Gabi Pavel

Product Manager, Project Manager, Presales

email:[email protected]

phone: +(4)0752.170.761

address: Bucharest, Romania

birthdate: 10 Dec. 1982

CV PDF | My feed

Profile

I am a results-driven Product Manager with over 15 years of experience in IT with extensive project management and client-facing account handling experience. I have worked with both local and remote teams including teams in China, Ukraine, Philippines, Latvia and Norway. I'm proficient in managing medium-sized teams of professionals to deliver complex projects, I use strategic planning and strong communication skills to ensure client projects are delivered on time and within budget. I've worked with both small/medium sized clients as well as large (national-wide) clients, located in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, US, Asia and South-America.

Skills

Product Ownership

Responsible for setting the product’s vision, strategizing for its development (storymaps, roadmaps, etc.) and managing the customer experience. Excellent communication, problem solving and organizational skills able to think strategically and creatively. Single point of contact between R&D and Business, taking care of requirement gathering and project scoping.

Presales

I have the ability of combining a strong techical product knowledge with negotiation skills in order to maximise sales opportunities and deliver proof of concepts that can be used as kick-offs for the integration projects. I am able to quickly assess customer needs, understand their business, and develop creative solutions that solve customer problems.

Project Management

Proven ability to lead and manage a wide variety of development and integration projects. I have problem-solving abilities and I'm able to multitask effectively in order to successfully achieve projects' scopes.

Technical

  • Linux (various distributions)
  • GitHub
  • AdobeXD & Figma
  • Product Plan
  • AWS
  • Jira & Confluence
  • Cloudflare
  • Google Analytics
  • Kibana
  • HTML/CSS
  • Notion
  • Aha!

Experience

EZY Gaming(www.arcanebet.com)

Product Manager arcanebet platform

Jul. 2020-Present

EZY Gaming operates the gambling platform arcanebet.com an organisation of driven individuals that have come together to realise a common goal: offering a unique betting & gaming experience to both the current and next generations alike. We've started this journey by applying our extensive knowledge of the casino& esports industry to create a unique experience for all customers so that they share in the hype.
Entire platform is developed inhouse with integrations with various 3rd party providers for payments, casino and sports betting, antifraud, gamification tools, etc.

Technologies used in the app: Ruby on Rails, AWS stack, Vue, Github

Tasks and duties:

  • Managing the backlog for the development team (BE&FE)
  • Tracking various metrics regarding platform availability and business results
  • Handle communication with 3rd parties in order to properly define flows and make sure that all the needed APIs are in place and can be used during the technical integration
  • Planning the quarterly roadmaps, proposing new initiatives and doing business case analysis.
  • Review and approve UX/UI mockups and designs before adding them to the development backlog
  • Looking how to improve the backoffice interface for more clear flows for Ops team as well as automation of certan process where posible

PayU (www.payu.ro)

Product Owner PayU PSP Platform

Mar. 2015-Dec. 2019

PayU is a leading online payment service provider dedicated to creating a fast, simple and efficient payment process for merchants and buyers. Whether someone wants to make a payment online on a computer, tablet, mobile device, e-wallet or even offline, our 250+ payment methods are designed to make it fast, simple and secure.
PayU has an active presence in 16 high growth markets in Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.
PayU makes up the e-payments division of Naspers Ltd. a broad-based, multi-national media group founded in 1915, which provides services in more than 133 countries. Naspers primarily operates in Internet services, especially ecommerce, pay television and print media and is listed on both the Johannesburg and London Stock Exchanges.

Technologies used: PHP, RabbitMQ, MySql

Tasks and duties:

  • Product Owner for PayU's payment platform that is providing PSP services for five CEE markets (Romania, Russia, Turkey, Hungary, Ukraine).
  • Managing the backlog for three Scrum development teams
  • Adjusting the platform to meet Local Regulations
  • Optimizing the payment process by analysing metrics, the sales funnel KPIs and changing the sales process and user interface in order to maximize conversion
  • Planning the quarterly roadmaps, proposing new initiatives and doing business case analysis.
  • Review and approve all project documentation

EveryMatrix (www.everymatrix.com)

Project Manager & Product Owner Reconciliation and Reporting

Jan. 2013-Mar. 2015

EveryMatrix is an independent company which offers high quality solutions to the igaming industry. EveryMatrix does not operate gaming sites, but is concerned with software service and development of the upmost quality and built with a primary focus on integration and flexibility.
Main scope of this project was to develop a brand new Reporting module. Beside standard OLAP functionality this module is also responsabile for invoicing and reconciliation with data recorded from external vendors.

