Yavuz Ayvaz, Head of Business Applications and Project Management

Yavuz Ayvaz

Head of Business Applications and Project Management

Dragon Oil

Location
United Arab Emirates
Education
Master's degree, Software Engineering
Experience
20 years, 10 Months

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Work Experience

Total years of experience :20 years, 10 Months

Head of Business Applications and Project Management at Dragon Oil
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • My current job since February 2018

Chief Accountabilities: Providing the vision and leadership for designing, developing and implementing IT initiatives that create customer and/or business value. Translating the company vision into IT systems and procedures, articulating this critical link to the company stakeholders including the Executive Team, IT staff and employees. Continuously evaluating, improving and deploying new strategies for applications, systems software, products, and/or enhancements.

Significant Highlights:
 Successfully delivered SAP transformation program on time and within budget, developed strategies, approach, alternatives and advised executive management
 Examined existing applications’ effectiveness and efficiency, and developed strategies for improving or leveraging these systems.
 Coordinated multiple disciplinary teams when required. Provided mentoring, guidance and technical knowledge to team members.
 Maintained continuous communication with Business Units to ensure that solutions meet requirements and service levels
 Cultivated and disseminated knowledge of application-usage best practices.

Team Leader - Business Applications, Project Management and Compliance at Dragon Oil
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • May 2015 to February 2018

Chief Accountabilities: Leading and assisting the team in resolution of complex problems within established guidelines and recommended appropriate solutions and alternatives. Determining root causes of repeat incidents and proactive prevention of application incidents. Evaluating requirements, developing estimates, assigning work activities and measuring individual and team performance.

Significant Highlights:
 Holds merit in optimizing business processes and enhanced governance controls in Procure-to-Pay, Supplier Management, Material Management, and Asset Management.
 Successfully standardized business data structures including Chart of Accounts, Suppliers, Items, Grades and Positions across group companies.
 Actively directed project teams with developing, delivering, and supporting solutions while managing business expectations, providing tactical direction, and offering technical guidance.
 Monitored, trained and guided IT Project Management and Business Applications teams. Directed implementation of IT strategy for Business Applications and GRC areas in line with corporate vision and objectives.
 Holds merit of creating savings of over $1M company in a low oil price environment through accurate planning of project acquisitions, manpower requirements and 3rd party contracts including services, hardware and licenses.

Team Leader - Project Management and Compliance at Dragon Oil
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • May 2012 to May 2015

Chief Accountabilities: Communicated relevant project information in status meetings with clients and project team to ensure client-s needs are met in a timely and effective manner. Managed issue resolution with business clients and technical support team. Shouldered accountability to manage IT programs and projects from conceptualization, budgeting, scoping (SOW/RFP), and tendering.

Significant Highlights:
 Instrumental in managing end to end in-house implementation of Oracle EBS Financials, SCM (Purchasing, Sourcing, and Inventory), HCM (Core HR, Payroll, SSHR, OLM, and PMS), and EAM across 20+ group companies.
 Achieved all project targets within budget and as per schedule.
 Managed the delivery of multiple complex simultaneous system development projects from design through to release. Participated in reviews and meetings and provided updates on project progress.
 Worked closely with Development Project Managers and Business Analysts to produce accurate delivery estimates and managed the transition from analysis through to design and delivery.
 Set and managed business stakeholder expectations with respect to project priorities and delivery dates.
 Developed and maintained positive working relationships with business stakeholders, project sponsors, subject matter experts, technical leads, middle and senior management throughout projects.

Senior IT Projects Coordinator at Dragon Oil
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • January 2009 to May 2012

Chief Accountabilities: Shouldered accountability to manage IT projects from conceptualization, budgeting, scoping (SOW/RFP), and tendering; till execution and closure. Conducted feasibility studies against technical functionality and provided recommendations on the best cost effective breed of technology.

