Tom Stratton Email & Phone Number

Los Angeles, Ca, Us

* Collaborate with CEO and other executives to develop a comprehensive product strategy; Effectively communicate this strategy companywide and establish connections between individual efforts and the overall strategy. Ensure that all decisions and actions align with the established strategy.* Worked with Engineering, UX, Design and CEO to deliver the initial product offering from the ground up. Then, drove the addition of more than 50 product enhancements based on feedback from customers, sales and research.* Lead the Product Management and Implementation teams, inspiring and motivating them to achieve business groiwth objectives.* Accountable for the creation of cohesive customer and product experiences across sales, onboarding, and in-application. Coordinated across business, engineering, and support to achieve exclusively 5-star product reviews.* Drove all stages of the product lifecycle from ideation through delivery then into enhancement and refinement. Managed the product from zero to the first 30 customers.* Manage product and business risks, identify and mitigate potential project roadblocks and provide solutions to ensure successful product outcomes.* Identified capacity challenges in the implementation department and crafted a strategy for short and long term solutions.* Championed the early use of generative AI within the product and shifted priorities so that we could be first to market with solutions, assuring relevance within the marketplace.* Identified capacity challenges in the implementation department and crafted a strategy for short and long term solutions.

Burbank, Ca, Us

* Established the product vision and facilitated stakeholder engagement across 6 major business units , gathering and meeting disparate requirements/use cases.* Define and deliver product roadmaps based on customer needs and opportunities.* Partnered with cross functional teams to deliver a major 0-1 application, ececuting on an agile project plan to meet aggressive deadlines.* Assisted senior leadership in the development of the business case and created supporting financial models, showing that we could realize over $10MM in annual operating costs.* Communicated roadmap and technical capabilities to stakeholders. Articulated product differentiation and value to executives and business stakeholders.* Understood requirements and priorities from stakeholders, partners, and customers and evaluated against available options. * Managed the full lifecycle of this complex software development project from initiation to delivery, ensuring successful completion within budget, scope, and schedule constraints. * Defined project requirements and deliverables though working closely with cross-functional teams including software developers, UX designers, QA engineers, and business stakeholders.* Collaborated with Vice President and Director of Engineering to establish product objectives, deadlines, and budgets. Developed and maintained the project plan, schedule and budget to ensure project success.* Managed stakeholders across 7 different business units, negotiated scope to meet critical delivery deadlines, and transitioned them to the new product without interrupting of business.* Captured $10M annual reduction in support and operating expenses while maintaining continuous business unit operation.* Met mission critical delivery objectives by negotiating scope with key stakeholders avoiding at least $3M in additional fees.* Managed team of two product managers plus two consultants and coordinated operations for software developers.

Burbank, Ca, Us

• Delivered strategic direction, architecture, and support for digital asset and metadata management across studio’s business units, initiating productive relationships with key stakeholders and external partners. • Presented data management improvement initiatives to senior leadership and consulted with individual business units to select software best suited to their asset management needs.• Conducted AI and machine learning (ML) research projects to resolve endemic data management issues in collaboration with Technical Operations team, implementing effective solutions to enhance daily operations.• Consulted with W.B. Production Technology department to create systems for long term preservation of 3D models from tentpole movies using Shotgun production tracking software.Select Achievements===============• Launched innovative collaboration with MovieLabs and led cross-studio effort to streamline interactivity processes by developing standardized data practices and film terminology across participating studios, such as Disney and Dreamworks.• Enabled cross-application integration and improved master data management (MDM) outcomes by leading project to consolidate studio identifiers into single universally unique identifier (UUID) system.• Submitted 10 patent ideas to studio, resulting in two patent-pending notices.

