Richard Sharp Email & Phone Number

Toronto, Canada Area

• Managed the release of application and infrastructure changes in a complex multi-platform global environment with diverse international teams. Provided leadership to plan and execute successful error-free releases, to.
• Responsible for the handling of all release requests, especially those for higher risk releases. Ensured each planned release had sound implementation, verification and backout plans and received the appropriate levels.
• Set release management policy and procedures. Ensured that every planned release was categorized and reviewed appropriately; that risks associated with each release were identified and mitigated.
• Authored and maintained process documents and user guides, maintained and reported effective process metrics and provided process and tool training to process participants.
• Chaired Technical Advisory Board and Change Advisory Board meetings, at which higher-risk releases were reviewed.
• Prepared and published calendar of quarterly production change freeze periods. Managed the review of change freeze exemptions.

• Represented Production Support in project stage reviews and production readiness reviews, to ensure project teams were properly prepared for production deployment.
• Worked with process stakeholders (e.g., Project Management Office, IT Security, Application Development) to develop & improve the stage review checklists and the artifacts required for each stage review.
• Led the design, development and implementation of a custom Configuration Management Database (CMDB) system. Managed all phases of the project, including coordinating with IT organizations around the world to prepare.
• Built and deployed an application change management tool on the Workflowgen platform, replacing the Lotus Notes application. Migrated change management for all strategic applications to the new tool.
• As a member of the transition team, developed and integrated ITSM processes with a service provider, when much of Celestica IT was out-sourced. Coordinated review and acceptance of the documents describing 24 major.
• Enhanced the Lotus Notes based application change management tool to standardize processes and procedures across applications. Deployed for all strategic global applications (e.g., SAP R3, Matrix, Aspect, Lotus Notes).

• Supported the transition of sites from BPCS to the new strategic ERP system, SAP R3 (e.g., data migration). Introduced ITIL concepts for change and release management for SAP.
• Managed a team of analysts / developers (regular employees and contractors) to provide production support, maintenance and development for the corporate ERP system, BPCS. Worked with application owners to prioritise.