Michael W. Smith Email & Phone Number

Temporarily stepped away from a successful career due to COVID-19 challenges to prioritize family. Despite thoroughly enjoying this time, I have experienced immense personal and professional growth, and I am eager and excited to return to the workplace and contribute to the greater good.

Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Managed all data, digital, technology, infrastructure, and cyber security programs for a new and rapidly growing wealth management firm, specializing in high-net-worth clientele. During my tenure, I helped the firm increase AUM from $160MM to $400MM by being resourceful, wearing multiple hats, and utilizing a startup mentality with an Agile framework.This included data management and analysis: I administered, designed, and converted our CRM system to Microsoft Dynamics, as well as workflows, processes, and team training. I managed the portfolio management system and trading platform, ensuring all back-office systems and reporting are running efficiently, designing client and advisor reports, and ensuring millions of data points were accurate.Being responsible for digital outreach included the creation of marketing and communications processes, and implementation of MailChimp. I integrated new MailChimp data into CRM for more efficient lead outreach – this allowed us to better target and engage leads who could not previously be tracked with any data, led to an increased lead acceptance rate, and higher revenue growth.I spearheaded all technology and infrastructure management efforts, including managing dozens of technology-related vendors, relationships, contracts, and due diligence processes. I ensured all company access and controls, data management, and audits were accurate and performed on a regular basis, as well as architected, deployed, and managed all infrastructure hardware and software policies and rollouts.With Cyber Security, I implemented from next to nothing the technical, security, operational, and privacy policies and procedures to become NIST 800-53 compliant. I also implemented the KnowBe4 platform for cyber security training and bi-monthly phish tests. I regularly performed my own audits and risk assessments, as well as managing that of third party agencies. I ensured all PII, privacy, and security policies were in place and being followed.

Brought onboard to lead market share expansion projects of credit card processing services within the QSR industry, with a primary focus on the Yum! Brands and Wendy's accounts. Manage projects across cross-functional teams/companies to ensure software and business processes are fully compatible and integrated, and meet the needs of each business’ proprietary POS software. Research and present options to customers on how to secure optimal processing rates, mitigate lost credit card sales, and improve risk management, utilizing business know-how of POS software optimizations, process improvement, and PCI compliancy standards.

Louisville, Kentucky Area

Led award-winning team that created a revolutionary kitchen management system in six months, and implemented with full functionality in 2,000+ stores within 18 months of charter. This proprietary system needed to replace an antiquated third-party system at a 40% price reduction, along with supporting 200+ routing schemes and ongoing, time-critical operational changes. User friendly enterprise software allows custom routing creation, along with scheduled and on-demand changes to be deployed to and monitored in each store. Upon full system implementation, my team maintained responsibility for day-to-day maintenance, daily error reporting and correction, franchise and routing requests, along with ongoing system and operational enhancements.I also led a group that maintained the kitchen management systems for two other solutions, which are deployed in 1,700+ stores. I acted as the Relationship Manager to the vendor who provided these systems, working closely with their Account Manager, QA, Dev, and Help Desk teams on new enhancements, existing bugs, and outstanding issues. These systems generated over 5,000 phone calls per month to our Help Desk, and our efforts decreased this by 20% in one year. In this role, we established and streamlined many processes, improved numerous workload efficiencies, created a new database management system, and provided extensive training.As the brand’s SME on credit and gift card processing, and Relationship Manager with our processors, I often spearheaded or consulted on projects or white papers that varied from massive platform changes, to emerging technologies, to architecting and implementing new account management systems, to analyzing trends, and identifying opportunities and solutions. I was also the IT Liaison for new restaurant concepts, working closely with cross-functional teams to ensure the POS opening and continual operations were a success. We often had to develop new IT functionality with little turnaround time.

Louisville, Kentucky Area

Support and Development Liaison for an IT Support group of 50+ associates, representing several teams during all phases of the SDLC, from project planning sessions to national deployment to ongoing support. The main objective includes making sure the Support team is 100% prepared for all hardware and software installs, and national launches to 4,000+ restaurants. I represent the Support team by ensuring they have the appropriate tools, processes, and training in place for all projects, and that call reduction tactics are maintained and/or achieved. On average, this involves maintaining the status of 20-40 ongoing small to large-scale projects.This includes participating in regular project meetings, architecting Support tools, developing processes, creating training materials, conducting regular informational and training sessions to facilitate clear communication and buy-in amongst all teams, and testing software for usability. The vast majority of this is done via close collaboration with Development, QA, and Operations partners nearly 1,000 miles away, which involves maintaining high-impact relationships. I often assist our partners by leading or consulting on a number of various POS projects.I am also charged with better integrating technology, innovation, and streamlining processes to a separate team of 14+ that manages menus, coupons, white lists, and numerous other in-store components. I provide coaching and mentoring with the team, which includes regular training sessions on technology and business logic, and I am a second and third level escalation point for a variety of operational and technological issues.In addition, I lead a team that develops and maintains our kitchen management systems. In this role, I have created a new database management system, established and streamlined processes, improved numerous workload efficiencies, including training. I also lead IT efforts to leverage our kitchen’s technology to improve in-store efficiencies.

