-------------------------------- INSTRUCTIONS To insert the contents of this file into your HR Candidate Competency and Skills database from your browser: 1. Please right-click your mouse and 2. choose "Select All" or type "A" 3. Please right-click your mouse AGAIN and 4. Choose "Copy" or type "C" 5. Once in your program, place your cursor in the approriate field and right-click and 6. choose "Paste" or type "P" If you have any problems, please feel free to contact M. Taravati at +1(514)945-0664 for assistance. Thank you and hope to meet you soon! -------------------------------- Hooman K. Taravati #14 - 4454 Coolbrook St., Montreal, QC, H4A 3G2 Canada hooman@taravati.com - (514) 945-0664 - http://www.taravati.com 1. OBJECTIVE To obtain a leadership position within a professional services firm in the field of business strategy, management and information systems consulting or within an organisation undergoing an important business transformation involving a major technology-aided project. 2. CORE COMPETENCIES AND RELEVANT SKILLS :: 2.1 Significant experience in Strategy Development, IT and Management Consulting > Well renowned e-Business Strategy expert among local business media and decision-makers. > Expertise founded on significant experience in business processes reengineering and system selection and implementation at leading local and international organisations. > Over ten years of strategic systems design and development expertise at leading consulting firms such as Andersen. > Able to communicate his functional competence in several languages including English, French and Spanish. :: 2.2 Facilitating Change in a Rapid Growth Environment > Hooman has over seven years of methodically practising and incorporating change management and enablement fundamentals in complex client solution delivery projects throughout North America at prestigious clients such as Alcan Aluminium, Belron International, Bell Canada, Cossette Communications Group and Readers' Digest. Strong Communication Skills, Considerable Influence and Increasing Thought Leadership > Recognised by peers and clients for the quality and integrity of his quantitative analysis of the costs and benefits of major technology-aided project, based on robust business cases, research and benchmarking data. > Trusted advisor to many influential business leaders and decision-makers, local IT entrepreneurs and sponsors of effective and profitable digital transformations through various e-business think-tanks, academic conferences and a regular contributor to national and regional business media. > Occasional contributor to french-canadian National Television newshour reports focusing on issues related to high technology enterprises and the "new economy". Regular contributor throughout the 2000 Canadian federal elections on Société Radio-Canada with Bernard Derome. > e-Business columnist for the on-line eBusiness and financial magazine sponsored by le Journal Les Affaires, IBM, VISA, Desjardins, Bell Canada and owned and published by Le Groupe Transcontinental. [http://www.lesaffaires.com] :: 2.3 A Key Player in the Sales Process > Demonstrated his entrepreneurial will to succeed by launching several organisations whose mission is to promote effective and profitable digital transformation of organisations in Quebec. > Hooman has acute knowledge of the professional services and IT industry landscape and trends and has gained a profound understanding of the leading reasons why some enterprise projects fail and why most carefully planned and delivered solutions succeed. > Such sharp insight is rendered very useful in understanding and proactively developing joint business development initiatives with alliance partners. Such custom-tailored programs for partners enhance lead generation and maximise sale opportunities. > "Big five" background and experience in negotiating alliance agreements with software vendors such as PeopleSoft and system intergrators such as IBM allow a greater deal of understanding and cultural preparedness to build fruitful, win-win arrangements with national alliance partners. > Mutually beneficial agreements such as jointly developed industry specific vertical solution packages and methodologies have allowed Hooman to accelerate returns from the launch and rollout of Big Five / ERP alliance programs. > Active listening, strong interview and communication skills, collaboration with the business media, involvement with not for profit business research and e-business promotion organisations have allowed Hooman to play a key role in the sales process by understanding and helping define client decision-makers' e-business vision and ideas. :: 2.4 High praise from Satisfied Customers > At the Quebec Labour Federation Fund (Fonds FTQ), a large provider of venture capital seeking to preserve and create jobs in the province of Quebec, Hooman lead the strategic implementation of an ERP system and successfully implemented the solution on time and under budget. After the completion of the first phase, he oversaw the deployment of the solution to affiliated entities of the organisation and supervised the delivery and rollout of the vital reporting solution. Hooman received a customer satisfaction rating of *5 out of 5* on this critical 9 month project and the client clearly stated his desire to see him back on more critical eBusiness-related jobs in the following year. > Hooman lead the planning of the Enterprise Management System effort and the design of the optimal work groups at Reader's Digest Canada, a subsidiary of the publisher of the most widely read magazine in the world. He received high praise from the client for his care of detail, seizing an excellent level of leadership when required and paying close attention to specific client needs. Once again, Hooman received a customer satisfaction rating of *5 out of 5* on this critical system implementation planing project. :: 2.5 An Effective Manager > Once again, at the Quebec Labour Federation Fund (Fonds FTQ), Hooman was asked to help lead a project that had been abandoned by another competing consulting firm due to difficult cultural realities at the Quebec Labour Union-controlled organisation. The client was considered by Andersen leadership to be very demanding and had asked the previous three project managers from the competing consulting firms and system integrators to leave. Hooman carefully lead the internal consultants, software vendor specialists, committed competing firm resources and the client management members on the team. He cautiously demonstrated to all stakeholders the pre-eminence of business objectives, followed by project priorities, while balancing personal consultant needs and aspirations. Hooman managed to satisfy client requirements by helping all stakeholders believe and achieve a shared desire to complete the successful project on time, on budget. > With a rich academic and professional background in both management and information technology, Hooman has always played the role of interface between the IT technical resources and their peers from the accounting and marketing professions. While keeping everybody focused on project priorities and business objectives, Hooman works hard to negotiate and reconcile functional needs and budget considerations with technical realities. > Such ability to mediate allows Hooman to steer clear of conflict, and in times of conflict, appeasement and constructive settlement is facilitated by Hooman's credibility among his peers, and his experience and understanding of the importance of separating immediate facts from latent concerns, reasonable risks from unnecessary technical endeavours. > Such careful respect of different cultural needs from different employees with varying professional backgrounds has allowed Hooman to manage effectively in a high growth, rapidly changing environment such as the professional and business services industry. This understanding coupled with a keen awareness of business alliances' expectations and overall potential input into a fruitful overall partnership are the principal ingredients of total customer satisfaction and loyalty. :: 2.6 Credibility, Strategic Thinking and Continuous Improvement > Through his communication and mentoring skills, his will to motivate project team members to achieve successful implementations, Hooman is a staunch advocate of "Lessons Learned" debriefings. He also adheres to instant feedback, recognition and rewarding "one-on-one" meetings, as well as a delicate and careful provider and receiver of constructive criticism and advice. > All along his professional career and after many successful business relationships and customer projects, Hooman has been praised by his employees for providing a balanced mix of growth-inspiring authority while always being genuinely available to coach and to guide them through challenging technical and interpersonal situations. Business partners, no matter how established or small have appreciated the respect and consideration that Hooman has awarded them both on a current project-basis, as well as in long term joint business development initiatives. Hooman's credibility in the business press and new media community is derived from his functional and technical expertise in strategic IT projects combined with his respect of employees' needs and aspirations and business partner concerns and expectations. > In order to learn more about current events and success stories in his field, Hooman has launched a business strategy consulting and e-Business trends and analysis think-tank with former Andersen and Cossette thought leaders, backed by the immense support and guidance of HEC and McGill University professors. :: 2.7 Special Focus on Personal Development and Mentoring > Constantly sharpening personal and professional skills set by attending and participating in various industry conferences both as a panellist and observer. > Always learning about client industries and sharing knowledge with peers and customers. > Staunchly advocates and actively practices planned formal knowledge transfers to clients and the organisation knowledge management systems. > Dispensed professional training to senior business consultants and trainers at client-sites, in several countries, in several languages including English, French and Spanish. > Extensive international living, studying and work experiences on several continents. 3. PREVIOUSLY HELD RELEVANT RESPONSIBILITIES :: 3.1 Neogenera Inc. - Montreal, QC [http://www.neogenera.com] >> Vice President, Business Development (10/2000- to present) > In charge of business development, Hooman built strategic relationships with leaders at Cossette, Andersen, CFC and at the Business Development Bank of Canada in order to help their clients rethink and reinvent their business by using emerging business practices and applications. > Recognised for fuelling neogenera’s growth by building such solid relationships while managing internal and external stakeholders expectations. Hooman stressed the importance of accountability by setting clear quantifiable and qualitative metrics to measure and assess the state of each relationship versus its previously set financial goals and organisational objectives. > In order to provide insightful business strategy and advice to the principals of leading established companies such as Cossette Communications Group, CFC Consulting Group, and Pizza Donini, Hooman extensively interviewed, listened and evaluated company executives' intentions and business objectives. He understood their operations by visiting and talking to their employees on the field and went out and researched the market and industrial realities impacting his clients businesses. He then helped them prepare intelligent, well-thought business strategic advice and operational tactical instructions that effectively influenced decision-makers at executive levels and motivated middle managers and staff to carry out difficult, yet vital, organisational changes. > Recently, Hooman has helped Cossette Communication Group build and launch new market protection and penetration strategies by rolling out new service lines. In order to protect their grip on the advertising and corporate communications market and increase their clients mind-share, Hooman encouraged Cossette leadership to leverage intangible assets such as their communications expertise, their relationships with their marquee clients and leading newspapers and media outlets by launching Cossette Human Capital. The new service line will offer innovative technologies and best practices to be used by their clients in order to target, reach, attract and retain the most wanted and talented candidates. > Hooman demonstrated exceptional ability to facilitate and lead organisational change at CFC Consulting Group. He motivated the firm's leading partners to tap into their 30-year experience in consulting their clients in HR and change management and evolve towards a more open and smoother running organisation by taking on a phased e-business transformation. Following a series of facilitation and soul-searching meetings with the firm's leaders, Hooman lead them to migrate their marketing and billing processes towards the net, followed by a process to prudently undertake a knowledge-management project at the established Quebec Management and Human Resources consulting firm. :: 3.2 Odyssey Awards - Montreal, QC [http://www.prixodyssee.org] >> Co-founder and President, (11/2000 to present) > Hooman launched the not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to identify and reward Quebec-based businesses that stand out by migrating a portion of their operations on the Web. > The selected initiatives are evaluated on their commercial and financial viability by a panel of renowned experts such as Jacques Nantel (HEC), Pierre Delagrave (Cossette), Nicolas Gaudreau (Sympatico), Réal Lévesque (Andersen), and Luc Vallée (Mediagrif). The organisation hosts a series of exclusive monthly thematic events to facilitate information exchange, networking and partnering on specific issues between several actors within the same industry. > An annual gala for the 2001 Odyssey Awards will be held in the latter part of 2001, rewarding leaders that differentiated themselves with their innovative application of electronic commerce and effective and profitable digitalisation of business activities. :: 3.2 Acceleron Inc. (owned by Onx.com) - Montreal, QC [http://www.acceleron.com] >> Vice President, Business Development (8/2000 to 10/2000) > In charge of setting up the Business Development department at a leading Travel Expense Management Software company held by a public eBusiness services provider. > Responsible for building and managing partnerships with leading consulting firms and IT System Integrators such as IBM. :: 3.3 Arthur Andersen, Business Consulting - Montreal, Quebec [http://www.andersen.com] >> Business Consulting Manager (12/1995 to 8/2000) > Hooman was in charge of the development and rollout of the new Andersen eBusiness practice. He demonstrated to potential clients how implementing new innovative business processes and the application of affordable and proven technologies could help enhance revenues, reduce costs, and improve the way organisations and entire industries conduct business. > As the key local instigator and driver of the new eBusiness Practice at Andersen, Hooman played a key role in developing strategic relationships with electronic commerce solution providers and other third party integrators of eBusiness solutions in order to provide complete electronic commerce solutions to the firm's clients. > In charge of the development, localisation and dissemination of Andersen's methodology for delivering Strategic Business recommendations and implementations. This customised methodology is based on analytical tools relying on the identification and the leveraging of under-utilised tangible and intangible assets in order to create and maximise shareholder value. Such methodology was used for leading clients such as Transcontinental Group and Cossette Communications Group. > As a project manager at Andersen and a member of several strategic project steering committees, Hooman was in charge of numerous system selection and implementation planning projects for leading clients such as Loto-Québec, Belron Canada, Entourage Technology Solutions and NordX/CDT. Throughout these special consulting projects, Hooman developed an intimate knowledge of the position of strength of leading Enterprise Resource Planning software vendors, the best of breed competition among many niche-players, and completed due diligence reports on the most solid eBusiness services providers. > Prior to managing the Andersen eBusiness Practice, Hooman effectively launched the new Andersen PeopleSoft Select initiative in collaboration with PeopleSoft, Microsoft, Compaq, GE Capital and Andersen North American Leadership. Hooman strived to get all key players on board and managed the details of the strategic, legal and business implications of such an alliance. > His transparent, win-win approach with the alliance partners ensured final approval and agreement from all the parties in less than three months, and lead the program into profitability in less than 6 months with a successful sale and launch of the newly designed fast-track implementation at a leading retail client. > Hooman directed the management of the relationship by developing joint marketing and sales effort agreements. In order to increase and to accelerate the return from the program, he also developed and customised the program in order for it to be applied in the Health Care sector in collaboration with the Andersen Houston and Dallas Healthcare practice. > As a senior business consultant and implementation project manager, Hooman lead over a dozen successful strategic Business Process Improvement, System Selection and Implementation projects at Andersen Business Consulting. Hooman sold, managed and delivered major business process reengineering, system selection and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementations in North America. > He worked extensively in the manufacturing and the telecommunications industry. He has delivered successful solutions at companies such as MediaOne (now owned by AT&T), Alcan Aluminium, Entourage Technology Solutions (formerly owned by Bell Canada), NordX/CDT (Nortel Spinoff), Telus Québec (formerly known as Québec-Téléphone and previously owned by GTE), Readers' Digest Canada, Fonds de Solidarité des travailleurs du Québec (Quebec Labour Federation Fund) and Nutribec. :: 3.4 Arthur Andersen, Audit and Business Advisory - Montreal, Quebec [http://www.andersen.com] >> Senior Business and IT Risk Auditor (5/1995 - 12/1995) > Hooman worked on Audit Support, Information Systems and General Controls Reviews. He was highly involved with special review projects involving such clients as Financial Collection Agency (FCA) and Groupe IST Inc. (bought by CGI). Participated in general control reviews of AS400, MVS, VM, UNIX and Client-Server environments, as well as security reviews of Novell networks, Internet access, and other public networks. > Worked on an internal project to computerize Computer Risk Management work-programs and tests in order to increase time efficiency and to eliminate redundant tasks by setting up and using a relational database. :: 3.5 Essaris Holding Group - Montreal, Quebec >> Assistant-Controller & Info Systems Consultant (7/1994 to 5/1995) > Metropolitan Parking: Organised and worked on a project to set up and implement a financial and operational management information system and collaborated in the design and development of inter-related programs for on-line operational and financial information. > Café Suprême: With the assistance of the controller, the VP marketing, and the financial analyst, computerised the coffee chain’s financial system. Consequently worked on an on-line marketing and financial control system linking the central system with the Point of sales systems (POS) throughout the fifty-store chain. :: 3.6 McGill University - Montreal, Quebec [http://www.mcgill.ca] >> Faculty of Management (12/1993 - 12/1995) > As the Vice-President, External (OCAQ) of the McGill Accounting Students body, Hooman facilitated accounting firm recruiting drives at McGill University's Faculty of Management and helped students by mentoring and tutoring them in diverse accounting, finance and management-related topics. > Statistics tutor chosen by Prof. Brian Smith in order to assist weekly a group of 40 students and to help with the examination preparation and correction. > MIS