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William Furniss
Business Analyst, Instructional Designer, e-Learning Developer

Hello,
my name is Bill and this is my resume/cv


About Me

I love business, and especially business optimization.  I enjoy the thrill of discovery when a complex problem is handed to me, and I get the opportunity to untangle the mess, identify the root causes, and develop optimized solutions that improve efficiencies and improve customer satisfaction.

As an Instructional Designer I have become very experienced in translating the learning objectives, and business and functional requirements of each project into meaningful, immersive learning experiences customized for each specific audience.

As an e-Learning Developer I enjoy building memorable interactions for quick information transfer and measurable improvement across the userbase using a variety of courseware assemblers and custom coded solutions.

As a Business Analyst I build relationships of trust with owners, managers, stakeholders and users to identify key product features and to ensure quality user experiences.

As a Manager, I have recruited and managed teams of up to 25 direct-reports, delivering compelling learning experiences across diverse topics from Stock and Options, Real Estate, Tax Liens and Tax Deeds, Asset Protection, eCommerce, and Personal Development, health & safety, and personal and leadership development.

I understand the unique learning needs of adults, and received a patent as co-creator of a training methodology used to instruct adult students in one-on-one, and many-on-one remote learning environments.

Education

  •   MS

    Master of Science - Learning Experience Design & Educational Technology

    This degree from Western Governors University pairs the science and philosophy of instructional design, with cutting-edge tools and technology to deliver deeply immersive, highly impactful learning experiences for adult learners.

  •   BS

    Bachelor of Science - Internet Technologies & Application Dev.

    Graduated with a BS in Web Design and Development from Utah Valley University. Areas of emphasis include Web Design, Interaction Design, Digital Product Design, VR/AR Content Development (Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality) HTML5/css3, and Responsive Design including scripting languages and database integrations.

  •   AS

    Associate of Science

    Following my experience in Brazil, I completed my Associates Degree, and began working towards my bachelor's degree.  I completed cross-discipline course work in Architecture, Engineering, Computer Science, and Multi-media Communications.

  •  2-YR
     Vol.
     Svc.

    2-Years Volunteer Service - Brasilia, Brazil

    What a learning experience!  I had the opportunity to step outside of myself to live with and serve the people of Brazil, fully immersing myself in the culture, language, and customs of some of the most beautiful and humble people on Earth.

