About the Authors

Alice Zavala is a senior management professional with over 25 years of experience in program and project management, operational management, sales and marketing, information technology, customer service, training, curriculum design, and formal facilitation. Her experience spans numerous industries and organizations, including the SABRE Group, Delta Air Lines, American Air Lines, Toyota Financial Services, CitiFinancial Auto, Constellation Energy, and multiple federal agencies including NARA, OPM, and an agency within the intelligence community.

Ms. Zavala specializes in designing, launching, and improving project management offices, project management maturity assessments, requirements maturity management, developing and implementing coaching and mentoring programs, designing and implementing enterprise portfolio management methods, planning and executing projects, rescuing troubled projects, and business process reengineering.

Kathleen B. Hass is the Project Management and Business Analysis Practice Leader for Management Concepts. Ms. Hass is a prominent presenter at industry conferences and is an author and lecturer in strategic project management and business analysis disciplines. Her expertise includes leading technology and softwareintensive projects, building and leading strategic project teams, and conducting program management for large, complex engagements. Ms. Hass has more than 25 years of experience in project management and business analysis, including project portfolio managementimp lementation, project office creation and management, business process reengineering, IT applications development and technology deployment, project management and business analysis training and mentoring, and requirements management. Ms. Hass has managed large, complex projects in the airline, telecommunications, retail, and manufacturing industries and in the U.S. federal government.

Ms. Hass’ consulting experience includes engagements with multiple agencies within the federal government, such as USDA, USGS, NARA, and an agency within the intelligence community, as well as industry engagements at Colorado Springs Utilities, Toyota Financial Services, Toyota Motor Sales, the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, Hilti US Inc., The SABRE Group, Sulzer Medica, and Qwest Communications. Client services have included maturity assessment, project quality and risk assessment, project launches, troubled project recovery, risk management, and implementation of program management offices and strategic planning and project portfolio management processes.

Ms. Hass earned a B.A. in business administration with summa cum laude honors from Western Connecticut University.