Safwan Youssef

Safwan N. Youssef

P.O. Box 54945

Irvine, CA 92619 (USA)

Objective:

Visionary leader and expert strategist Exceptionally organized individual with strategic thinking skills and participatory leadership style. Interested in a Director position in progressive Company, to champion the operations of the organization. Coming with bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and over 15+ years of executive-level administrative experience, strong planning, successful leading cross-functional teams and propelling business and proven leadership skills.

Education:

a. University:

Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering (June 1995)

California State University of Fullerton (Fullerton, California)

Master of Business Administration (MBA) (June 2011)

University of Phoenix (Costa Mesa, California)

b. Extended Education:

¨       Be a leader who matters

¨       Leadership in Extraordinary Times

¨       Create a customer-centric organization

¨       Global Leadership

¨       Project Management: Skills for Success

¨       Leadership and Team Building in the Project and Program Environment

¨       Organizational Leadership

¨       Managing Multiple Projects

¨       Team Management and Communication

¨       Lean Six Sigma

c. Seminars:

¨       How to Lead a Team

¨       How to become a great communicator

¨       Criticism & Discipline Skills for Managers

¨       Leadership Challenge

¨       Building Team works

Summary:

Experience leading cross functional teams through proven interpersonal and leadership skills effectively used in complex and fast paced environments.
Medical Devices, Diagnostics, Pharmaceutical and IT industry expertise.
Experience in SOX, ISO, HIPPA, CLIA and FDA compliance.
A well-balanced blend of business strategy, process improvement and technology expertise.
Skilled at building a cohesive team and facilitating goal accomplishment by aligning individual and team actions with strategies and plans to drive business results.
Driven, revenue oriented, fast paced/high energy individual who can energize others and influence their actions by setting ambitious goals and overcoming challenges by thinking in a creative manner while motivating others through those challenges.
Extensive experience as a managing director or in a similar role.
Experience in developing and implementing strategic and business plans.
Excellent communication, negotiation, organizational, leadership and presentation skills.
Excellent management, decision-making, strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Able to excel in high-pressure situations.
Managed several offshore / onshore IT teams
Extensive experience/expertise in directing large, complex application development/systems implementation projects and delivering projects within schedule and budget.
Extensive and solid experience, knowledge with laboratory information management systems (LIMS)
Savvy, results-oriented leader with proven success in managing multiple projects/systems
Seasoned IT manager with over 10 years of broad-based experience managing high-productivity software expert development team, Skilled facilitator who works well with diverse community groups
Experience developing software and managing projects in challenging, fast-paced environments.
Proven excellence in project management, business process analysis, data analysis & data modeling, system analysis and design in a cross-functional team environment
Effective communicator in business and technology terms at all levels senior management, development team and end-users
·         Possess a strong understanding of the complexity of IT organizations (application architecture, infrastructure, application development, project management, compliance, and support)

·         Exceptional strong skills of planning, implementing a schedule, and monitoring progress along with effectively delegating, communicating, and listening to other people

Energetic self-starter with excellent analytical, organizational, and creative skills. Customer-oriented problem solver with an ability to adapt to new situations. Adept at handling complicated projects, keeping focused despite interruptions and distractions
Innovative problem solver, able to see the business and technical sides of a problem. Proven leadership, negotiation, and problem resolution abilities
Experience:

Vice president and chief operating officer—USOC Biomedical, Irvine, CA (03/2013 – present)

Managing the daily operations and revenue generation of the company and ensuring its continual growth.
Developing and implementing strategies, procedures and business plans needed to enhance company growth
Cultivating and providing opportunities for rising talent within the organization
Translate strategy into actionable goals for performance and growth.
Implement performance management, operating planning, and goal setting.
Performing management reviews and developing corrective action plans if needed
Oversee employee productivity, building a highly inclusive culture ensuring team members thrive and organizational outcomes are met.
Assisting president and board of directors to design the company’s overall mission, values, and strategic goals.
Attending meetings with the board of directors and sharing company information.
Leading, guiding, directing, and evaluating the work of other employees, such as senior directors and managers, and ensuring a healthy working environment.
Contributing to sales innovations, strategic business development, and the profitability of the company as determined by the company’s strategic goals.
Evaluating the success of the company in achieving its goals and formulating plans to correct any issues if the company is not achieving its goals.
Assisting in maximizing the company’s operating performance and achieving its financial goals.
Assisting in managing the company’s finances, identifying ways to increase revenue and decrease costs, analyzing financial reports, and preparing operating budgets.
Maintaining awareness of competitors, expansion opportunities, customers, markets, and new industry developments and standards.
Supervising all daily operations of the company, including IT, Operations, marketing, Purchasing and sales
Working closely with the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer on all matters related to the business

