Senior IT Consultant

10/2016 – 3/2017

As part of Vodafone's ongoing provider consolidation efforts, a change in outsourcing strategy led to new budget targets throughout the IT organization. A rebalancing between local and offshore experts, as well as internal and external experts, had affected project roles and performance.

Management (allg.), Organisation (allg.), Offshoring, Outsourcing, Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Offshorebau

4/2016 – 9/2016

A large legacy system was based on a dated AIX real-time kernel, which had reached its end of life. The system was migrated to a Red Hat Enterprise Linux architecture, and in the process, a new control module was created, to simplify scheduling and system operation.

Key Technologies: JBoss EAP 7, REST WebServices, JSON/HTML5/CSS/jQuery/J2EE/JPA/Oracle, SWIG/JNI, maven/cmake, Eclipse/KDevvelop, GITHub

Oracle-Anwendungen, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Linux (Kernel), Betriebssysteme, IBM Aix, Wildfly, Eclipse, J2EE, Java Native Interface, Web Services, CSS (Cascading Style Sheet), Jquery, It-Beratung

10/2015 – 3/2016

Having outsourced application development and maintenance, Vodafone Vendor Management attempted using software architecture tools to monitor vendor estimates, productivity, and the quality of the delivered software.  Evaluated SotoArch/SotoGraph,Cast, Lattix, and the nDependSuite(cppDepend/JArchitect). Selecting the nDepend Suite, analysed a Customer Care and Billing (CCB) system with 1.5 million lines of code. Key Technologies: C++, Java, nDepend Suite (cppDepend/JArchitect)

Software Architecture, C, C++, Java (allg.), It-Beratung, Management (allg.), Outsourcing

1/2015 – 9/2015

The Corine project was part of a larger effort at Portigon Financial Services to introduce a new, lightweight technology infrastructure. It integrated a variety of counterparty risk methods such as MtM plus Add-On, collateral and residual model, and PCCDS. Responsible for system performance, profiled both C# components and SQL Server T-SQL procedures. Implemented the export interfaces for reporting systems, in coordination with front office counterparts in London.

Key Technologies: C#, .net, TSQL, SQL Server, Microsoft Web Services

SQL, .Net, C#, Web Services, It-Beratung

12/2012 – 9/2015

Financial information from sources such as Reuters and Bloomberg is used to fashion in RMD the financial models, VCV matrices and forecasting artefacts used by the risk engines. RMD has numerous incoming and outgoing interfaces, implemented in a variety of technologies from file transfer to web services. As it is the centre of the Risk IT landscape, RMD requires in depth financial analysis work.

Implemented an XML interface to download curve data from Summit.

Client and server side Java and C++ programming, used Colt, QuantLib, GSL, ACE, Boost.

Daily interaction with the business and methodology departments, extensive financial analysis work.

Key Technologies: Java Swing GUI, J2EE, JAXB/JAXWS Web Services, C++, QuantLib, GSL, Oracle, XSD/XML

Oracle-Anwendungen, C, C++, J2EE, Java (allg.), XML, User Interface (UI), XSD (XML Schema Definition), Web Services, It-Beratung, Filtertechnik, Finanzanalyse

5/2009 – 9/2015

CRES is a counterparty and economic risk engine based on a full evaluation Monte Carlo pricing strategy, running a dynamically configurable number of simulation scenarios per counterparty. CRES is a complex, distributed system, with HTML and Java GUIs accessing the UNIX based Java and C++ servers, and a pricing engine running on a Windows cluster.

Provided ongoing support for Monte Carlo scenario generators for interest rate and equity products, working closely with the methodology departments.

Designed and implemented special purpose calculation engines for fx and implied volatilities, to facilitate the pricing of exotic financial products.

Contact person for the business customers and the various stakeholders in methodology and compliance.

Designed and implemented a scenario approximation engine based on the Jamshidian Zhu Simulation Model. The simulation engine could sample 5000 Monte Carlo scenarios in the time needed to calculate only 56, with the simulation error within the range of Monte Carlo noise for some portfolios.

Market Sensitivity Calculator – Supporting the CVA trading desk, created a sensitivity calculator built on top of the counterparty risk system, which enabled configurable market data perturbations and improved CVA hedging results.

Key Technologies: Swing/ HTML GUI, XSD/XML, JAXB Web Services, C++, GSL, Ace, Boost, QuantLib, KornShell, PL/SQL, Oracle, Solaris

Oracle-Anwendungen, UNIX, Solaris, C, C++, Java (allg.), PL/SQL, Shell (CSH), XML, IT-Support (allg.), Distributed Computing, User Interface (UI), HTML

5/2007 – 4/2009

Having maintained several disparate systems to serve the needs of interest rate risk, equity market risk, and counterparty risk, a consolidated solution was envisioned. J2EE delivered web services was chosen as the platform base, with a WebSphereMQ Enterprise Service Bus for integration with external systems. Pricing was to be done by XML enabled web services, allowing multiple pricing engines to run side by side. The entire system was to be request (real-time) oriented, as opposed to the traditional risk system batch orientation.

