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STEVE ZITKOVICH
e-mail: steve@zitkovich.com | mobile: (request number by email) | Seattle, WA 98119  

 
KEY SKILLS & EXPERTISE
Localization * Product Management * E-commerce * International Strategy + Tactics *
Multilingual Marketing * Partnerships * English, German & French
 
SUMMARY
Creative, analytical, organized international Product Manager. Localization expert. Translate business goals into technical and non-technical (marketing, processes) solutions and results in international markets.
Positive attitude, team player.


10+ years International E-commerce Product- and Program Management

  • Create international e-commerce strategy and manage roadmaps and product rollouts.
  • Write functional requirements, make wireframes and map customer flows.
  • Partnerships and vendor relationships and resources management.
  • Core-team member in strategic localization, internationalization and globalization decisions.
  • Agile development teams.
10+ years International Online Marketing + Customer Engagement
  • Develop and lead international marketing plans and programs, localized to target markets.
  • Brand-management, customer engagement (ex. email, loyalty) and tactical marketing programs.
  • Experience in large scale (Microsoft), highly creative (Getty Images, Zefa) and startup modes.
Personal
  • Languages: English (native), German (fluent), French (conversational).
  • 12 years living in Europe (France, Germany, UK, Netherlands, Czech Republic and Slovakia).
  • Active volunteer in non-profit organizations; strong believer in social entrepreneurship.
 
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
 
International Product- and Program Manager consulting / contracting    Sept '08 - present
(Between contracts I work on entrepreneurial/business ideas in the Seattle startup community.)

Holland America Line (Seattle) (April '14 - Feb '15)
  • Increased speed + quality of promotions and content translations across 4 languages and worldwide markets to establish simultaneous release (simship) delivery.
      --my efficiency led other marketing departments to ask me to manage their translations; resulted in greater consistency across company and reduced costs.
  • Delivered international part of numerous online projects; international never a delay.
      --including $500k translation/localization project to budget and on-time delivery.
  • Point person for international privacy and e-commerce requirements.
Tango Card (Seattle) (Sept '13 - April '14)
  • Business development in identifying and setting up partnerships globally, including Amazon and iTunes e-gift cards procurement across Europe and Asia.
  • Supported sales teams on calls and proposals; international capabilities were a differentiator in landing a number of key customers.
  • Advised Tango Card technical team on internationalization and localization.
Sogeti USA (Seattle) (Dec '10 - March '12)
  • Consulted Starbucks on localization strategy and best-practices in creating an internationalized platform and processes to host websites for 39 countries.
  • Sharepoint 2010 implementation: Co-author of governance document and SME for international/localization issues supporting Starbucks global offices, stores and operations.
  • Assessed development processes at Charles Schwab and made recommendations to improve development speed and reduce risk using Agile methodologies.
Earth Class Mail & Swiss Post Box (Seattle & Zurich) (Jan '09 - Oct '10)
  • Did knowledge transfer of Earth Class Mail processes to Swiss Post Box, including technical implementation, marketing, operations, customer service and overall business rules.
  • Managed implementation to launch deadline. Launched in 5 countries.
  • Member of core team planning Swiss Post Box product road map and marketing.
[Private Entrepreneur] (Den Haag, NL) (Sept - Nov '08)
  • Took business concept and defined an online/web service (including functional requirements and wireframes) to develop a beta version to attract further investment.
International Program Manager at Microsoft (Redmond) May '07 - July '08
Worked in the Central Marketing Group, whose web pages get over 1/2 billion visits per year. In 2007 team managed localization of 350+ projects, more than 3 million words and a budget of nearly $6 million.
  • Led globalization and localization strategy, planning and requirements for international versions of the Microsoft Dynamics, People Ready Business and other Microsoft customer campaigns websites.
  • Managed localization budget to within 5% of target on a quarterly basis.
  • Search Engine Optimization: defined and led project to maintain SEO during translation/localization.
  • Authored best-practices ("Localization Framework") for reference across Microsoft.
Project work for Alice In Chains and Soundgarden (Seattle) 1992 - present
Various projects and managing band archives. 2006-2007 was particularly busy during the Alice In Chains reunion.
 
Product Marketing Manager at Ofoto (now Shutterfly) (Amsterdam, NL) July '04 - Oct '05
Ofoto had 20+ million members. Responsible for European websites in 7 languages.
  • Defined prioritized, customer-focused features and roadmaps for the European e-commerce sites.
  • Drove on-time and on-spec implementation of roadmap with the US-based technical teams.
  • Managed planning, production and implementation of localized marketing content.
  • Wrote requirements for co-branded EU websites and integrated services with partners (ex. Adobe).
Program Manager & Interim Head of IT, Zefa Visual Media (Düsseldorf, DE) Oct '02 - Jan '04
Director Product Management, B2Build SA (Paris, FR) May '00 - July '01
Entrepreneur (Paris, FR) Oct '99 - May '00
Program Manager & Int'l Project Manager, Getty Images (Seattle & London) March '97 - Sept '99
Web Design Associate, Starwave Corporation (Bellevue) Oct '94 - March '97
Customer Service & Dealer Sales, AEI Music Network (Hamburg, DE & Seattle) Jan '90 - July '94
 
SOFTWARE SKILLS
Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Project, Visio, SharePoint and Adobe Photoshop. Familiar with tools and processes for translation and multilingual site development. Quick learner of whichever software is needed for the situation.
 
OTHER EXPERIENCE
  • Languages: English (native), German (fluent), French (conversational).
  • Staff member at five Localization World Conferences: Seattle 2012, Silicon Valley 2011, Seattle 2010, Berlin 2010, Bonn 2004.
  • Teacher of German and English in Czechoslovakia (Bratislava 1991/92, Prague 1993).
  • Have worked on many music-related projects including band management and producing events.
  • I travel as much as possible, emphasizing going off the beaten path and learning how local people live.
  • Non-profit and volunteering:
       2006 - present: Volunteer teach an English class I created for international students.
       2011 - present: Translators Without Borders.
       2011 - present: Homestay host for international students at University of Washington.
       2007 - 2008: Co-chair for marketing of the Seattle Children's Hospital Symphony Guild.
       2006 - 2007: Board member of the Young Professionals International Network (YPIN), part of the World Affairs Council in Seattle.
EDUCATION
University of Washington Extension, Software Product Management Certificate Program.
University of Washington, Bachelor of Arts, German Area Studies.
 
A current version of this c.v. / resume can always be found at www.zitkovich.com