Gary Merrifield, PMP, CTFL, CSM, Author

Gary Merrifield has a diverse work experience spanning over several companies and roles. Starting in 1994, they worked as a Project Manager and Developer at Compuware, where they led large-scale projects for state and private organizations. Gary also created application development strategies for diverse organizations. In 2003, they became a Project Management Director at Equifax Enabling Technologies and later at APPRO CRIF LLC, where they built cross-functional teams and managed IT portfolios. Gary adopted Agile principles and techniques in conjunction with Waterfall methodology.

In 2011, Merrifield joined Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana as the Manager of IT Project Delivery, where they introduced a Program Management role and created an Enterprise Portfolio Analysis Group. In 2016, they became the Manager of IT QA Discipline and Analytics, where they led a diverse team and reduced the use of contractors.

From 2017 to 2020, Merrifield worked at Crescent Bank & Trust, first as the VP and Director of Business Systems Analysis, and later as the AVP and Project Portfolio Manager. In these roles, they enabled bank executives to make informed decisions, implemented a Hybrid project management approach using Planview's PPM Pro and LeanKit tools, and created a centralized reporting solution for portfolio management.

Merrifield has also been involved in writing and published The Modern Warlock series in 2019. Currently, they work at Winmill Software as a Project Portfolio Manager. Additionally, they own DRGN Tech Services and works as a Project Management Consultant. Gary served as the IT Statewide Project Officer for the State of Louisiana from 2020 to 2021. Throughout their career, Merrifield has obtained certifications such as PMP, CTFL, and CSM.

Gary Merrifield, PMP, CTFL, CSM, is an author with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems, with a minor in Business Administration from Humboldt State University. Gary obtained the certification of Certified Tester, Foundation Level from the International Software Testing Qualifications Board in June 2016. In December 2019, they obtained the SAFE 4.6 Scrum Master certification from the Scaled Agile Framework. In July 2022, they obtained the Certified SAFe® 5 Agilist certification from Scaled Agile, Inc. Additionally, in April 2023, they obtained the Certified SAFe® 6 Agilist certification from Scaled Agile, Inc. Gary is also in the process of obtaining the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute.