Saleem Edries
Product Owner III
Kensington, Cape Town
Summary
I am a dynamic Product Owner (III) at MRI Software with extensive experience in software implementations that enable strategic goals. Excellent at managing product backlogs and detailed user story creation. Adept at enhancing user experiences and stakeholder relationship management through effective communication. Skilled in Agile and Scrum methodologies, fostering collaboration across cross-functional teams to deliver impactful client solutions.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
4
4
Certifications
9
9
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Product Owner III (Senior)
MRI Software LLC
07.2022 - Current
- Part of a feature development team managing enterprise-wide web applications and API services.
- Managing 3 product backlogs, ensuring alignment with the Product Manager's roadmap and objectives.
- Facilitate stakeholder requirements gathering workshops using wireframes and diagrams.
- Translate projects into epics and implementable user stories with acceptance criteria.
- Collaborate with multi-disciplinary and cross-country teams to ensure seamless implementations.
- Collaborate with UX/UI designers to improve the user experience.
- Optimising user journeys using Pendo to identify pain points.
- Successfully coached and mentored a Product Owner by providing guidance and support.
- Showcase solutions to Product Development teams by hosting demos and walkthrough sessions.
- Maintain documentation, including end-user and staff training guides, release notes, integration articles, and Pendo pre and post release user guides.
- Facilitate scrum ceremonies; sprint stand-up's, task break-down, refinement, sprint planning sessions to ensure clarity in the development process.
Senior Business Analyst
Old Mutual Limited
10.2017 - 06.2022
- Part of a feature development team managing an Old Mutual enterprise-wide web application, API and back-end services enabled by the Ping Identity platform.
- Supported the customer contact centres and representatives of 30+ integrating teams as their point of contact.
- Facilitated stakeholder requirements gathering workshops, resulting in clear deliverables, risks and dependencies.
- Managed stakeholder expectations using clear communication to ensure transparency.
- Collaborated with cross-functional internal and vendor teams, ensuring successful system integrations.
- Coach and mentor to business analysts, support and developer teammates.
- Improved the end-user experience by identifying areas for improvement.
- Facilitated solution walkthrough and demo sessions with stakeholders to gain input and buy-in.
- Created detailed user stories and functional specifications, leading to successful implementations.
- Supported leadership team with regular reporting of project updates, costs, risks and blockers.
- Facilitated staff training and created user guides.
- Fulfilled Project Manager duties, including demand management, cost estimations, daily stand-ups, and new project onboarding.
Lead Business Analyst
Old Mutual Limited
11.2014 - 09.2017
- Part of a feature development team managing an Old Mutual enterprise-wide web application, API and back-end services enabled by the Oracle platform.
- Facilitated stakeholder requirements gathering workshops, resulting in clear deliverables and actions.
- Supported the customer contact centres and representatives of internal integrating website teams.
- Waterfall projects: created Functional Requirements Specification documents, enabling successful implementations.
- Agile projects: created user stories with acceptance criteria, enabling successful sprint deliverables.
- Produced process diagrams to gain stakeholder input and buy-in.
- Fulfilled Project Manager duties, including cost estimations and daily team stand-ups.
- Facilitated user training and created standard operating procedure documents.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams, ensuring successful system integrations.
- Coached business analysts by providing guidance and support.
- Assisted in change management initiatives by providing guidance on processes and user impacts.
Business Analyst
Old Mutual Limited
11.2009 - 10.2014
- Part of a feature development team managing Old Mutual's customer, adviser and staff web applications.
- Provided 2nd line support for multiple contact centres. This included incident and problem management tasks.
- Created Functional Requirements Specification documents for billable projects across business units.
- User Acceptance Testing for system enhancements.
- Maintained Standard Operating Procedure documents.
Skills Coach
Old Mutual Fairbairn Capital
08.2005 - 10.2009
- Assisted consultants with product knowledge, system and soft skills.
- Resolved escalated customer queries and complaints.
- Maintained process guides and Standard Operating Procedure documents.
- Collaborated with Project, Legal, Compliance, Training, and Audit teams to implement process improvements.
- User acceptance testing for system enhancements.
- Conducted quality assessments with results documented in tailored coaching plans.
- Maintained a team skills matrix, enabling team leaders to make informed resource decisions.
Service Centre Consultant
Old Mutual Fairbairn Capital
05.2004 - 07.2005
- Administration of customer investments.
- Resolved 1st-line calls and email from customers, advisors and support staff.
- Conducted quality control approvals on work done by servicing staff.
- Conducted user acceptance testing for system enhancements.
Service Centre Consultant
Quest Staffing Solutions
07.2002 - 04.2004
- Administration of customer investments.
- Resolved 1st-line calls from customers, advisors and support staff.
- Conducted quality control approvals on work done by servicing staff.
Salesperson
Street Fever Clothing Retailer
11.1997 - 06.2002
- Shoes and clothing salesperson.
- Visual merchandising of store window displays.
- Monthly stocktaking across all product lines.
Tutor, Academic Literacy for Commerce
University of the Western Cape
02.2001 - 12.2001
- Tutoring the 1st year B.Com class.
- Marking and grading of student assignments.
- Provided progress reports to the lecturer.
Education
B. Com Information Systems (Honours) - Information Systems
University of Cape Town
Cape Town, South Africa 01.2015 - 05.2017
B.Com (Gen) - Information Systems, Management
University of The Western Cape
Cape Town, South Africa 01.1997 - 09.2002
Grade 12 / Matric -
Plumstead High School
Cape Town 01.1996 - 12.1996
Skills
Proficient in Agile and Waterfall frameworks
Certification
Certified SAFe 5 Agilist (SA), Scaled Agile Inc
References
Mr. Robert Airth
Head: Identity and Access Management, Old Mutual
083 262 5413
Mr. Hafiz Salasa
Former IT Manager, Old Mutual
082 445 4484
Mr. Lloyd Langford
Senior Project Manager, Shoprite X
082 469 2716
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Accomplishments
- Collaborated with a scrum team of 10 in the implementation of an enterprise-wide strategic web component "Agora Gateway Widget".
- Collaborated with UX/UI designers to create modernized front-end designs for the "Agora Gateway redesign".
- Joined a Hackathon team to build a POC for Natural Language Processing using Microsoft Azure AI.
Timeline
Product Owner III (Senior)
MRI Software LLC
07.2022 - Current
Certified SAFe 5 Agilist (SA), Scaled Agile Inc
10-2021
Introduction to Cloud Computing, A Cloud Guru
12-2020
Senior Business Analyst
Old Mutual Limited
10.2017 - 06.2022
B. Com Information Systems (Honours) - Information Systems
University of Cape Town
01.2015 - 05.2017
Lead Business Analyst
Old Mutual Limited
11.2014 - 09.2017
Diploma in Business Analysis, Faculty Training Institute
11-2011
Business Analyst
Old Mutual Limited
11.2009 - 10.2014
Certificate Programme in Business Analysis, Faculty Training Institute
04-2009
Skills Coach
Old Mutual Fairbairn Capital
08.2005 - 10.2009
Service Centre Consultant
Old Mutual Fairbairn Capital
05.2004 - 07.2005
Service Centre Consultant
Quest Staffing Solutions
07.2002 - 04.2004
Tutor, Academic Literacy for Commerce
University of the Western Cape
02.2001 - 12.2001
Salesperson
Street Fever Clothing Retailer
11.1997 - 06.2002
B.Com (Gen) - Information Systems, Management
University of The Western Cape
01.1997 - 09.2002
Grade 12 / Matric -
Plumstead High School
01.1996 - 12.1996
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