Stephen Cobb Email & Phone Number

20 years of international experience in business, diplomatic, academic, and non-profit environments in the areas of project management, systems engineering, business analysis, IT, e-learning, and human performance improvement.In college in California I dreamed of building space ships, so I studied Russian along with Engineering. I indeed found myself working in the Former Soviet Union, but in arms control ("Cooperative Threat Reduction," as we call it now). My career has since led me through several countries (mostly the FSU and Germany), fields (engineering, software, IT, and e-learning), and industries (e.g. construction, physical security, automotive, and oil & gas), generally managing small teams on technical projects large and small.Most of my professional work has been on large-scale government contracts with high project formality, while most of my volunteer work has been on smaller-scale web projects using methods more resembling Agile. The web projects that I have sponsored or managed are usually social networks built on the Drupal content management system.By nature I am analytical, an INTJ, even when I am being creative, and I invariably take a big-picture systems approach. I make order from chaos, and I find ways to improve the order. Most of my career successes have come at such moments.My Theory Y management style reflects my personal values, such as a tempered optimism that people will do the right thing, given the right structures and incentives. I believe that people who can cooperate can accomplish amazing things, and I believe in "return of benefit"--helping those who have in any way helped us. Knowing several languages might seem irrelevant in an increasingly English-speaking business world, but I like to think that it has improved my English. It has certainly increased my awareness and appreciation of English, of its etymologies and eccentricities.

Listed skills include Analysis, Project Management, Program Management, Integration, and 41 others.