Technologies used: Java, MongoDB, AngularJS, Javascript

Tasks and duties:

  • Build a technical team able to work on the project (remote developers in Lviv- Ukraine)
  • Collect all business requirements from various teams and develop the product so it fits these requirements
  • Understanding of current Data Warehouse and Reporting applications
  • Make sure the chosen solutions are scalable and flexible enough to meet future needs of Finance department
  • Ensuring project's stages are executed using agreed standards & processes
  • Reviewed and approved all project documentation

EveryMatrix (www.everymatrix.com)

Project Manager & Product Owner Data Storage

Jan. 2013 - Mar. 2015

Main scope of this project was to develop a brand new Data Storage module (both OLAP and OLTP) that will gradually replace the current RDBMS databases and will provide a unified communication interface for all EM modules disregarding their programming language.
Beside this I did integration and presales tasks when need it and assist other PMs with their projects.

Technologies used (in Data Storage): Scala, MariaDB, Hadoop, Netty, Zookeeper

Tasks and duties:

  • Choose an outsourcing company with a nearshore software development center and build a technical team able to work at the project
  • Presentation of the current Business Model and assist with building a new Domain Model for the unified EveryMatrix products
  • Assist Team Leader with the selection of technologies to be used in the project
  • Implementing SCRUM framework and methodologies and act as Product Owner inside the SCRUM team
  • Create and maintain product backlog for development
  • Managing and supporting the testing and implementation of business initiatives
  • Defined processes and tools best suited to other projects inside the company
  • Moved between agile and waterfall approaches depending on project specifics, creating detailed project road maps, plans, schedules and work breakdown structures
  • Ensuring project's stages are executed using agreed standards & processes
  • Reviewed and approved all project documentation

AdsWizz (www.adswizz.com)

Project Manager & Presales Manager

May 2010 - Jan. 2013

AdsWizz is an innovative technology provider of on-line audio & video advertising solutions with offices in the US and Europe. AdsWizz is the leading global advertising solution provider to the on-line audio and radio industries. AdsWizz' customers are leading online ad-sale houses, publishers, music platforms and advertisers.
As Project Manager and Presales Manager I was accountable for managing the delivery of critical integration projects, and for providing managerial support for all the projects conducted by the company. Also responsible for providing monthly financial and technical updates of any known issues/risks to Upper Management.

Technologies used in the project: Java, PHP, MySQL, Flash, HTML5, Icecast, Shoutcast, FMS, Wowza

Tasks and duties:

  • Understand market and clients needs and see what are the products from company portfolio that they can use or how can the portfolio be adjusted with minimum costs in order to fit the needs of the project
  • Preparing Project Initiation documentation
  • Responsible for costing, estimating and planning projects
  • Prepare validation for technical proof of concept before integration project is started
  • Integration and sign-off for server side (Linux, Windows) and client side (Flash/ActionScript, Javascript, HTML5, iOS&Android SDKs) software components
  • Maintaining and completing Project Key Performance Indicators
  • Coach junior PMs, Support, Integration
  • Tracking activities against the detailed project plans
  • Updating project plans to include agreed changes
  • Regular business trips to clients located worldwide, also worked remotely from Denver (US) for 6 weeks, for implementing a crucial project

GamMatrix at EveryMatrix

Project Manager

Jul. 2009 - May 2010

GamMatrix was established in August 2009 in Malta. It is the complete solution for all e-gaming requirements. GamMatrix handles a wide range of services, including Vendors Integration, CMS, Payment Processing, and Player Handling focusing on providing the best gaming management software to other businesses (SaaS). The Platform is integrated with more than 30 different Software APIs, and is both a flexible and scalable system. GamMatrix is also compliant with EU jurisdictions, and has a highly sophisticated role handling and auditing system.

Technologies used in the project: IIS, ASP.NET, MsSQL, Flash, HTML, JS.