Significant Highlights:
 Acted as a liaison with the in-house and offshore teams, as well as internal and external stakeholders
 Supported all IT projects within the department and provided consultancy to other IT project managers. Assigned tasks to subordinates and provided guidance to best manage their time.
 Developed plans and procedures to prevent complex projects problems from re-occurring in the future. Resolved independently day to day operational issues related to project tracking and data storage.
 Assisted the technical projects team with documentation, both technical and procedural, key components of bringing new infrastructure into a fully supportable environment.
 Analysed current practices and determined opportunities for improvement and furthermore introduced solutions to improve customer experience.

HRMS Project Manager at Dragon Oil
  • United Arab Emirates - Dubai
  • April 2008 to January 2009

Chief Accountabilities: Evaluated project schedule with senior management and all other staff that will be affected by the project activities and revised the schedule as required. Evaluated the quality of the work completed with the project team on a regular basis to ensure that it meets the project standards. Supervised and approved all budgeted project expenditures.

Significant Highlights:
 Defined the objectives and measures upon which the project will be evaluated at its completion and ensured to deliver the project as per the project plan.
 Headed offshore development and roll out of custom HRMS solution across group companies in multiple geographies and legislations Such as:
 Targeting all HR processes including Payroll, Learning Management, Performance Management, Recruitment and Travel.
 Shouldered responsibility to establish files and ensure that all project information is appropriately recorded, documented and secured.
 Administered the project progress of the project and made adjustments as necessary to ensure the successful completion of the project.
 Planned communication schedule to update stakeholders including appropriate staff in the organization on the progress of the project.

Project Leader/Software Architect at Vestek
  • Türkiye - Istanbul
  • September 2005 to February 2008

Selected for the VESTEL's newly formed R&D center to lead new product development projects
Liaised between management, marketing and research & development teams; during design and implementation of new multi-media and audio/video processing systems.
Led various portable device and multimedia software development projects with primary focus on smart TVs, set top boxes and hand-held devices.

Technical Leader/Senior Software Engineer at Cabot Communications
  • Türkiye - Istanbul
  • January 2004 to September 2005

Promoted as Senior Software Engineer to lead projects in VESTEL's subsidiary CABOT
As a product owner for the core middleware, reviewed and approved all versioning, branching, merging and release activities
Supervised software developers in software implementation projects
Designed and developed features for the core middleware to be supported across 100s of different receiver hardware configurations.

Software Engineer at Vestelkom
  • Türkiye - Izmir
  • May 2003 to January 2004

Developed middleware for satellite and terrestrial DVB receivers using Embedded Real Time Operating Systems
Designed and developed software for satellite and terrestrial DVB receivers according to customer specifications
Optimized middleware and driver performance to support various processor, memory, tuner and other peripheral configurations

Education

Master's degree, Software Engineering
  • at Bogazici University
  • January 2008

Focused on Software and Software Project Management concepts including agile methods, SDLC models, CMMI; along with computer networks, hardware, database systems, design and development.

Bachelor's degree, Electrical-Electronics Engineering
  • at Bogazici University
  • June 2002

Focused on electronic control systems and algorithms for multidimensional optimization methods.

Bayt Tests

ERP Test
Score 88%
Management Skills Test
Score 78%

Specialties & Skills

IT Project Management
IT Management
MS Project
MS PowerPoint
MS Excel
MS Word
Visual Basic
ITIL v3
ISO 9001

Languages

English
Expert
Turkish
Expert

Memberships

PMI
  • Member
  • January 2008

Training and Certifications

PMP (Certificate)
Date Attended:
April 2009
Valid Until:
April 2018
Setting up Project Management Office (Training)
Training Institute:
Boston Management Consulting
Date Attended:
January 2015
Duration:
24 hours
ITIL v3 Foundation (Certificate)
Date Attended:
April 2012
Valid Until:
April 2012
Project Management for Professionals (Certificate)
Date Attended:
May 2012
Valid Until:
May 2012
IT Project Management - Tools and Techniques (Certificate)
Date Attended:
October 2011
Valid Until:
October 2011
ISO9001:2008 Internal Auditor (Certificate)
Date Attended:
February 2012
Valid Until:
February 2012