Manoj Thangavel

Experience

• 

  Viking Insurance Group

  Nov 2003 - Dec 2005

  System Software Developer (Cognizant)

  Mainframe developer for Viking Insurance (previously Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance)

• 

  Sentry

  Dec 2005 - Feb 2009

  Senior Software Developer and Technical Lead (Cognizant)

  At customer location for Sentry Insurance, USA* Technical Lead - Primarily responsible for - Requirement gathering, offshore co ordination, perform feasibility study, work with all stake holders from the customer side for successful projects implementation, fix technical issues in all stages of the projects in case of urgency* Environment Coordinator - One point contact for the source code changes and ensure application stability

• 

  Farmers Insurance

  Mar 2009 - Jul 2013

  Project Manager (Cognizant)

  At Sentry Insurance & Farmers Insurance:* Project Lead - Primarily responsible for handling projects and guide teams in the areas of Requirement Study, Estimation, Scoping, Analysis and Design, Coding and code reviews, and Testing.* Estimation Methodologies - Work Break down structure (WBS) and Complexity Point (CP)* Mainframe Technologies - COBOL, VSAM, JCL, DB2 and TSO/ISPF* Consulting in the Mainframe, J2EE and Documaker application area* Interest areas - Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) - IT service management (ITSM)* Additional focus areas being worked upon - Cost of Quality (COQ) reduction, Productivity Measurement, and Productivity Improvement Show less

• 

  Lloyds Banking Group

  Jun 2013 - May 2015

  Development Project Manager (Cognizant)

  • Responsible for the platforms delivery team (developers and testers) dedicated to the support and continuous development of all business solutions used by the bank as well as their underlying technology stacks.• A ‘hands-on’ role, which encompasses mix of staff management, project management and delivery activities (including effective release planning)• Role needs all round knowledge and expertise in Bancassurance (Insurance in Banking), pensions and annuities application software solutions, with the emphasis on enterprise Bancassurance solutions.• Applying effective project management and scheduling skills to include planning and executing projects from vision through to implementation. Show less

• 

  Scottish Widows

  Jun 2015 - Jun 2016

  Delivery Specialist (Cognizant)

  In this role, I led the delivery of critical projects at Scottish Widows, leveraging Agile and PRINCE2 methodologies. I coordinated cross-functional teams, optimized delivery processes, and ensured project milestones were met, contributing to the project’s overall success.

• 

  Royal London

  Jun 2016 - Jan 2017

  Scrum Master (Cognizant)

  • Working with product owner on key features and do ability• Drive the day-to-day running of the scrum by monitoring daily progress and keeping the team on track• Facilitate sprint ceremonies – daily stand up, sprint grooming, planning and sprint retrospection sessions• Ensure that daily tasks are clear, measureable, and have an owner, challenge the methodology of any tasks• Ensure scrum objectives are met consistently, report progress to stake holders using A3 report• Gathered Sprint metrics across sprints and meaningful inferences are shared back to the team for future improvements• Dashboards and charts presented regularly back to the team• New innovative and engaging means of Sprint retrospection was done during the sprints• Hands on experience using SAFe® 4.0 framework Show less

• 

  AstraZeneca

  Jan 2017 - Jul 2017

  Scrum Master | Finance Transformation Program (Cognizant)

  As a Scrum Master at AstraZeneca, I led Agile teams in a high-priority finance transformation program, delivering critical business intelligence reports using technologies like OBIEE 12c, Essbase, and Redshift. I facilitated SAFe practices across globally distributed teams, driving collaboration and ensuring timely delivery of program milestones.

• 

  Kiwibank

  Jul 2017 - Jul 2021

  Technical Delivery Lead

  In my role at Kiwibank, I managed projects and release planning for applications within the Channels and Innovation portfolio, focusing on delivering robust, customer-centric solutions across Internet Banking, Mobile App, and Lending products. I combined technical leadership with Agile delivery to ensure the seamless execution of initiatives and operational stability. Key responsibilities and achievements included:• Leading Agile teams through sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.• Acting as a technical advocate for assigned applications, representing them in change management, architecture, and strategy sessions.• Leading initiatives to enhance technical operations by implementing process improvements, automation, and proactive maintenance, driving increased efficiency and system resilience.• Ensuring disaster recovery and operational risk management capabilities were effectively built into all systems, while monitoring trends in operational issues to proactively improve system stability.• Collaborating with stakeholders to estimate work effort, align resources, and prioritize work items to meet strategic goals.• Contributing to team development by addressing knowledge gaps, improving standards and procedures, and ensuring they were documented and discoverable.In this role, I played a key part in driving Kiwibank’s digital transformation, ensuring all supported systems were reliable, scalable, and aligned with business objectives. Show less

• 

  Trade Me

  Jul 2021 - Jun 2022

  Delivery Lead - Technology

  As a Delivery Lead in the Central Technology Business Unit at TradeMe, I combined Product Owner and Scrum Master responsibilities across four teams, focusing on driving Agile delivery, product development, and continuous improvement. I facilitated backlog prioritization, dependency management, and roadblock removal, enhancing team performance and delivery outcomes. Key accomplishments included:• Leading a major Search Redesign project, shifting to an event-driven architecture, and aligning cross-functional teams, including engineering, product management, and UX/UI design, to achieve a common goal.• Implementing best practices for DevOps, automation, and quality assurance, ensuring seamless collaboration between development and QA teams.• Shaping the platform strategy, communicating progress to stakeholders, managing risks, and delivering initiatives on time, aligned with roadmaps and quarterly goals.• Building a culture of continuous improvement, coaching teams on Agile methodologies and Scrum practices, and enabling them to deliver high-value outcomes.In this role, I contributed to technical leadership, digital transformation, and organizational alignment, driving key projects that enhanced TradeMe’s platform capabilities. Show less

• 

  Ministry of Social Development (MSD)

  Sept 2022 - now

  As the Platform Capability Lead for Integration at the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), I drive the strategic direction and execution of integration initiatives, enabling seamless connectivity and data flow across the organization. I focus on building scalable integration solutions that enhance service delivery, operational efficiency, and user experiences.I oversee the design, implementation, and management of data integration platforms, aligning technology with MSD’s goals. I champion Agile and DevOps practices, implementing CI/CD pipelines to optimize project timelines and reduce risks. I work closely with cross-functional teams to integrate legacy systems with modern solutions and adopt best practices for scalable and resilient integration.I collaborate with stakeholders to prioritize integration initiatives that drive innovation and future-proof MSD’s digital infrastructure.Key areas of focus include:• Developing API-first strategies for system interoperability.• Fostering a culture of continuous improvement and scalable integration.• Enhancing data management and governance across integration layers.• Driving the adoption of modern integration tools like microservices and API management.• Aligning technology initiatives with business objectives to support MSD’s mission.With a proactive and results-oriented approach, I aim to ensure MSD’s integration platform remains at the forefront of technology and continues to deliver value. Show less

  • Platform Capability Lead & Technical Product Owner

    Sept 2024 - now

  • Scrum Lead | Information Group

    Sept 2022 - Sept 2024