Tutor approved by Prof. Leo Kerklaan in order to correct a series of marked assignments for a group of 30 students and to help with the final examination preparation and correction. > Hooman also focused on troubleshooting as a programmer on duty and operator at the Management Computer Laboratory. :: 3.7 Basford Holding Group - Montreal, Quebec >> Assistant Operations Manager & Info Systems Consultant (1/1990 - 6/1994) > Pizza Donini Restaurants: In charge of accounting for several Donini Restaurants. Designed, programmed, and created a management information system that helped measure and control expenses and hours of labour, while increasing productivity and management satisfaction. > Basford Realties Inc.: In charge of financial analysis and support to building management. Designed, and implemented an information system in order to increase time-efficiency and productivity. Achieving management, owner and tenant satisfaction. 4.0 EDUCATION AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT > Involved with graduate program professors in preparing industry-academia conferences at McGill, HEC and UQAM. > Trained senior business consultants at worldwide facility on e-business Strategy, Strategic Management and Managing Application System Implementations. > Dispensed change management and ERP financial modules training to senior trainers at client-sites, in several countries, in several languages including English, French and Spanish. > Worked on functional testing and internationalisation at PeopleSoft Headquarters in Pleasanton, CA > Trained and certified in many ERP financial modules from PeopleSoft, Oracle and QAD/MFG PRO. > Graduated with Great Distinction from McGill University, Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting and Management Information Systems, CGPA of 3.52 on 4.00. Completed the three-year program in two and a half years while working full-time (1996). > Developed extensive local and international political and business contacts while studying at Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf (DEC, Commerce, Concentration internationale, 1993) and while at Collège Marie-de-France, (Brevet, Lycée Français, International French Program, 1991). 5.0 PROFESSIONAL TRAINING > eBusiness Strategy, 5/2000, Chicago IL > Strategic Management, 8/1999, Dallas TX > Managing Application System Implementations, 6/1999, Dallas TX > PeopleSoft Financials - Functional Testing and Internationalization, 5/1998, Pleasanton CA > PeopleSoft Financials, 3/1998, Chicago IL > Enabling Change (Change Management), 10/1997, Buenos Aires Argentina > Oracle Financials, 10/1997, Montreal QC > PeopleSoft Canadian HR and Benefits, 2/1997, Ottawa ON > Systems Design & Development, 9/1/1996, Chicago IL > MFG/PRO QAD Financials, 6/1/1996, Montreal QC > Business Consultant School (Core skills), 5/1996, Chicago IL > Audit and Business Advisory, 5/1995, Chicago IL End of Document -------------------------------- -------------------------------- SEARCH KEYWORDS: -------------------------------- Hooman, Taravati, Strategy, CRM, ERP, SGE, electronic, Business, eBusiness, e-Business, Strategy, Andersen, neogenera, first, tuesday, ft, odyssee, odyssée, multimedia, venture, cap, capital, financing, fonds, ftq, caisse, montreal, montréal, quebec, québec, qc, canada, cossette, cfc, lesaffaires, journal, les affaires, radio-canada, CBC, bernard derome, federal, elections, entrepreneur, entrepreneurial, consulting, reingeneering, benchmarking, I.T., IT, Information, technology, MIS, management, human resources, loyalty, fidelisation, fidélisation, client, relationship, marketing, advertising, core competencies, custom development, implementation, significant, experience, fokus group, fokusgroup, IBM, Deloitte, Cap Gemini Ernst Young, E&Y, KPMG, Peat, Marwick, Coopers, Lybrand, Price, Waterhouse, PwC, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Accenture, CGI, LGS, McGill, HEC, Peoplesoft, People, Soft, PSFT, Microsoft, MSFT, Oracle, ORCL, Database, modules, distribution, QAD, MFG PRO, platinum, SQL, query, language, programming, languages, Delphi, Visual, Basic, VB, Access, FoxPro, Dbase, Bell, Emergis, Telus, Versalys, Gartner, Forrester, Research, Travel, Donini, Mikes, Pizza, Hut, Tricon, KFC, PizzaHut, 2for1, 241, Real Estate, Restaurants, Telecommunications, Manufacturing, Metalurgic, Metallurgic, Alcan, Cable, Web, Design, Focus, karbasfrooshan, karbas, ashkan, cornic, benjamin, askmen, askmen.com, creative, innovative, créateur, programmeur, gestionnaire, animateur, facilitator, Internet, panellist, panelist, journaliste, dirigeant, VP, vice president, vice-président, président, president, emploi, jobs, careers, e-learning, e-commerce, alliance numérique, CESAM, Transit, sécurité, security, risk, risks, risques, financement, convergence, magazine, musique, napster, mp3, electronica, électronique, computer, ordinateur, français, frances, francese, french, italian, italien, italiano, espagnol, español, spanish, latin american, latino, cuba, cuban, argentina, BA, farsi, accounting, financial, finance, graduate, MBA, bcom, b.com., bachelor, visa, españa, madrid, barcelona --------------------------------