Ron Stein

Operations Associate

Evanston, Illinois, United States29 yrs 11 mos experience

Highly Stable

Key Highlights

Led global cloud finance operations team.
Expert in AWS cost optimization strategies.
Rebuilt QA team while maintaining high quality.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a Fintech professional with expertise in cloud finance operations and quality assurance.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Cloud Finance OperationsProject ManagementQuality AssuranceAgile Methodologies

Other Skills

AWS cost allocationsTeam LeadershipCost OptimizationAWSCost ManagementCloud ServicesTeam ManagementProcess ImprovementAgile PracticesTestingSoftware Project ManagementScrumManagementSoftware Quality AssuranceRequirements Gathering

About

Currently managing a global cloud finance operations (FinOps) team for a world-class consulting company. Excellent communication skills, friendly, with an appropriately good sense of humor. Part diplomat and part enforcer with excellent project management skills. Excellent listener and very good business analyst too. (Listening is often the most overlooked component for Communication Skills.)

Experience

29 yrs 11 mos

Total Experience

3 yrs 10 mos

Average Tenure

Current Experience

Zs

IT Manager - Cloud FinOps

Dec 2020 – Sep 2025 · 4 yrs 9 mos · Evanston, IL

I've spent a long time at ZS in several roles and I'm currently a Cloud FinOps Manager. My team ensures transparency and clarity in AWS cost allocations. We also partner with our client teams and internal CCoE teams to optimize AWS spend.
After 10 years in QA at ZS Associates, I have shifted to managing the Cloud Finance Operations team.
Leading a global cloud finance operations team and reporting directly to the VP of Cloud Services at ZS. Our team oversees the licensing of ZS Associates Javelin, REVO and VERSO software for new contracts and renewals. Also improving efficiency within the team and decreasing the time from request for new software to activation.
We also help our clients and project teams to optimize their cloud (AWS) costs through the use of reserved instances, savings plans, rightsizing, modernization and other methods.

AWS cost allocationsCloud Finance OperationsProject ManagementTeam LeadershipCost Optimization

Finops foundation

Foundation Member

Oct 2020 – Sep 2025 · 4 yrs 11 mos · Evanston, Illinois, United States

Zs associates

QA Lead / QA Consultant

Mar 2006 – Apr 2016 · 10 yrs 1 mo · Evanston, IL

Our current QA team has had 100% turnover since the start of 2014, but I have been able to rebuild our team and maintain the same level of quality for our product. It's been a fun challenge to rebuild and provide mentoring and coaching to the QA team, as well as to the new members of the engineering team.
As QA Lead, I move information between teams (UX, Product Management, Project Management and Developers) to ensure the delivery of a quality product and to meet our software release timelines.
Manage matrix organizations for testing proprietary software. Also provides SME services to clients and those who configure our application.
Also responsible for managing an offshore team in India. Resolving employee issues and concerns, and providing coaching and mentoring to direct reports. And also lead training sessions for QA on new product features.
Software applications are mostly B2B web-based solutions. High-end products for a targeted audience.
Skilled in agile best-practices. Driving process improvements within the team, and helping the organization adopt best practices. We have two-week sprints and bi-weekly scrums for each feature team and sub-team. Also active participant in weekly Scrum of Scrums.
Provide support to resolve client issues.
Also worked with internal consulting teams to find solutions to gaps in the application when applying client business rules.
At ZS, I started at the bottom. ZS has only 6 levels from entry-level to Principal/Owner. I have been promoted twice and have been at my current level since 2010.
Active participant in recruiting of QA team conducting EBI behavioral interviews.
ZS only hires the best, and often makes experienced professionals start at entry-level position. Google Glassdoor and find that ZS is one of the toughest places to interview. In fact, we've been through 40 interviews for a starting QA Analyst position and still have not found someone for our organization.

Quality AssuranceTeam ManagementAgile MethodologiesProcess Improvement

Brooks brothers

sales associate

Jan 2005 – Jan 2005 · 0 mo · Woodfield Mall

Home

Recession victim

Jan 2002 – Jan 2004 · 2 yrs

Series of uneventful part-time jobs

Pricewaterhousecoopers

Consultant

Jan 2000 – Jan 2001 · 1 yr · Hartford, Connecticut Area

Worked in the HR Technology practice area..

Travelers insurance

Programmer/Analyst

Jan 1997 – Jan 2000 · 3 yrs · Hartford, Connecticut Area

Started as a COBOL programmer to maintain a home-grown benefits system. Moved into analyst role to create HR presence on corporate internet site.
Also lead the development of Travelers' intranet system.Create use cases for HR, Purchasing, Travel and other Corporate Systems to help them create their first intranet sites.