programs to align with strategic needs and input from multiple stakeholders. - Directed a multidisciplinary team in delivering focused training sessions to 1,000+ participants each year, ensuring strict compliance with accessibility regulations and fostering diversity across multiple disciplines. - Systematically enhanced Training techniques and content via a rigorous feedback loop, resulting in highly tailored and successful educational experiences that strengthened customer relationships and service satisfaction.

Remote Us

I worked remotely and being the main point of contact for clients. This involved delivering consulting services, training, and implementing products.- Acted as a primary vendor, delivering customized accessibility solutions. Managed client contracts, ensuring successful project execution and client satisfaction. Adapted training and project approaches based on client needs to maximize value delivery. Consistently exceeded customer expectations by implementing Agile methodologies such as Scrum and Kanban. Utilized strategic negotiations to align with developing client needs and resource constraints.- Managed resources and budget with limited funds, achieving improved project delivery team performance and stakeholder satisfaction using Project Management Software like JIRA and Trello.- Directed cross-functional teams in an Agile environment using Scrum, achieving high project standards and client satisfaction.

Bloomington/Normal, Illinois Area

With my experience, I served as a project leader, making improvements for clients in professional and higher education.- Drove client ROI and business value using Agile methodologies, including Scrum and Lean, to deploy innovative solutions, directly contributing to heightened client satisfaction and business growth.- Worked in collaboration with a client to upgrade their Ellucian Banner ERP, effectively mapping tasks and guiding the project by leveraging my prior experience with ERP upgrades, ultimately enhancing the university's operational processes.- Served as a vendor, managing project scopes, schedules, and financials for client projects. Ensured compliance with client contracts and achieved high client satisfaction through tailored service delivery.- Fostered leadership skills within client teams by mentoring in project management, elevating their capability to lead and deliver projects with superior outcomes.

Bloomington/Normal, Illinois Area

I oversaw complex and large initiatives as a Program Manager in the organization.- Led a team of three hundred managers and analysts to implement key technical changes across the enterprise, leveraging mainframe and distributed systems. Collaborated with major vendors such as Cisco, IBM, and Oracle to drive the project. This included hiring, firing, and monitoring vendor performance to ensure project capacity and budget adherence. Directed the digital transformation of the claims system and the construction of two $1 billion data centers.- Oversaw the digital transformation of the claims system, which resulted in substantial improvements to both operational efficiency and technological capabilities by implementing DevOps practices and cloud technologies.- Managed multi-year budgets with exceptional accuracy, maintaining financial targets within ±5% variance. This facilitated optimized resource allocation and robust cost control measures across high-stake projects.- Led the development of multi-year strategic product roadmaps and program structures, aligning project organization and team staffing with enterprise priorities, driving product innovation, and enhancing strategic alignment.

Bloomington, Illinois, United States

I led enterprise-critical initiatives for the organization in the role of project manager.- Aligned program objectives with strategic business goals and compliance requirements. This ensured sustained relevance and a positive impact on the organization. Focusing on strategic design, organizational goals, and regulatory standards.- Proactively resolved potential risks and escalated issues. Enhanced project success and efficiency by minimizing disruptions. I did this through effective strategy implementation and team collaboration.- Managed high-impact projects such as selling $1.6 billion of State Farm Canadian assets, improving the core claims system, and implementing Oracle ERP Peoplesoft for HR General Ledger and Procurement. Leveraged methodologies such as PMBOK and tools like Microsoft Project for enhanced project productivity and organizational capabilities while successfully navigating potential obstacles.

Master’S Degree

Bachelor’S Degree

Associate'S Degree