Samuel Mikel Bowles
Summary
Samuel is a business leader with more than 20 years experience delivering software solutions for a wide range of companies. He has lead teams to deliver more than a hundred software products which are used by thousands of businesses and millions of users every day. With deep experience in strategy, Human Centered Design, Agile software development, and Lean Startup, Samuel effectively balances the big picture with day-to-day delivery.
Experience
Pivotal Labs
Director, San Francisco Labs
- Managed key client accounts for American Express, The Gap, Chevron, GE, Intel and more
- Lead a software delivery team of over 100 managers and invidual contributors
- Presented to business leaders from more than a dozen countries in over 160 Executive Briefings
- Worked with other directors to implement an effective change management system
Mutually Human
Vice President
- Managed key client accounts for Apple, Toro, Dematic, the American Red Cross, and more
- Systematized sales and increased bookings by 50%
- Increased both top and bottom line revenue by 100%
- Improved the hiring process and managed the team through 150% growth
- Lead a brand & marketing project to reestablish the firm’s national position
Atomic Object
Director of User Experience
- Consulted key clients including X-Rite, Fiserv, The World Bank, and various startups
- Built the design team at this engineering-lead company
- Established a set of best practices for integrating User Centered Design and Agile
- Developed an estimation framework for integrated design and development work
Six Voices
Director of User Experience
- Launched over 30 iPhone applications with 4-plus star reviews
- Established and managed a team of ten international designers and editors
- Built a scalable production system including people, tools, and processes
- Designed the company's full brand identity, mobile platform, and iPhone applications
Duovox
Owner, Interaction Designer
- Independently ran a profitable small business including all sales and business development
- Provided business and product strategy for national and international clients
- Provided interaction design for clients from a variety of industries
The Image Group
Information Architect
- Provided information architecture and interaction design for small to Fortune 50 companies
- Executed new technology research for clients and our twenty-person web team
- Organized team training and marketing events
Greymatter Group
Production Artist
- Letter-by-letter kerning in final layouts for best selling book covers
- Pre-press production co-ordination on book covers, magazine ads, and point-of-purchase displays
- Designed and wrote an ad for placement in a national ad campaign
Service
- Local Leader—IxDA Grand Rapids
- Co-Chair—Midwest UX 2013
- Board Member—Academy of Business, Leadership & Entrepreneurship (GRPS Innovation Central)
- Committee Member—Grand Rapids Community College Computer Information Systems Program
- Member—Board of Advisors, Human Practice, Inc.
- Adjunct Instructor—Kendall College of Art & Design and W. Michigan Center for Arts & Technology
Skills
Samuel has helped train more than a dozen of the nation's largest organizations in the implementation of Agile software development processes. He also has a strong background in User Centered Design, which he has used to help guide product decissions and build high-functioning design teams. By applying Lean Startup methods in both small business and enterprise contexts, he has helped organizations innovate at scale.