Sara Korsmo

Experience

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  Seattle Wunderman Network

  Jun 2013 - Aug 2013

  Marketing Operations Intern

  Chosen from over 400 applicants to partake in the internship program with the world’s largest digital marketing agency. Participated in a team-based project for the Microsoft Store while gaining direct experience in project management, research, work flow management, and operations. Microsoft Store Intern Project:• Performed research for, compiled, and edited a 35 page Strategic Agency Plan • Assisted in managing project schedule• Participated in presenting final Presentation to Microsoft Store client and Leadership Team• Led execution and decorative plans for the final Presentation Operations Experience:• Helped with implementing a new time/project tracking system (TrafficLive) • Data entry and data correction to correct minor issues in the program • Practiced creating reports to be presented to managers • Balanced statements for non-retained work Additional Experience:• Assisted with Request for Proposal (RFP) ideas that were presented internally• Helped with Scroogled Campaign • Shadowed and worked with Project Managers to learn more about the role Show less

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  Hitachi Vantara

  Jun 2014 - May 2018

  Transitioning into my fourth year at Hitachi Vantara, I expanded my role as a Program Manager into Global Engineering Operations and was promoted to be an engineering manager. I was responsible for Organizational Portfolio & Product Strategy, Product Engineering Delivery Health, and Global Site Operations & Communications. • Improved hiring processes to ensure alignment in hiring and budget through cross-collaboration checkpoints between finance, HR, managers, and talent acquisition • Facilitated product-based checkpoints between engineering leaders to review the team, current processes, and current release status to enable transparency and communication across the organization • Managed monthly department headcount across 3 portfolios and over 6 engineering sites to assist in strategic business, hiring, and budgetary decisions • Advocated engineering processes and best practices globally • Piloted a strategic dashboard as a single-view reference to analyze and transform the view of the organization from a global, site, functional, portfolio, and product level; gained buy-in from key stakeholders, including the SVP of Engineering and the Senior Director of Engineering• Maintained a cross-product roadmap to show how all products were aligning with GTM timelines, and how products were meeting revenue goals for the quarter• Supervised and coached office managers and administrative representatives in the organization’s three main sites to ensure site health, successful new hire on-boarding, and successful planning and implementation of large site events • Improved new hire’s productivity within their first week, through new process implementation; simplified first day experiences, established expectations and goals for the first month of work, and ensured a consistent process across all sites• Contributed to organizational strategy as a member of the management team Show less The start of my third year at Hitachi Vantara involved transitioning, along with the SVP of Engineering, to start a new department called Hitachi Insight Group. This new department was an initiative focused on Social Innovation and Internet of Things (IoT). I was responsible for ensuring the success of operational activities for this initiative, in which I performed the following:• Managed headcount & hiring activities across 4 sites to ensure the team stayed within budget and met hiring goals; over 100 employees were hired and on-boarded within the first 8 months• Ensured successful global organizational communication • Transformed new hire on-boarding processes In addition to operational success for Hitachi Insight Group, I was also responsible for program management for engineering operations in Bellevue:• Assisted in the integration of leadership between all products in• Implemented and drove process for these products • Consulted Project Leads during release planning and implementation to ensure projects were following processes and that deliverable dates were being met • Reduced process redundancies• Managed headcount, hiring, and forecasting across all Bellevue product teams, as well as across 4 sites for Hitachi Insight Group• Maintained working relationships with recruiting vendors and on-boarded new third-party recruiting vendors• Processed Statements of Work • Managed the New Hire On-boarding Process, in which I implemented a first week overview, oversaw a three-part training series on Process, Culture, and Products, and presented Process training to new hires Show less My first project at Hitachi Vantara (formerly known as Hitachi Data Systems) was to manage and track an entire facility expansion for 80+ engineers. I liaised between key stakeholders and was responsible for representing the Bellevue team when making design decisions. As a Product Owner on the Unified Compute Platform (UCP), I performed the following: • Wrote functional and feature specifications• Maintained the product backlog• Defined product vision• Managed product and release dashboards within Jira• Managed communication with the Product Management TeamI was promoted to hold the role a Feature Team lead, in which I led a team of 12 cross-functional engineers through an entire release, from definition to delivery. The team was responsible for designing and implementing a new user interface. • Ensured complete delivery of planning and release documentation• Created a release schedule and project plan, including sprints and milestones• Led frequent stand-ups• Maintained milestones and sprints within Jira• Removed roadblocks for the team, and diffused negativityI received an award, voted on by the entire product team, for my efforts and leadership as a Feature Team Lead. I supported the UCP Product Lead in managing and tracking entire releases, across all feature teams. I created and maintained reports and metrics for each release to be presented to managers and key stakeholders. I helped lead the first initiative in Hitachi in which engineers from Hitachi Japan participated as a feature team in a release for a U.S.-based product. I was responsible for teaching our release process and assisting the team throughout the release. I received an award for making distinguished achievements in business innovation for this effort. In addition to the above items, I also:• Managed headcount for Bellevue to be reported to key stakeholders• Maintained relationships with recruiting vendors Show less

  • Program Manager - Global Engineering Operations

    Jun 2017 - May 2018

  • Program Manager - Bellevue Engineering Operations

    Jun 2016 - May 2017

  • Product Owner & Project Manager

    Jun 2014 - May 2016
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  Expedia Group

  May 2018 - Jun 2022

  Central Learning Program Manager Program Manager in Media Solutions, supporting Learning & Development + Technology Operations

  • Manager, Business Programs and Operations

    May 2022 - Jun 2022

  • Program Manager III, Enterprise Learning

    Sept 2020 - May 2022

  • Program Manager III, Operations

    May 2018 - Sept 2020
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  Xemelgo

  Jun 2022 - now

  Chief Operating Officer

  The Xemelgo suite of solutions was developed with leading manufacturers to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and boost profitability. From raw materials to finished goods, our award-winning solutions transform your operations with real-time visibility.