Designed the XML interfaces integrating CoRE with external systems. Cooperated closely with trading departments in London to integrate the front-office systems. Extensive WSDL and XSD work, JAXB/JAXWS, maven jaxws plugin.

Introduced BPM process modelling to capture system workflows and an open source (JBPM) engine for the workflow service orchestration.

Designed and implemented an asynchronous processing framework, for component decoupling and coordination.

Key Technologies: Swing GUI, HTML GUI, J2EE, JBoss Web Services, JPA, Hibernate, Oracle, Solaris, WebSphereMQ

Oracle-Anwendungen, Solaris, Wildfly, Enterprise Service Bus, Hibernate (Java), J2EE, XML, Ibm Websphere Mq, User Interface (UI), XSD (XML Schema Definition), Web Services, WSDL (Web Services Description Language), Hibernate (Framework), HTML

5/2005 – 4/2007

For the daily regulatory reporting process, the globally dispersed business users needed the ability to perform manual corrections to the portfolio risk figures. This was due to persistent and unavoidable data quality problems in the front office trading systems.

Initiated the pilot project to introduce the JBoss/J2EE stack into the WestLB Risk IT landscape.

Assuming end to end responsibilities for the project, proposed the architecture, designed the system, performed the project steering, the integration into the business process, coached colleagues in J2EE, managed user rollout and acceptance.

Evaluated WebSphere/AIX and JBoss/Solaris. The JBoss/J2EE stack was enthusiastically accepted by the production department, and became the new standard architecture for subsequent projects.

Implemented a manual sensitivity calculator which allowed “what if “ analysis and the ability to recalculate risk effects in real-time; a distributed J2EE application, iVaR was integrated into an existing Swing GUI, minimizing disruption to established business processes.

Key Technologies: Java Swing GUI, J2EE, WebSphere, AIX, JBoss Web Services, JPA, Hibernate, Oracle, Solaris

Reporting, Oracle-Anwendungen, Solaris, IBM Aix, Projektleitung / Teamleitung (IT), WebSphere, Wildfly, Hibernate (Java), J2EE, Java (allg.), User Interface (UI), Web Services, Hibernate (Framework), It-Beratung

9/2004 – 4/2005

MPiRE is a market risk management system producing daily VCV and Monte Carlo VaR (Value at Risk) figures for regulatory reporting. The system was crucial in establishing WestLB as an internal model bank, and needed to operate extremely reliably. Trading data is delivered from front office systems, notable among which are Summit and Sungard Front Arena. Auxiliary systems supply relevant financial calculation data, and results are pushed to an Oracle data warehouse, and afterwards to Cognos reports.

Focusing on the financial model area, programmed in Java, C++, .ksh,PL/SQL, and Perl.
Instigated the use of open source technologies to improve the efficacy of the development process.

Introduced MediaWiki, and convinced several departments to use it for technical documentation and production manuals.

Participated in the creation of new standards related to the development process, including new coding conventions, and the use of automatic tools to enforce the new standards.

Key Technologies: Swing GUI, Citrix, C++, Continuus, Purify/Quantify, Sungard Infinity, Boost, OTL, STL, Rogue-Wave, Perl, KornShell, Oracle, Solaris, later J2EE, JBoss Web Services, JPA, Hibernate

Reporting, Oracle-Anwendungen, Solaris, Wildfly, C, C++, Cognos (IBM), Hibernate (Java), J2EE, Java (allg.), Perl, PL/SQL

1/2004 – 8/2004

Due to the intricacies of parking in NYC, the Division of Parking Administration is the most significant contributor to the budget of the Department of Transportation. The issuing, tracking, and payment of parking tickets requires a high-performance system, which maintained numerous interfaces to back-end payment systems at local banks.

Managed a mixed team of IBM, CGI and State of New York employees, migrating 8 legacy systems to a Service Architecture based on J2EE, running BPM workflows. The chosen implementation platform was WebSphere running on AIX, communicating via an XML/MQSeries based Enterprise Service Bus.

Introduced BPM workflows to optimize the processing of money flows through the NY Department of Transportation. The workflows were evaluated by a custom workflow engine, tasked with the orchestration of the underlying web services.

Key Technologies: Java Swing GUI, J2EE, WebSphere, AIX, JMS/MQSeries, XML/XSD

IBM Aix, WebSphere, IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS), Enterprise Service Bus, J2EE, Java (allg.), XML, Java Message Service, User Interface (UI), XSD (XML Schema Definition), Web Services, Workflows, Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Transport (allg.)

9/2003 – 12/2003

As AXA Financial had added new insurance products, they had created separate applications to process each policy type and layout. This made it necessary for sales staff to know exactly which software could validate their policy type, requiring specialized training. A simpler way to handle policy validation was required.

Designed and implemented in Java an application to uniformly process policy data. Retired multiple applications, as the new application could handle configurable sets of business requirements

Requirements were maintained as user-configurable rules (jRules), significantly reducing maintenance costs.

Created a context free, schema based parser to convert data from AXA’s resellers into useable XML.

Consulted the client’s management team on the introduction of modern methodologies and techniques into the AXA IT process.

