Nancy Henson

Experience

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  Credit Suisse First Boston

  Jan 1990 - Jan 1992

  Financial Analyst

  Wrote pitch decks for executives. Researched companies for M&A opportunities. Executed comprehensive company valuations. Helped execute the IPO of Gaylord Entertainment.

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  National Instruments

  Jan 1993 - Jan 1999

  District Sales Manager

  Managed a 5 state territory and was responsible for all support and sales issues for the district. Consistently exceeded quota and delivered the largest sale in 1994.

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  Stress Engineering Services

  Oct 1999 - Jun 2002

  Sr. Engineer

  Assisted int he sales process and executed a variety of integration projects, including a first generation NI Real-Time applicaiton.

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  National Instruments

  Jan 2001 - Jan 2015

  Responsible for driving the vision and strategy of National Instruments Certification program, aligning it with long-term corporate plans and initiatives. Additionally oversaw all operation aspects of the program, driving process change to ensure the utmost quality and efficient use of resources and investments.● Initiated and regularly oversaw automation projects to optimize resource utilization and ensure top-notch quality.● Formulated the process and go-to-market plan for the updated LabVIEW Center of Excellence Certification, facilitating its successful launch.● Enriched NI Week by broadening its scope to encompass developer-centric presentations, enhancing its overall value and appeal. Show less Inaugural member of newly founded team tasked with helping to improve LabVIEW proficiency and assist in large architecture design at key customers. We participate in long-term and short-term engagements to assess customer's current skill set and identify knowledge gaps for successful implementation of projects. We then pull together the appropriate team, tools, and processes to equip the customer for successful project completion.● Contributed to enhancing LabVIEW proficiency and large architecture design for key customers.● Conducted long-term and short-term engagements to assess customers' current skill sets and identify knowledge gaps for successful project implementation.● Hosted numerous technical sessions and local NI Developer Days to disseminate knowledge and enhance skills.● Collaborated in co-creating the LabVIEW Center of Excellence Program, a strategic initiative to advance expertise and standardized practices for software development teams. Show less

  • Global Certification Manager

    Jan 2014 - Jan 2015

  • LabVIEW Field Architect

    Jan 2010 - Jan 2014

  • Instructor for LV Advanced Classes

    Jan 2001 - Jun 2011
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  VI Engineering

  Oct 2001 - Feb 2004

  Instructor

  Taught the Advanced Application Development in LabVIEW throughout North America

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  National Analytics

  Aug 2006 - May 2008

  Director of Operations

  Played a variety of roles including: project management, process development & project implementation.Designed and developed a scalable 5000 channel data acquisition system with LabVIEW DSC and SQL

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  Denver Christian Schools

  Oct 2006 - Apr 2007

  Consultant (pro bono)

  Architected and developed a .NET/SQL and LabVIEW based solution to run the silent auction and bi-annual gala for Denver Christian Schools.

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  The G Team LLC

  May 2008 - Jun 2011

  Owner

  Focusing on the rapid transfer of knowledge to equip LabVIEW programmers in the best practices for software architecture.Architected and developed a large and scalable cRIO and EtherCAT data acquisition system for Wind Turbine Blade Test

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  NI (National Instruments)

  Jun 2015 - Dec 2023

  I had the BEST job at NI. I worked with our amazing software developers to craft an engaging, innovative, and fun community.● Spearheaded the definition of the role for NI, establishing clear responsibilities and objectives.● Developed metrics to determine the engagement levels of “Active & Engaged” and “Committed” LabVIEW developers.● Revitalized and expanded the “Active & Engaged” developer community by over 30% through strategic initiatives.● Created the inaugural Programming Essentials track for NI Connect.● Collaborated with others to pioneer the launch of impactful LinkedIn Live sessions, orchestrating engaging panel discussions with influential LabVIEW figures.● Formalized the collaboration between the community and NI for events, such as GDevCon, to ensure continued growth and success.● Played a pivotal role with community leaders in the inception and execution of the first LabVIEW Consultant Summit, hosted as an "unconference."● Began the revitalization of LabVIEW User Groups and wrote playbooks to help scale efforts. Show less I helped define this role as we collaborated with NI veterans to work with customers, from engineering to executive leadership. We engaged with our customers to fully understand their current state of Test & Measurement software automation. We explored the unique culture and processes. Then with an eye towards the customers' business objectives, we mapped out recommendations and projects to put them on a solid path to their future state of automation. ● Led collaboration with stakeholders and multiple R&D teams to draft a game-changing software architecture, resulting in successful initial adoption by the customer and opening the opportunity for extensive sales through future hardware insertion.● Spearheaded the development of a pioneering software consulting model, collaborating closely across many NI departments to smoothly transition NI’s Customer software teams from their current operational state to the desired future state, fostering efficiency and innovation.● Played an integral role in co-creating future software architectures for several major NI accounts, leveraging expertise and strategic vision to drive forward-thinking solutions tailored to clients' needs. Ensured that recommendations were scaled from detailed engineering specifics to executive debriefs.● Consistently ensured that software recommendations were clear and precise.● Drafted and edited management and executive communication that was consistent, clear, and unique to the customers' circumstances and objectives.● Originated creative ideas to ensure the most cost-effective and attainable solutions were presented. Show less In this new role at National Instruments, I spearheaded the development and facilitation of a proficiency strategy for NI customers, inclusive support developer events, centralizing essential training topics, and evolving the LabVIEW Center of Excellence program and certification.● Devised a comprehensive skills matrix and associated online surveys to help streamline proficiency assessments.●Created a robust model for sourcing, editing, and publishing proficiency content, empowering groups to elevate their skills and understanding of LabVIEW, software development, and NI Platform.● Ensured that proficiency deliverables meet the needs of larger organizations, smaller groups, and the sole developer at an account.● Defined developer-centric tracks for large events, recruited speakers, and presented technical content. ● Coordinated efforts across the global regions and departments to ensure that initiatives and activities are aligned. Show less

  • Head of Developer Relations

    Oct 2022 - Dec 2023

  • Software Solutions Architect - Professional Services

    Feb 2019 - Nov 2022

  • Global Proficiency Programs

    Jun 2015 - Feb 2019
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  Creativityinbusiness.com - Henson Consulting LLC

  Sept 2021 - now

  Creativity in Business: Speaker, Consultant, Workshop Facilitator

  There is nothing better than that little dopamine hit you get when you have that "aha" moment. With the emergence of generative AI, it is even more important for us to understand our unique human creativity and have a solid understanding of the basics of AI so that we can own AI in our careers, communities, and families. Moreover, we should lead our teams such that each individual is empowered to Create!● Keynote speaking, in-person or online● Conference and team workshops● Content aligned to your unique business objectives Show less

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  Fusaware

  Aug 2024 - Oct 2024

  Head of Customer Development and Developer Community

  Responsible for onboarding and ensuring ongoing success for our OEM and Supplier customers of Fusaware's Veriform software platform for running electronic procedures● I was thrilled to be in the lab, sleeves rolled up, EE background brushed off, learning about our customers' measurements, running electronic procedures in Veriform, and understanding the nuance of critical corner cases. ● Put on my software architect hat to understand traditional SaaS software, the control plane and the data plane.● Donned the personae of my hardware design customers, planning the learning levels and activities, crafting onboarding dependencies, building debugging tools, and identifying low-effort ways to enhance the customer experience. Show less