Robert Guswiler | 313- 434- 1782
Robert . guswiler@hotmail . com
Ann Arbor / Greater Metropolitan
Detroit
QUALIFICATION SUMMARY
Results driven professional and proven leader of complex solutions and strategies. Exceptional interpersonal and communication
skills, with years of experience interfacing with C levels of organizations. Confident and well versed in nearly all aspects of
business, operations and technology, with an extensive background in the following broad-based competencies:
Strategic Planning IT Governance & Best New Business
Practices Development
Account Development Customer Relations Complex Program
Management Management
Content Management Portfolio Management Professional Services
Publishing
• Demonstrated ability to successfully build new business and sustain relationships in delivering solutions and professional
services.
• Proven ability to cultivate productive relationships with key decision makers and successfully manage complex
programs.
• Excellent qualifications in strategic planning with comprehensive knowledge of management, organizational
development, team building and project execution.
• Proven ability to turn around crisis projects and programs.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Program Planning Professionals (www.pcubed.com), Ann Arbor, MI (2003 – April 2009)
Vice President, Professional Services
Drive new business across the Central United States through new channels and existing key accounts. Promote advanced
solutions and services aimed at helping customers tackle large complex programs, gain control of their project portfolio
investments, and increase overall capability. Leverage extensive skills and knowledge to take on senior level consulting roles.
• Achieved highest growth and operating margin (30%) in North America two consecutive years, 2006 and 2007.
• Established sustainable service relationships with several Fortune 500 companies, amounting to 80% of annual revenue.
• Advised executive leadership team of $6 billion global staffing solutions company on large PeopleSoft ERP project in
crisis. Implemented governance and process which turned program around to predictable schedule and cost in four
months.
• Architected and led the design and set up of a program management office to lead a large scale customer
correspondence solution for a major insurance company in Chicago Illinois
• Managed largest customer account in North America, achieving annual revenue of $6 million in active programs and
more than 75 field consultants.
• Designed and implemented a program office for a $600 million global automotive product design solution aimed at
establishing shared design, parts and platforms across brands.
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• Sold more than $20 million in professional services implementing Microsoft Enterprise Project Management solutions,
consisting of Project Server, SharePoint/MOSS, Portfolio Server, program management consulting services, and
project management staff augmentation.
• Developed new service line for portfolio management including sales kit, implementation plan, best practices and
training materials.
ProQuest Information and Learning (www.proquest.com), Ann Arbor, MI (2000 – 2003)
Director, IT / Enterprise Program & Business Planning Office
Established a new business function responsible for driving greater results across software product development, operational and
back-office project investments.
• Developed business planning office which established corporate and functional standards, governance, reporting and a
comprehensive project portfolio management solution.
• Achieved 50% productivity improvement on project delivery success rate in first full year.
• Introduced new techniques to measure the effectiveness of project results, to enable executive management to make
decisions addressing failing products, and ward off additional bad investments.
• Managed ‘Historical Newspapers’ new product launch to digitize one of the oldest and most prestigious newspapers in
America’s history.
• Developed a new methodology and framework to guide the planning and execution of company merger & acquisition
initiatives; which proved to secure the estimated booked revenue.
• Implemented rigorous guidelines for outsourcing offshore contracts that led to immediate returns by reducing quality
defects by more than 50%, and substantial savings in rework.
Fidelity Investments (www.Fidelity.com), Cincinnati, OH / Boston, MA (1995 – 2000)
Senior Director, Strategic Planning
Promoted to newly established role aimed at driving earlier business decisions around key operational strategies and objectives.
• Evaluated the business impact of JIT (just in time) and personalized customer correspondence processing, which led to
Fidelity being first in the marketplace and high customer satisfaction.
• Implemented advanced character recognition software, to automate processing of hand written customer
correspondence to service financial accounts and transactions.
• Reduced operational overhead while increasing throughput capacity by 25%.
Director, Capture Services – Image Workflow Operations
Awarded promotion to direct this critical business operation. Responsible for capturing customer correspondence for 14 million
customers, including time sensitive financial transactions, new accounts and miscellaneous account maintenance.
• Increased the processing capacity by 35% without increasing budget or staffing by automating human processing and
indexing functions.
• Championed archival project to scan all documents to electronic image, allowing customer transaction research time to
be cut in half.
• Managed all Y2K preventive projects for technical imaging system; resulting in zero operational or customer
interruptions.
• Managed migration of 40 person processing organization from Utah to the Cincinnati based operation resulting in a 75%
overhead reduction.
• Managed the development of a new financial transaction processing system able to support multiple financial transaction
types.
Director, Operations Services & Development
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Supervised 25 project managers, business analysts and quality specialists on all technology & operational initiatives in dynamic
inbound / outbound customer correspondence operations serving all Fidelity business units and customers.
• Reengineered shop floor by implementing JIT manufacturing to improve workflow, eliminate rework, reduce
warehouse space and eliminated outdated products resulting in $10 million savings.
• Led large scale implementation of Oracle ERP system; which achieved its business objectives and successfully
completed within targeted 18 month timeframe and $27m budget.
• Managed R&D projects to select and implement inbound remittance equipment and outbound mass mail insertion
equipment, resulting in major cost savings to Fidelity business divisions.
• Implemented decision support team and data warehouse to capture information on daily operational processing of
sensitive financial transactions and report on operational key performance indicators.
Price Waterhouse, LLP (www.pwc.com), Detroit, MI (1989 – 1995)
Staff Consultant / Sr. Consultant / Manager
Member of General Accounting / Financial Management Package Software Practice.
• Implemented a world-wide Dunn & Bradstreet ERP financial accounting system for a Fortune 15 consumer product
company; this highly successful project saved $150 million dollars in outstanding collections and reduced operational
headcount by 40 FTE in first full year.
• Managed bi-weekly cut-over’s of new Dunn & Bradstreet Capital Assets system across all plants for Fortune 15
consumer product company.
• Led global, cross brand teams for Fortune 15 consumer product company in Joint Application Reengineering & Design
(JAR/JAD) workshops to achieve a standard procurement process and system; this paved the way for significant savings
through leveraged buying power.
• Served as package software subject matter expert in implementation of MSA Financial system implementation for a
major Midwest bank; designed and developed entire reporting system.
• Led the design, configuration and implementation of a sales order management system for major automotive supplier
using MSA software resulting in increased accuracy and visibility of ordering, tracking and controls of parts.
• Primary architect and developer of plant shop floor kiosk system designed to administer the annual benefits open
enrollment process for thousands of plant employees for a major automotive OEM; saving the OEM significant
manufacturing time and labor costs.
Prior Experience:
St. Josephs Healthcare / DP Management, Clinton Township MI, HRIS Analyst (1987-1989)
EDUCATION
Ferris State University, School of Business, Big Rapids, MI 1982 - 1987
B.S., Computer Information Systems
B.B.A, Marketing
Degrees included coursework equivalent to a minor in Accounting
ADDITIONAL EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
• Dale Carnegie Sales and Speaking Training Program
• University of Michigan School of Business, MBA courses
• Flawless Consulting (Peter Block)
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• Management Research Group Executive Leadership Training
• Acclivus MAPS Training (Major Account Planning & Strategy)
• Microsoft EPM Project & Portfolio Server software (implementation and use)
• PMI Project Management Professional certification
• PMI Project Management Institute, Huron Valley / Great Lakes MI
• TEC Technology Executives Club, Chicago IL
• ITIL Standards (Information Technology Infrastructure Library)
• Detroit Economic Club
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