Tom Arra

Tom Arra Email and Phone Number

Founding Operations Lead @ Shorebird
Chicago, IL, US
Tom Arra's Location
Greater Chicago Area, United States, United States
Tom Arra's Contact Details
About Tom Arra

As the Principal Program Manager and Head of Program Management at Very Good Ventures, I leverage my over 15 years of experience in software development and product management to deliver high-quality mobile applications for clients across various industries. I have established multiple Program/Product Management teams in the past to ensure that companies are working effectively and client work is delivered efficiently.I have a passion for technology and innovation, and I have led multiple development teams in using Flutter, a cross-platform framework that enables fast and reliable updates across mobile OS platforms simultaneously. I have also driven the design and launch of new features and products, such as the MyBMW/MINI application, which has a worldwide audience to this day. My goal is to create products that enhance company performance and customer satisfaction.

Tom Arra's Current Company Details
Shorebird

Shorebird

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Founding Operations Lead
Chicago, IL, US
Tom Arra Work Experience Details
  • Shorebird
    Founding Operations Lead
    Shorebird
    Chicago, Il, Us
  • Very Good Ventures
    Director, Product Development
    Very Good Ventures Aug 2023 - Present
    New York, Ny, Us
    Creating the first Product Development team at VGV focused on delivering internal and external tools and products to help product teams move fast and scale quickly.
  • Very Good Ventures
    Principal Program Manager, Head Of Program Management
    Very Good Ventures Nov 2020 - Jul 2023
    New York, Ny, Us
    • Created the Program Management team at Very Good Ventures focused on project delivery and business efficiency. • Grew the team to have 6 team members spread across the globe in order to best support our growing team and clients.• Managed the Program Management team along with all client project deliverables and established “The VGV Way” of program delivery.• Responsible for all tooling around the PM process including resource planning, time tracking, reporting and invoicing. Completed 2 major migrations in toolsets to move entire company to be driven from Kantata for better business efficiency.• Part of the management team which was tasked with the acquisition of CreateThrive (June 2023) in order to expand VGV into the global leader in Flutter consultant services.
  • Bmw Technology Corporation
    Senior Product Owner
    Bmw Technology Corporation Oct 2016 - Nov 2020
    Munich, De
    MyBMW/MINI Application• Doubled size of development team to 9 developers and 1 automation engineer to increase product output based on business demand.• Managed a total of 15 resources across 2 development teams.• Worked directly with development and architecture to establish the use of Flutter within BMW for fast and reliable updates across mobile OS platforms (iOS & Android) simultaneously.• Had ownership of core features from the engineering and product side including Login, Account Create, and Vehicle Mapping.• Completed initial launch of a brand-new code base and application in 6 markets around the world with no customer/production incidents during the launch phase, with a gain of over new 35,000 users in 7 days. Aftersales• Led overall product planning and coordination for Aftersales features in the BMW Connected app for multiple teams with multiple Area Product Owners. Features include Service/Recall Alerts, Dealer Search, and Online Appointment Booking. • Grew the Aftersales group from 3 to 7 teams through rebalancing and staff expansion of 17 people.• Managed 4 product owners across 7 development teams with a total of 42 people.• Established new processes to handle the expansion of teams and features including a new feature pipeline and feature change review in order to facilitate faster release cycles.• Drove feature releases without application dependencies in order to deliver new features and bug fixes to customers faster than other divisions.• Successfully handed off responsibility in order to move to the Area Product Owner role for a new product, My BMW/MINI.Android• Started new development team and backlog from scratch to develop the BMW Connected for Android product.• Launched the first version of BMW Connected for Android. Continued to drive the product development for our Android application through version 5.0. Saw a 1.5-star rating increase over the course of these releases.
  • Bmw Technology Corporation
    Product Owner
    Bmw Technology Corporation Nov 2014 - Oct 2016
    Munich, De
    • Part of initial product management team for the new BMW Technology Corporation office in Chicago, IL.• Led 2 teams of approximately 6 engineers each during the development of the new BMW Connected application for iOS.• Designed and ran BMW’s first external beta test with 1,000 users. Gathered valuable feedback from real users that helped shape the new BMW Connected application.• Drove design and development teams for the BMW Connected debut at CES 2016. Attended CES as BMW Technology Expert.• Served as release manager for iOS. Included setting up metadata delivery process for fast and easy App Store updates.
  • Microsoft
    Product Owner
    Microsoft Apr 2014 - Nov 2014
    Redmond, Washington, Us
    • Focused on bringing Microsoft Services to the 100 Million Monthly Users’ of the Xpress Browser.• Drove backlog for one development team.• Defined requirements and led team through development of new browser landing page content utilizing the MSN Weather API.• Led definition, development, and deployment of OneDrive integration with the Xpress Browser for Asha Devices.• Represented and evangelized the Xpress Browser team during company wide and external events including trade shows.• Ran technical training sessions for large groups (30+).
  • Nokia (Acquired By Microsoft)
    Product Owner
    Nokia (Acquired By Microsoft) May 2013 - Apr 2014
    Espoo, Southern Finland, Fi
    • Recruited to the Product Owner position for the Nokia Xpress for Windows Phone product after organization changes.• Led the redevelopment of Nokia Xpress for Lumia for Windows Phone 8 in a new Agile based methodology.• Drove backlog for two development teams.• Created a new UX/UI paradigm which allowed users to access their content faster.• Worked with many offsite teams, including phone program management and application technical readiness, to secure Nokia Xpress as a mandatory preloaded application on Lumia devices.• Launched Nokia Xpress on Lumia and acquired over half a million users in less than one year.
  • Nokia (Acquired By Microsoft)
    Senior Software Engineer
    Nokia (Acquired By Microsoft) Feb 2012 - May 2013
    Espoo, Southern Finland, Fi
    Windows Phone• Prototyped and then led development of Nokia Xpress for Windows Phone. Prototype was developed in spare time with two other colleagues before being picked up for full time development.• Developed main application architecture and led feature design.• Led team in adopting Agile practices including moving to a DevOps model.Asha• Provided architecture guidance on all feature implementations as a senior member of the Web Apps platform team.• Executed the ScrumMaster role while still also being an individual contributor on the team.• Collaborated with Product Owner to define user stories.• Promoted and participated in the first Nokia Browser team hackathon. Led a webinar introducing engineers to Web Apps. Contributed to a Web App game that won best hack.
  • Nokia (Acquired By Microsoft)
    Software Engineer
    Nokia (Acquired By Microsoft) Jul 2010 - Feb 2012
    Espoo, Southern Finland, Fi
    • Implemented a JavaScript library used for client-side manipulation.• Created templates, samples and code snippets for the Nokia Web Tools product.• Took on role of ScrumMaster for the S40 Web Apps team during our program’s transition to Agile.• Represented Xpress at Nokia World 2011 and participated in Nokia World Hackathon as a technical expert.• Published, on my own time, two S40 Web Apps to the Nokia Store.
  • Devry University
    Adjunct Professor
    Devry University Nov 2010 - May 2011
    Lisle, Illinois, Us
    • Taught CIS-170C (Programming with Lab) with 20 students. Course content included introduction to C++ & Visual Studio, programming concepts, and a final project that demonstrated basic programming ability.• Taught SEC-360 (Data Privacy and Security) with 7 students. Course content was focused around enterprise security including hardware, software, and security policies.
  • Novarra (Acquired By Nokia)
    Ui Software Engineer
    Novarra (Acquired By Nokia) Oct 2009 - Jun 2010
    Itasca, Il, Us
    • Daily tasks included HTML, JavaScript, and PHP start page design and development.• Created new server components to help achieve new start page features.• Represented Novarra and won the Tech in the Middle Day of Mobile 2010 Hackathon. Created an Android on-device clipping program that interfaced with the Novarra Vision clipping product.
  • Novarra (Acquired By Nokia)
    Quality Assurance/Development Intern
    Novarra (Acquired By Nokia) Jun 2007 - Oct 2009
    Itasca, Il, Us
    • Performance testing the Novarra Vision Server and Client product in both a manual and automated fashion.• Managed and performed maintenance on the automated unit testing code using Java and Apache Ant.• Led design and development of Vault, a Ruby on Rails application used to track test cases, test suites, and test results.
  • Devry University
    Lead Tutor & Faculty Assistant
    Devry University Jun 2008 - Feb 2009
    Lisle, Illinois, Us
    Coordinate and manage approximately 15 faculty assistants and tutors. Responsibilities included schedule planning and managing day-to-day issues on the tutoring floor. Obtained College Reading and Learning Association Advanced Tutor Certification and DeVry University Writing Tutor Certification.
  • Devry University
    Tutor
    Devry University Jul 2007 - May 2008
    Lisle, Illinois, Us
    Tutored students, both one-on-one and in groups, in various subjects including college algebra, English, and software programming and design. Obtained College Reading and Learning Association Tutor Certification and DeVry University Math Tutor Certification.

