Debra Dassance has over 20 years of experience in project management, operations management, and leading PMOs. She has a background managing multi-million dollar budgets and projects, negotiating contracts, mentoring other project managers, and earning her PMP certification and two master's degrees. She took time off from 2011-present to care for her family but is now looking to resume her career in project management.

1. DEBRA DASSANCE, PMP, MSIT, MSBA
30141 S. Meadowridge Phone: 248-888-9714
Farmington Hills, MI 48334 Email: desuda7@gmail.com
CAREER SUMMARY
Accomplished and diversified background in Project Management, Operations Management, and PMO Leadership. Proven
success in achieving desired results, including managing multi-million dollar budgets, acquiring thousands of dollars in cost
reduction, managing competing multi-vendor contracts with on-shore/off-shore resources, working with challenging customers in
an integrated team environment, coaching and mentoring multiple Project Managers, directly supporting the organization’s
attainment of CMMI, maintaining PMP Certification status, and earning two Masters degrees.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
TOOK TIME OFF FOR FAMILY May 2011 - Present
After working for more than 20 years, I took a break from my professional career for family reasons. I’m now ready to resume
my career aspirations and I’m looking forward to it. I’ve taken classes during the last couple of years to maintain my PMP
certification, so I’m ready to get started.
RCG INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, Orlando, Florida June 2010 – April 2011
Supported Ryder Systems, Inc., Supply Chain Services, Novi, Michigan
(Note: This was a short-term contract position.)
IT Project Manager / Account Manager
Managed EDI implementations, Enhancements, and a new Account Launch for multiple customers including VW Mexico,
Chrysler, Case New Holland, Mercedes, and Henniges.
• Implemented EDI 204s/214s for 64 Case New Holland carriers, along with EDI 856 and multiple change requests.
• Implemented EDI 210 for Mercedes, and change requests for Chrysler and Henniges.
• Implemented a new Account Launch for VW Mexico that included EDI 830s, 862s, and 856s, along with a customs
manifest, 856 compliance process, and specific Logistics Management Suite (LMS) enhancements.
• Managed all budgets, project schedules, scope, requirements, and other project management documents.
• Managed all internal and external Customer facing.
• Managed assigned Account production support issues for Severities 1 and 2.
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION (GM), Detroit, Michigan January 2000 – September 2009
Global Purchasing and Supply Chain (GPSC), Information Systems & Services (IS&S)
IT Project Manager 2009 – 2009
Managed the Purchasing Indirect Material Controls project, which was a global project to fix audit defects with scope
comprising all global regions (North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe).
• Coordinated with Business and IT personnel globally to reduce Business Requirements from 44 to 14 through
consolidation of requirements and negotiating to revise Business processes versus investing in costly system changes.
• Managed the outsourced IT vendor and successfully passed the Plan/Define tollgate. (Note: I took a buyout from GM
shortly following this phase of the project.)
IT Project Manager 2009 – 2009
Managed the retirement of the Purchasing Timecard application and the transition to the successor application.
• Worked with the Business customer, Sustain team, Hosting team, and new Application replacement Vendor to
shutdown the old application and transition to the new one on time and within budget with annual cost savings
estimated at $350,000.
IT Program Management Office Leader 2007 - 2008
Played a key role in managing and leading the global Program Management Office (PMO) that supported 60 to 80 projects
worldwide.
• Managed and conducted the monthly Project Manager (PM) Forums (global meetings with about 60 participants) and
increased participation by 40% for an overall attendance rate of 90%.
• Coached, mentored, trained 40 plus Project Managers on an ongoing basis.
• Managed on-shore and off-shore PMO support resources.
• Led the Corporate Requirements staffing initiative, which involved team members from all IS&S corporate groups.
Corporate System Development Process (SDP) methodology revised as a result.
• Managed the GPSC PMO website and reduced redundant content by 30%.
• Rewrote and enhanced the GPSC Project Tracking System (PTS) Guidelines to include 70 pages of detailed training
material for the Project Managers.