San Francisco, Ca, Us

• Promoted from Digital Asset Manager position in 7/2014 to lead organization’s IT department during company’s pivot away from web content to live television content, architecting IT solutions and systems to optimize for live television production pipelines.• Oversaw production pipeline for born-digital content, ensuring value and accessibility of all digital assets.• Implemented show tracking software used by producers to create and edit content.• Identify, implement and support software applications used by show producers.Manage Data and Metadata in support of production and post production.Design, develop and implement data management, archiving, backup and lifecycle for all post production data.Create and implement metadata collection specifications and policy - metadata management.IT Project ManagerManage Consulting RelationshipsResearch and Recommend IT infrastructure improvementsSkills Used: Python Mac OSX Unix/Linux System Administration Project Management

When Masters FX wanted to spin up a team of digital artists to supplement their decades of experience in practical special effects I was brought in as a generalists capable of designing and implementing hardware, systems and processes for the digital artists.• Designed systems and processes to optimize addition of digital VFX render pipeline to company’s existing practical effects capabilities; implemented data archive policies and practices to securely manage all digital assets and procured necessary hardware.• Managed the Shotgun production tracking application, including custom integrations for employee time tracking and shot status updates.• Architected system that enabled company to secure and execute digital VFX contracts for two seasons of hit television show, Falling Skies.• Wrote custom software to integrate with the Shotgun Database API• Increased After Effects render efficiency 250% by writing a custom render manager• Secured the client data by designing and implementing backup policies both locally and in the cloud.• Architect, maintain and customize the online production tracking tool, Shotgun

Independent Project Management and Technology ConsultingCustomer focused project management, business process improvement and software consulting: web projects, digital work-flow design, software research and deployment, technology liaison.Key Projects:• 3D VFX Data and pipeline manager for Sassoon Film Design• E-commerce Web site: Saved client $40,000 (35%) compared to original bid. Recommended and implemented of off-the-shelf software system customized according to specification.• Software Researcher: Saved end client $5,000 annually by finding better and more cost effective solution that was originally requested. (Subcontracted by IT consulting firm) • Point-of-Purchase and Order-Tracking System: Oversight of development for a custom point-of-purchase and order tracking system resulting in fewer errors and lower labor cost for client. • Workflow technical developer and database architect for feature film “Immortals”: Record keeping and data analysis saved over $1 Million in overage costs on this multi-million dollar project.• Custom programming of workflow and data interface solutions for Warner Brother Photo Lab: reduced labor in workflow by several hours per week - ongoing annual savings $7000.

Los Angeles, Ca, Us

Contract position managing a data transfer and translation between two external development teams. I acted as the central communications and control hub - making sure that Epitaph got what they needed and that information made it’s way back and forth between the development teams.Accomplishments:• Discovered several unanticipated problems with the project plan and found solutions for them.• Wrote custom Python sysadmin programs to integrate data from several different databases into a single dataset.• Ensured that the goals of Epitaph were always met, even in the face of pressure from development partners to change direction.• Successful completion of the project despite many externally created setbacks.More info about the project at http://www.tomstratton.net/news/files/epitaph.html

Delivered an entire big-budget feature. Wholly responsible for data and metadata for the entire 3-D conversion of "Immortals" by Tarsem Singh / Relativity MediaDatabase Architect and Administrator using the Shotgun Database software to manage the post production pipeline on 3D conversion of the feature film, "Immortals" for Relativity Media. Created the schema and managed the tracking of over 3500 shots, 1500 VFX shots and thousands of associated assets throughout the entire 3D conversion process.Created custom Python web-apps and deployed to internal production server to interface with Shotgun database.

Conceptualized two west coast conferences on the convergence of photo and video technology. Within ten-weeks, built a small collaborative partnership to fund, market, produce and present conference attended by 500 industry professionals with participation of 30 vendors/sponsors and 20 industry leading presenters. The events were financial and professional successes.In 2009: Handled all speaker and vendor relations and managed the project: including directly negotiating the majority of the speaker, vendor and sponsorship agreements. Marketing and publicity for the event was a shared responsibility between me and my co-producer.In 2010: Project management of the event. Created and produced all marketing material, signage, graphics and printed materials. Oversight of web-site design and content creation. Marketing and publicity for the event was a shared responsibility between me and my co-producer.Accomplishments:• Both events paid for themselves, though they were expected to incur losses.• Built a small collaborative partnership to fund, market, produce and present conferences which resulted in a profitable web-site (PhotoCineNews.com).• Generated brand awareness amongst the 750 industry attendees, 20 leading presenters, and 30 vendors which facilitates ongoing projects for the stakeholders.