  •   HS

    High School Graduate

    Moffat County High School, Craig, CO

Experience

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Current
Operational Functional Analyst
OFA supporting Oracle HCM Operational Payroll team for 35,000+ employees across the U.S. and Canada. Responsible for technical requirements elicitation and documentation, coordination with in-house developers as the direct vendor liason for Oracle HCM systems support, product enhancements, and maintenance. Managed support for payroll, time & absence, and human resources Oracle HCM tickets through all stages to resolution.
Integrity Marketing Group
2021 - 2023
Head of HR Technology
HRIS Product owner for company payroll, benefits, compensation, learning management systems for the largest private company in Texas with 7500 employees across all 50-states. Conducted business analysis and vendor selection for HCM/HRIS system selection, and implementation planning for 9-month transition from ADP to Workday HCM. Responsible for LMS Administration and content creation for annual compliance and leadership training across all business units.
The Church of
Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints
2018-2021
Learning Management Systems Administrator
Responsible for systems maintenance, user management, and reporting for an enterprise-level LMS application (NetDimensions) with 250,000+ active users, delivering more than 10,000+ active courses in 27-languages. As an LMS systems admin, I support the technical needs of a diverse customer base delivering corporate compliance-type elearning courses to audiences worldwide. I also have experience with Instructure Canvas Academic LMS both as a user and admin at the University-level.
Personics LLC
2015 - 2018
Lead Instructional Designer/eLearning Developer
Managed a high-demand product development/business analysis consulting company specializing in the creation of seminar-based training programs for the financial education industry. Consulted for some of the largest companies in the market space, developing print-based, and highly-interactive learning experiences for dozens of companies, including Fortune 500 organizations including MSNBC, and Time Warner Publications. In 2017, demand for the products we created helped to generate more than $200 Million in sales for our clients, with broad-market appeal across several industries, from Amazon Storefronts, to Real Estate, Tax Lien and Deed Investing, Stocks and Options courses to Bitcoin and Futures trading.
Lincoln Institute of Financial Education
2014 - 2015
Instructional Designer/Subject Matter Expert - Stocks & Options Trading
Developed and presented online training curriculum for Stocks and Options core training for a leading financial education company via Video-based and stand-alone eLearning modules created in Adobe Connect and Articulate Storyline II. Developed SCORM-compliant training systems and online content for multiple training topics delivered via weekly Webinar-based, and live instructor-led training using a custom integration of Moodle Rooms and Sugar CRM.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
2013 - 2014
Business Analyst
Responsible for identification and documentation of business, functional, and non-functional requirements for learning management systems for the 250,000+ users of online Church resources.  Developed RFP documentation for solicitation of proposals for Corporate and Academic LMS systems within the Church enterprise.
Furniss Technical Consulting
2004 -2013
Owner
Founded a Product Development company specializing in the development of adult education programs for the Financial Seminar Industry. Projects included web and print media-based courses for Real Estate, Stocks, Options, eBay Auctions, Tax Liens, and Asset Protection. Developed screencasts, Webinars, and other live-hosted content. Creation of Articulate Storyline-based online interactive training and assessment systems for web-based training and certification.
Imergent, Inc
2007 - 2010
Director of Instructional Technologies
Responsible for the development of print-based and web-based company certification programs for the industry's largest e-commerce entrepreneur company. Served as project manager for a company department responsible for the creation of SCORM compliant web-based degree and certificate programs for higher-education accreditation. Responsible for Interaction Design and conducting third-party external focus groups for overall project design.
NetMarketing Alliance
2004 - 2007
Vice President of Product Development
Responsible for creative development, design, and production of print-based, online, and instructor-led content for financial education systems for real estate, stocks and options, currency trading, tax-lien investing, and asset protection products sold online, and via live-event sales for an industry-leading financial education company with more than $250 Million in annual sales. Personally responsible for the successful capture of $9 Million in deferred revenue within 3-weeks utilizing a never-before attempted online delivery system, resulting in an increase in year-end revenues, and increased customer satisfaction and retention.
INVESTools, Inc
1999 - 2004
Director of Product Development
Responsible for the development of customer training curriculum for Stocks and Options investing seminar company.  Developed print-based instructional content, instructor-led course content and presentations, and introduced online learning systems to a new and ever-growing industry that soon became the single most profitable product vertical within the company.

Contact

801.899.9796
bill@williamfurniss.name
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamfurniss/

Skills

Instructional Design & eLearning Development
Business Analysis & Proposal Writing
Web Languages & Mobile Technologies
UX/UI Design & LMS Systems Administration
Personal Training & Product Development
Beginner
Proficient
Expert
Master

Languages

English
Portuguese (Brasil)

Hobbies

Camping & Fishing
Mountain Biking
Sculpting & Carving

SYSTEMS & SOFTWARE

Proficient in the use of the following Software/Systems:
(PC and/or Mac as applicable)

InDesign | Flash | DreamWeaver | PhotoShop | Illustrator | Premier | FinalCut | DVD StudioPro | Keynote | PowerPoint | Director | Word | Excel | Microsoft Visio | Microsoft SharePoint | Qualtrics | Articulate 2009 Suite | Articulate Storyline | Adobe Captivate | Camtasia Studio | HTML/XHTML | PHP | RSS Podcasting/Meta-Tags | Interaction Design | Sensorial Design | Experience Design | Go-To-Meeting | WebEx | Evergreen

Member of:
Interaction Designers in Utah Group, (IxDA-U)
International Institute of Business Analysts (IIBA)

Certified Scrum Master - Agile Software Development Process