Tasks in the project:

  • Study the existing products and market and write requirements&specifications for the new product
  • Making a project plan and assign tasks to members in the team according to their knowledge (one developer in Norway, one in Latvia, two in Romania, five in China)
  • Main link between customers and developers and the management teams
  • Follow the building process of the project and the workflow.
  • Responsible for client progress meetings on and off site

Adfactory88 at BetBrain.com

Project Manager

May 2007 - May 2010

AdFactory88 (rebranded PartnerMatrix) is a user friendly system to produce dynamic banners with fresh content and information as well as a gambling specific affiliation system. It is offering a web application that allows for easy creation of tens or hundreds of banners, customized to the sites and countries where clients advertise.
The delivery module was able to sustain over 2 billion hits/month with peaks of over 3000 impressions/second.
AdFactory88 also comes with a complete suite of marketing tools, allowing users to manage how banners are shown on various publishers sites and get detailed reporting.

Technologies used in the project: Apache/Ngnix/HAProxy, Tomcat, Java, HTML/AJAX, MySql.

Tasks in the project:

  • Study the existing products and market and write requirements&specifications for the new product
  • Build a technical team able to work at the project (up to six programmers in two offices - Bucharest Romania and Changsha China)
  • Making a project plan and assign tasks to members in the team according to their knowledge
  • Create a long term budget for the project
  • Follow the building process of the project and testing each phase/cycle
  • Launch of version 1.0 in December 2007 and writing speqs. for latter versions
  • Contacting clients that are interested in the product. Attending Gambling Conferences (CAC Amsterdam, Barcelona, ICE&CAP London etc.) in order to present the product
  • Online demos of the product plus building a documentation database (demo videos, user manuals, brochures, sales documents, marketing documents) for the product
  • Account Management for the current clients (keeping them up-to-date) with the latest releases
  • During the same period I helped the upper management of the company by supplying information/research and documents for future independent projects of the company

BetBrain.com (www.betbrain.com)

Marketing Coordinator

Feb. 2006 - May 2007

BetBrain provides a free web service, enabling users to compare odds in sports betting from worldwide bookmakers, for both pre-match and in-running events. Odds are automatically collected and updated in co-operation with the bookmakers listed at BetBrain.com. On top of that, BetBrain offers valuable sports information such as news highlights, stats and scores and odds history graphs.


Tasks:

  • Take care of the distributed/whitelabled solutions and xml feeds portfolio and adding new clients to it
  • Maintenance of BetBrain's language versions using Language Administration System and adding new partners willing to translate
  • Manage the editorial content on the English version of Betbrain.com using inhouse CMS
  • Manage the Search Engine Optimization project with the internal team and the outsourced contractor
  • TV deals with Romanian / Bulgarian televisions (TV Sport)
  • Manage the banner serving campaigns on Betbrain.com using FALK and OpenAds.
  • Establish and maintain contacts and deals with media partners
  • Other projects involving layout/ new features/ testing for BetBrain.com

BetBrain.com (www.betbrain.com)

Sales Coordinator

Sep. 2005-Feb. 2006

Tasks:

  • Take care of the distributed solutions and xml feeds portfolio and adding new clients to it
  • Maintain the relationship with existing clients, enhance the positioning of the BetBrain odds-comparison solution within their sites and look for new deals
  • Manage incoming solicitations regarding distribution of company's solution and partnership proposals
  • Manage and organize all company's commercial accounts within a CRM
  • Generate, filter and analyze monthly traffic statistics for company's portal
  • Administrate the work on the language-versions of the site (non-English)

Other activities

Web Consultant for gambling related projects that were launched on Romanian Market. Among these Victor Chandler Ltd (victorchandler.ro), Play65 (joc65.ro), and others. For these projects I coordinated the translation, advertising campaigns (online and offline), content, localization, adaption to market and other activities.

Education

1997 - 2001 National Collage Mihai Viteazul, Bucharest graduated in 2001 with 9.43 (mathematics)

2001 - 2006 Student at Polytechnics University of Bucharest, Electronics and Telecommunications Faculty (not graduated)

Fundamentals of Java Programming Language Sun (http://www.sun.com/training/catalog/courses/SL-110-SE6.xml)

HTML, CSS, FLASH and ActionScript basics, Official Course recognized by Romanian Ministry of Labor

Gabriel Pavel — [email protected]