Supervised and managed Digital Imaging and IT departments including hiring, training and mentoring staff to maximize internal expertise and enhanced deliverables. Implemented and refined online image management systems and directed redesigns of corporate web-site. Managed project budgets totaling in excess of $1 million. Researched and implemented integrations of new and existing hardware with off-the-shelf software to update and measurably improve systems. Spearheaded plan to collaborate with an external marketing firm to increase brand awareness in new markets and evangelize The Icon brand through involvement with prominent community organizations.Accomplishments:• Secured new clients in excess of $1 Million annual billing through implementation and refinement of online image management systems.• 200% growth of department’s billing. Also helped company grow new business by redefining its primary focus and instigation of a plan to have an external marketing firm introduce the brand to new markets.• Reduced staff of IT department by 33% while expanding the responsibilities and services of the department. Total IT expenditures project-managed/implemented - over $1 million.• Reduced job turn around for a critical client by 50% through researching and implementing integrations of new and existing hardware with off-the-shelf software, and customized scripting.• Saved $20,000 in annual software maintenance costs: Replaced expensive, proprietary file management system with internally developed best practices and computer programs while increasing throughput.• Reduced operational costs and production errors by overhauling all color management systems. • Brought creative services projects in on time and on budget - project management and oversight, client meetings, estimates, creative team resource allocation, scheduled staff and freelance workers.

After a successful re-invigoration of the digital services side of The Icon photo lab I was asked to turn around their digital capture company, The Bridge.Working with the staff, the entire workflow was redefined and codified to help avoid lost time. Additionally, I renegotiated service contracts and revisited previous spending decisions to brings costs down and improve profitability. The interaction between The Bridge and The Icon was reinvigorated to shift labor to more appropriate staff and increase efficiencies.Accomplishments:• Cost reductions and improved profits through renegotiated service contracts renegotiating expenses.• Increased awareness of business through successful collaboration with a marketing firm.• Increased customer retention and per invoice revenue 5% by redefining and formalizing workflow practices to reduced errors and improved production efficiencies.• Created internal training materials and conducted several in-house training sessions leading to improved customer satisfaction.

Co-created this non-profit professional association to bring information about digital trends to interested photographers.Produced a series of relevant bi-monthly events for chapter members and assumed all financial duties as organization’sBoard Treasurer

Faculty Member..... Photoshop : Accredited Course, Art Institute of California, Los Angeles (3 terms - 2003)..... Digital Workflow : Accredited Course, Art Center, Pasadena (1 term - 2004)Independent Trainer (2002 -2005)..... Conducted private and group instruction on digital imaging ork-flow, data management, Photoshop and other topics relating to professional photography and digital media. Assumed all responsibilities for workshop content, production, marketing, finance, and creation of course materials.Speaker/Presenter..... Photo Plus Expo, New York, N.Y. (Oct. 2002 & Oct. 2003)..... Creative Vision Conference, Los Angeles, CA (June 2003)

Created internal and customer-facing systems, established pricing and coordinated equipment purchases to launch venture as one of the first independent digital capture companies on the west coast. Developed work-flow for digital image production using new (and often beta) products and software allowing clients to be at the forefront of digital imaging without sacrificing the speed or quality of film-based work flows.Accomplishments:• Developed the founding business methodology and structure from which the organization grew• Provided preliminary financial projections to help secure the infusion of additional capital• Brought first client into organization, demonstrating the businesses viability to attract customer revenue• Creative oversight of original logo and brand identity

Independent Photography for Editorial Clients including:Money, People, Guitar Player, Options, Keyboard, Womens Day.Annual Report and Corporate Photography for various clients inlcuding: Hughes, Microsoft, General Motors, HAmagami Carroll, Bird Design

Performing quality control of digital images, developed archiving methods and co-created a custom online search and fulfillment system. Developed and programmed an automated workflow for preparing scanned images for distribution and online display using Adobe Photoshop and Applescript. Collaborated in development of an online image database written in HTML using additional markup provided through Extensis Portfolio server version. Developed primary artist relationships. Conducted all digital retouching, scanning and image preparation.• Created cost effective workflow processes that launched this start-up venture

Basc, Engineering Physics & Applied Mathematics

Professional Development Certificate, Python Programmin