2. Debra Dassance Page 2
IT Operations/Sustain Manager 2003 - 2007
Managed five web-based Applications in the GPSC Supply Operations and Logistics groups used by multiple GPSC
Business groups. Managed transition of applications into Operations, including negotiating the Application Support
agreements, setting up the Help Desks, organizing and managing the budgets, and confirming overall Production
readiness. Conducted all Customer facing activities.
• Managed multiple on-shore and off-shore Sustain vendors and resources in competing positions.
• Managed related Infrastructure/Architecture/Network upgrades and changes.
• Managed all Application enhancements and other Change Controls.
• Negotiated a 40% cost avoidance with one of the Sustain vendors for a newly transitioned application, a 25% cost
reduction for existing Sustain support, and a 25% cost reduction for Application enhancements.
• Achieved a 50% cost reduction by moving an Application to another Hosting vendor, and negotiated a 22% cost
reduction for Hosting services.
IT Project Manager 2002 - 2003
Managed the Re-Engineer MGO Reporting & Printing project, which was a global project to eliminate hundreds of GPSC
mainframe reports and move the relevant ones to a web-based solution. Managed the Plan/Define outsourced vendors,
which included members from competing venues.
• Negotiated a $22,000 credit from one of the outsourced vendors for replacing a key team member. (Note: This project
was cancelled due to budget cuts following the Plan/Define phase.)
IT Program Office Planner 2002 - 2002
Played a key role in helping to manage the GPSC projects from a PMO perspective.
• Led the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI), Project Planning process area.
• Guided, coached, mentored the Project Managers to ensure compliance with IS&S’s SDP methodology and related
Policies and Practices.
IT Program Management Office Leader 2001 - 2002
Managed the Program Management Office (PMO) with five direct reports that supported various projects within GPSC.
This was a dual position with the Project Manager position below.
• Achieved an $850,000 cost reduction by eliminating six PMO contract positions by redefining the job requirements and
redistributing the workload.
IT Project Manager 2000 - 2002
Provided IT Project Management support to my Director for the Extended Production Order Management and Scheduling
project, which was a multi-million dollar global project to eliminate multiple mainframe systems and replace them with web-
based solutions.
• Managed all project documentation, facilitated ongoing meetings with the Vendors and various GM IT groups, created
weekly status reports, and managed the documentation configuration tool.
ELECTRONIC DATA SYSTEMS (EDS), Troy, Michigan June 1995 – December 1999
IT Vendor for various industries that also provided a host of other Business related support.
Project Planning Specialist 1999 – 1999
Provided Project/Program Management services to GM’s Advanced Technology Vehicles platform. Supported the
Alternative Fuel Systems programs throughout North America.
• Developed and maintained various Program Management deliverables such as Red/Yellow/Green Charts, 5-Phase
Action Plans, Gantt Charts, Statements of Work, and Earned Value Analysis Charts.
Project Planning Specialist 1997 – 1999
Provided Project/Program Management services to GM’s Metal Fabricating Division (MFD). Supported the Planning,
Scheduling, and Allocations group.
• Collected, compiled, analyzed, and reported Secondary Tryout updates from MFD's 14 Stamping Plants for Program
Management planning, scheduling, and statusing purposes.
• Developed and maintained the Master Database desk procedures, Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), and RASIC chart.
Customs Analyst 1995 – 1997
Provided Regulatory Compliance services to GM’s Tax Staff. Conducted valuation audits ensuring regulatory compliance
with U.S. Customs' tariff and trade laws.
• Identified many regulatory non-compliance actions, which resulted in multi-million dollar cost avoidances.

3. Debra Dassance Page 3
ISUZU MOTORS AMERICA, INC., Plymouth, Michigan April 1989 – December 1993
Japanese Automotive manufacturer.
Purchasing Administrator 1992 – 1993
Provided support to Purchasing operations regarding planning issues and cost reduction programs. Collected data,
produced graphs and charts, and supported the Buyers.
Powertrain Liaison/Coordinator 1989 – 1992
Coordinated daily operations of the manual transaxle (MTA) business between Isuzu Japan and various GM plants.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Master of Science in Information Technology, Information Systems Management 2005
• Honors: Graduated with Highest Honors, GPA 4.0
MADONNA UNIVERSITY, Livonia, Michigan
Master of Science in Business Administration, International Business 1997
• Honors: Delta Mu Delta and Kappa Gamma Pi; Graduated with Highest Honors, GPA 3.96
Certificate, International Trade Advisor 1995
Bachelor of Science, International Business & Economics 1994
• Honors: Delta Mu Delta; Graduated with Highest Honors, GPA 4.0
• Awards: Highest Achievement in International Business major
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION, Detroit, Michigan
Certificate, Business Systems Analysis and Software Engineering 2002
Certificate, Information Technology Management 2000
PROJECT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
Certificate, Project Management Professional 2001 - Current
MEMBERSHIPS / AFFILIATIONS
PROJECT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE, Great Lakes Chapter 1997 - Current