Advocated frameworks for greater code reuse, structured automated testing, and the use of design patterns. Successfully introduced industry standard open source tools, and trained client programmers on their use.

Key Technologies: Java Swing GUI, jRules, Solaris, JMS/MQSeries, XML/XSD

Testen, Java (allg.), XML, Java Message Service, User Interface (UI), XSD (XML Schema Definition), It-Beratung, Schulung / Training (IT), Management (allg.), Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Versicherungen (allg.)

11/2002 – 8/2003

Verizon had grown to 237 thousand employees, which used 25 different HR systems, making it impossible to offer employees the same contract conditions as they moved around the company. A new system to unify all HR functions needed to be created, which had to be scalable enough to handle the user load. The Compensation Unification Project (CUP) would use Jakarta Struts, J2EE, IBM WebSphere, JMS/MQSeries, IBM DB2, to address the scalability and performance issues of the systems it replaced.

Created an n-tier architecture, using Rational Rose/UML. Implemented sensitive parts of the architecture, such as a multi-threading mechanism which ran outside of the J2EE container.

Designed and implemented in Java a command framework to handle 25 separate order-processing workflows, previously handled by the 25 separate legacy systems.

Managed a 5-person team responsible for the pre-production performance tuning.

Key Technologies: Jakarta Struts, Java Swing GUI, J2EE, WebSphere, AIX, JMS/MQSeries, XML/XSD, DB2

IBM DB2, IBM Aix, WebSphere, IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS), UML, Rational Rose, J2EE, Java (allg.), XML, Telekommunikation / Netzwerke (allg.), Java Message Service, User Interface (UI), XSD (XML Schema Definition), Apache Struts, Workflows

7/2001 – 11/2002

After 4 years of development, and months of parallel production, Tapestry Customer Care and Billing went live. The project was restructured and moved to client site, to allow for direct user input into subsequent releases.

Managed an implementation group of 25 people on client site at Vodafone (Arcor Communications).

Stakeholder management, requirements management, budgeting, planning, and coordinating development.

Responsible for a 4.5 million EUR annual project budget. Reported on the amortization of the budget to the IT Department Head and to the Chief Financial Officer.

Part of the management board overseeing the ongoing merger of operations between Arcor and O.tel.o.

Advised the client’s Architecture team on aspects of the IT landscape, creating and maintaining architectures for multiple projects.

Coordinated the migration of 2 terabytes of customer data from O.tel.o (a subsidiary) to the Arcor CCB system.

Managed projects composed of mixed teams from AMS, Vodafone, and other consulting firms.

Key Technologies: MFC GUI, C++, HPUX, AIX, Solaris, CORBA, OTL, Oracle

Oracle-Anwendungen, HP-UX, IBM Aix, C, C++, Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC), Systemmigration, CORBA, Telekommunikation / Netzwerke (allg.), User Interface (UI), It-Beratung

5/1999 – 7/2001

Tapestry was the first object oriented Customer Care and Billing system in the fixed wire Telecom market. Pioneering MFC GUIs, CORBA(Orbix), and clustered C++ stateless servers, it was a co-investment project between Arcor and AMS Inc, later also sold to Bell South. In addition to object oriented technology, the Tapestry project introduced agile methodologies, trying to make over 600 project staff effective.

Designed and implemented part of the high-performance Customer Care Manager GUI, the primary interface for about 2000 system users.

Wrote MFC extensions as part of a proprietary GUI infrastructure, integrating STL library classes.

Taught classes in C++ and Java, Algorithm Efficiency, System Design, Good Programming Habits, and MFC programming.

Managed the Customer Care Manager component, an implementation group of 50 people.

Closely supervised team leaders and technical architects, wrote performance evaluations and assessments of the staff’s technical skills, and made salary and disciplinary recommendations.

Key Technologies: MFC GUI, C++, STL, RogueWave, HPUX, Iona Orbix, CORBA, OCI, Oracle, HP Superdome

Oracle-Anwendungen, HP-UX, Projektleitung / Teamleitung (IT), Agile Methodologie, C, C++, Java (allg.), Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC), System Design, CORBA, Telekommunikation / Netzwerke (allg.), User Interface (UI), Design (allg.)

5/1998 – 4/1999

Legacy systems were integrated with middleware tools, attempting to create a model telecom IT landscape. RCN’s entire IT Architecture was redesigned, creating an Enterprise Application Bus.

Extensive UML work. Designed and implemented in Java numerous adapters to legacy telecom systems.

Key Technologies: Java AWT GUI, J2EE, WebLogic, webMethods/Active Works, AIX, JMS/MQSeries, DB2, Kenan/Lucent Billing, CORBA

IBM DB2, IBM Aix, UML, Java (allg.), Software engineering / -technik, Telekommunikation / Netzwerke (allg.), Java Message Service, User Interface (UI), Weblogic (Oracle), Webmethods, Kommunikation (allg.), Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Design (allg.)

6/1996 – 4/1998

Further project history dating back to 1996 for Xerox Inc, Kodak Inc, Millennium Computer is available upon request...

Software engineering / -technik, Management (allg.), Führungssysteme