Louisville, Kentucky Area

IT Support point of contact for Learning Zone, Hiring Zone, and User Provisioning projects and issues. This included managing relationships with vendors and internal partners, participating in a variety of cross-functional projects, creating and streamlining support processes for our Help Desk, providing high-level and detail-oriented training, providing weekly newsletters and executive reports on these initiatives, ensuring all projects met call reduction tactics, and handling all escalations. My biggest achievement was realized after implementing training and processes that led to a significant reduction in case escalation and call volume.Delivering Third Level support to a team of 50+ First and Second Level Analysts was also one of my primary roles. Our Support team provides world class support to 4,000+ stores utilizing our POS system, which involves hardware and software troubleshooting, as well as Internet Ordering, Call Center, above-store integration, middleware interactions, and a myriad of vendor relations. My role primarily involved handling high-priority escalations during all hours of the day, to ensure that stores were fully operational with minimal downtime.I regularly handled franchise and various other ad hoc requests for IT systems and configurable changes, which regularly required developing and executing automated scripts, ensured all stores were up-to-date on hardware and software, and that they reported little to no errors. I worked full throttle to handle all exceptions, which also included regular interactions with numerous internal and external partners. I also mentored and regularly provided coaching and training to lower level Analysts to ensure they were setup for success in their role.

Dallas/Fort Worth Area

Represented the QA team as the primary point of contact for all POS projects. I held extensive business know-how and technological knowledge in all aspects of the POS and its numerous integration points, including credit cards, gift cards, remote ordering (Internet/Mobile ordering, Call Center), and PCI implications. I was also the SME and point person for numerous BOH and middleware applications, and also participated in the testing and certification of in-store hardware and OS updates.I was tasked with mid- to large-scale projects, regularly juggled multiple projects, all while ensuring minimal defects and that all projects were delivered on time, within scope, and with full functionality. This involved close partnership with our Operations and Development teams, and regularly involved visits to our stores. With minimal resources, tight deadlines, and multiple projects, this was accomplished via innovative solutions, including the creation of automated testing and cross-training team members on a number of platforms.In addition to testing, I managed relationships with internal and external teams, including the handling of escalations, which involved regular interactions with over a dozen partners. I also provided extensive training classes, which helped ensure a smooth transition to our Support team as each project neared the end of its life cycle.I prepared for and was a key participant in PCI audits, and mitigated PCI exposure by ensuring gaps were closed. This included the creation and implementation of several processes and guidelines that must be met prior to any software deployment. I also coached teams on acceptable practices.I regularly performed ad hoc requests, worked and consulted with other teams to ensure the success of their product, and managed several small to mid-size projects, from inception to deployment. This also included becoming a Certified ScrumMaster, and facilitating the team’s transition to an Agile development methodology.

Dallas/Fort Worth Area

Louisville, Kentucky Area

As second-level support, I demonstrated a higher-level knowledge of Pizza Hut POS and above-store systems via case escalations. I worked with outside departments, vendors, and franchisees to identify call reduction tactics, and enacted best practices to improve current processes within both the Help Desk and the department. I continued to develop in-depth knowledge of operating system platforms, including Unix and Linux, and stayed heavily involved with upcoming software releases. I often ran Help Desk shifts, which included handling all escalations, and managed vendor relationships when stores’ POS equipment was down. I also acted as a Help Desk primary point of contact for additional projects, including issues relating to credit card and gift cards for all Yum stores, as well as call center projects. I developed training materials, classes, and presentations for Help Desk initiatives, as well as for other departments. I also mentored first-level Analysts to help ensure their continued growth and success, all while achieving the team’s highest call metrics.

Louisville, Kentucky Area

Provided first-level support to over 5,800 domestic Pizza Hut restaurants, including hardware, software, and operational issues. I became proficient in Unix, Linux, and Windows operating systems, as well as advanced call-taking software, with emphasis in precise documentation and attention to detail. I developed familiarity with restaurant operations and practices, plus extensive troubleshooting in POS equipment, back of house operations, and above-restaurant support systems. I worked in a fast-paced corporate environment, meeting strenuous deadlines and continuously working to improve departmental call, efficiency, and metric standards. Upon my first promotion, I met higher metric standards and call statistics, while increasing knowledge in new hardware and software technologies. I received in-depth training from numerous internal groups, in addition to developing training materials and conducting training courses. I also led several special projects, working closely with outside departments and vendors to ensure project accuracy and completion.After my second promotion, I took on additional responsibilities, including management of a daily list of credit card settlement failures for over 3,500 stores, software errors in 5,800 stores, and both architected and implemented a UPS backup battery ordering project. I became an escalation point to lesser-experienced Analysts, taught training courses for new hardware and software initiatives, and frequently followed up with outside vendor inquiries. I received several departmental awards for my efforts, and maintained a spot at the top of the list on call metrics and statistics.

Louisville, Kentucky Area

Louisville, Kentucky Area

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Pursuant Of Bs, Communication And Media Studies

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Pursuant Of Bs, Business Administration And Management, General