Managing Director — Quest Diagnostics, San Juan Capistrano, CA (03/09 – 03/13)

Establish company goals and objectives, both short-term and long-term.
Develop business plans and strategies.
Advise the board of directors on strategic issues.
Present reports on the company’s business and performance to the board.
Motivate and provide leadership to Managers and senior executives.
Build relationships with external experts and agencies through seminars, conferences, and professional networking.
Ensure that the company continues to make profits and grow investors’ wealth.
Developing and executing business strategies to achieve short and long-term goals.
Reporting to the board, providing market insights and strategic advice.
Developing and implementing business plans to improve cost-efficiency.
Maintaining positive and trust-based relations with business partners, shareholders, and authorities.
Overseeing the company’s business operations, financial performance, investments, and ventures.
Supervising, guiding, and delegating executives in their duties.
Ensuring company policies and legal guidelines are clearly communicated.
Assessing, managing, and resolving problematic developments and situations.
Building and enhancing the company’s public profile at events, speaking engagements, etc.
Developing and executing the company’s business strategies
Providing strategic advice to the board and chairperson
Preparing and implementing comprehensive business plans to facilitate achievement
Communicate and maintain trust relationships with shareholders, business partners and authorities
Senior Director Application Manager — Quest Diagnostics, San Juan Capistrano, CA (03/07 – 03/09)

Manage a large team of software development and application technical experts who build, design, develop, enhance, implement, document, maintain and support of a Lab Information management systems across several EBU.
Streamlined processes and procedures so that all service levels were met with
regard to internal and external customer expectations.
Acted as escalation point for team to resolve critical customer service issues.
Built a motivated team through planning and behavioral interviewing hiring practices.
Manage the collaboration with business teams and IT teams to develop roadmaps, plans and strategies related to lab applications and the business functions they support
Manage several laboratory information management systems
Manage and direct the development and execution of the BU’s strategic plan
Manage the Implementation, documentation, training, customization and supports of IT applications
Provide leadership, direction, and oversight in developing and maintaining the business applications
Sets priorities, allocates resources, refines, and enforces process, and ensures there is clear communication with other departments and with executive management.
Maintains knowledge of emerging technological trends and utilizes this knowledge to educate both IT and the business on opportunities to build better lab system that support and drive business decisions.
Organizes activities to achieve desired levels of productivity, innovative solutions, cost, and quality
Manage direct reports, including recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training, conducting periodic salaries reviews, and annual performance evaluations.
Managed large number of onshore/offshore contractors.
Works with IT Management to develop standards for all IT systems and applications to assure that IT service meets agreed service levels.
Monitor, assess and identify strategies to improve processes, services, systems and analysis
Communicates decisions on IT policies, plans and programs and ensures open communication at all levels.
 

Senior Application Manager — Quest Diagnostics, San Juan Capistrano, CA (01/04 – 03/07)

Managed a diverse group of employees
Promoted teamwork and communicate all necessary business-related information to team members.
Developed and managed detail project plans that define key activities, timelines, and resource requirements
Provided an environment where team members can expand and contribute their knowledge and further develop their skill base, while meeting or exceeding goals and objectives
Works with business stakeholders and senior lab management team, to identify, evaluate and prioritize IT projects
Ensures that all team members have the tools and training required to perform effectively.
Ensures projects are built using correct architecture and technology and comply with company standards.
Manage requirement, analysis, design development, quality control, documentation, implementation, training, and maintenance of custom software applications for all Clinical Laboratory
Provide direction to project managers and technical staff to ensure efficient accomplishment of business goals.
Manage the project lifecycle including project schedule, work effort, budget, and resource management.
Manage direct reports, including recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training, conducting periodic salaries reviews, and annual performance evaluations.
Provide coaching and guidance to the team, take timely and appropriate actions to address any staff performance issues.
·         Develops and maintains a staff utilization process to ensure that resources are fair, balanced, and effectively distributed across projects.

Served as account manager serves of IT services to the Business Unit
·         Responsible for the technical solution including detailed planning through execution, solution installation and transfer to support services

·         Responsible for ensuring established processes for IT Change Management are followed.

Senior Project Manager — Quest Diagnostics, San Juan Capistrano, CA (12/00 – 01/04)

·         Managed projects, and the projects teams which included developers, business analysts, consultants, quality assurance analysts, technical services staff, and customer representatives.

·         Implement appropriate methodologies, standards, and best practices to achieve the Organizations objectives.