Tom Arra Skills

Xml Software Development Java Git Javascript Linux Mobile Applications Software Engineering Eclipse Html C# Databases Mysql Android Testing Visual Studio Php Ruby Ruby On Rails Css Mac Os X Apache Microsoft Office Accurev Ms Office Suite Visual C# Windows 7 Windows 9x Academic Tutoring Intellij Idea Mongrel Windows

Tom Arra Education Details

  • Keller Graduate School Of Management Of Devry University
    Keller Graduate School Of Management Of Devry University
    Master Of Business Administration With Concentration In Information Systems Management
  • Devry University
    Devry University
    Computer Programming With A Concentration In Computer Forensics

Frequently Asked Questions about Tom Arra

What company does Tom Arra work for?

Tom Arra works for Shorebird

What is Tom Arra's role at the current company?

Tom Arra's current role is Founding Operations Lead.

What is Tom Arra's email address?

Tom Arra's email address is ta****@****ail.com

What is Tom Arra's direct phone number?

Tom Arra's direct phone number is +170826*****

What schools did Tom Arra attend?

Tom Arra attended Keller Graduate School Of Management Of Devry University, Devry University.

What are some of Tom Arra's interests?

Tom Arra has interest in Collecting Antiques, Exercise, Sweepstakes, Home Improvement, Donor, Reading, Gourmet Cooking, Sports, The Arts, Home Decoration.

What skills is Tom Arra known for?

Tom Arra has skills like Xml, Software Development, Java, Git, Javascript, Linux, Mobile Applications, Software Engineering, Eclipse, Html, C#, Databases.

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