·         Responsible for planning and scheduling projects based on input from the senior project team members, managing the project to scope, schedule, and budget

·         Performs resource management, evaluating project needs, assigning appropriate staff based on skill assessment, communicating scheduling assignments, and resolving conflicts.

·         Evaluates current competencies of staff and ensures that activities and projects have the competent resources they need, where staff are best used, and where staff are underutilized.

·         Compares project / task estimates in the Master Schedule to actual work performed.

Develop and maintain relationships with clients, support the business development manager to develop new opportunities where appropriate
Facilitate resource planning and track project milestones, status, and issues.
·         Actively managed projects on a day-to-day basis to ensure that projects outputs are being delivered on schedule, to budget and to the required quality

·         Define, prepare, and maintain Project Management Plan

·         Prepare Project Status Reports and ensure copies are delivered to the client and senior management team

·         Ensure the governance standards and project methodology as defined by the company SOP are adhered to throughout the project life cycle

·         Liaise with project stakeholders and client to ensure that their opinions or requirements are taken into consideration as the project progresses

·         Identify and manage all project issues and risks and, where appropriate, bring them to the attention of the senior management team for resolution or action

·         Identified and documented changes impacting projects and bring them to the attention of the senior management for resolution if they cannot be resolved within agreed time, budget, and quality parameters

Senior Programmer Analyst — Quest Diagnostics, San Juan Capistrano, CA (97 – 00)

Interface SQL*LIMS with Quest LIS that handles Sample tracking, Label/worksheet, Sample Receipt, work assignment, Result Entry, Data review, Sample Disposition, product review/release.
Developed computational algorithms that helped the scientist interpreting HIV genotype, HIV Phenotype, results
Developed interactive graphic programs for genomic data analysis
Developed multiple mission critical HL7 interfaces to medical data systems
Designed and implemented an XML parser for genomic data and the database loader program, created for speed and efficiency in processing millions of DNA sequences and gigabytes of DNA information.
Provided bioinformatics analysis of functional annotations and prioritization in target selection
Created Java Parser for XML, HL7 for Cyber Lab and SQL*Lims Systems.
Analyze, design, coordinate and supervise the development of bioinformatics systems
Analyze system specifications and translate system requirements to task specifications for junior programmers
Responsible for development of new programs, analyzes current programs and processes, and making recommendations which yield a more cost-effective product.
Document code consistently throughout the development process by listing a description of the program, special instructions, and any changes made in database tables on procedural, modular and database level.
Responsible for Reviewing and repairing legacy code, also designing, writing, testing and maintaining features and functionality for a object-oriented data management system
Designed Several Serial interfaces in VB and SQL using  RS232, TCP/IP, ODBC, API or files protocols
Designed Several Front-End interfaces that requires extensive knowledge VB, ASP, Java, SQL programming
Maintained and modified several existing programs using VB, ASP, Java and SQL.
Development Life Cycle (SDLC) SOP’s and follows established strategies, plans, procedures, and guidelines.
Developed reference tools for collecting, organizing, interpreting, and classifying patients’ results and information using ASP.Net and PL/SQL
Interfaced and automated several of Laboratory instruments to a LIMS
Programmer Analyst — Quest Diagnostics, San Juan Capistrano, CA (95- 97)

Evaluate and enhance the efficiency of existing programs in meeting current and future user needs
Coordinate testing and installing of new software packages and updates from vendors.
Enhanced and implemented several laboratory PC instrumentations using VB, ASP, PLSQL, and Java.
Diagnose complex systems and resolved many devices integration issues.
Supports, maintains many different clinical laboratory software applications in 20+ laboratories
Analyze system and program structures and data flows to isolate and remedy logic and coding errors
Worked closely with DBA and senior analysts on developing SQL server queries, and stored procedures.
Directed, evaluated, reviewed, and managed database resources across the Quest Diagnostics organization
Provided database administration including Database maintenance, Designed, Backup/Restore functions.
Helped analyst in creating Indexes, triggers, tables, and Stored Procedures for there applications
Deployed application source code for new releases into production and test environments
Work with middle-tier developers to integrate back-end database code with business applications.
Oversees the analysis, development and evaluation of database application and reporting solutions, which includes data design, database architecture, metadata, and repository creation
Reviews and validates data loading into the database for accuracy
Responsible for prototyping solutions, preparing test scripts, and conduct testing for data replication, extraction, loading, and modeling for database application and reporting solutions
Achievements:

¨      PMP Certified 2002

¨      Six Sigma Green Belt Certified 2005

Note: Traveling doesn’t hinder my job and lifestyle.