Jessie Thielen
Spring Valley
Summary
Strategic program leader with 20 years of experience delivering cross-departmental initiatives in healthcare payer, analytics, federal, and military sectors. Collaborates with executive leadership to drive KPI alignment, portfolio governance, and regulatory initiatives. Expertise in Agile program delivery, vendor governance, financial oversight, and risk management. PMP and SAFe-certified, skilled in translating strategic priorities into measurable outcomes and sustainable value.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Enterprise Program Strategy & Planning Leader
Medica
01.2023 - Current
- Partnered with executive leadership to define KPIs and OKRs, translating strategy into measurable portfolio roadmaps that enhanced alignment and focus.
- Launched executive-sponsored Tech Metrics Steering Committee and established a unified enterprise dashboard, creating a single source of truth for technology performance metrics and enabling organization-wide transparency and data-driven decision-making.
- Designed governance framework linking vendor performance to regulatory objectives, increasing executive visibility.
- Initiated and led enterprise vendor accountability dashboard aligning KPIs to STARS performance improvements and member outcomes.
- Oversaw multimillion-dollar labor and vendor budgets, achieving ~$3M reduction in quarterly overspend through effective forecasting and automation controls.
- Supported PI Planning cycles aligning resource capacity, milestones, and dependencies across business and technology.
- Mentored project managers and scrum masters in problem-solving sessions to identify root causes of delivery issues, strengthening Agile maturity and accountability across teams.
Senior Program Manager (Part Time)
Hope to Healing
Red Wing
01.2022 - Current
Project Manager (Consultant)
Mayo Clinic
01.2022 - 01.2023
- Collaborated with executive leadership to align cross-departmental transformation efforts in philanthropic performance improvement and Executive Health product development with enterprise strategic goals.
- Partnered with executive sponsors to lead CRM operating model transformation from centralized to federated structure amid 50% budget reduction, optimizing contractor utilization and portfolio alignment.
- Directed cross-departmental Agile transformation, clarifying hybrid team roles, formalizing transition plans, and improving execution transparency.
- Developed governance framework with KPI dashboards, vendor accountability metrics, scope and risk controls, and legacy systems migration to enhance financial discipline and delivery predictability.
Strategic Program Consultant
Medical Industry Leadership Institute
01.2018 - 01.2021
- Directed regulatory strategy for FDA 510(k) approval and ISO standards compliance.
- Led commercialization program for innovative medical device reducing surgical failure rates by up to 50%.
- Coordinated cross-functional stakeholders to achieve key development milestones.
Strategic Programs Leader & Program Manager
United States Navy
01.2001 - 01.2021
- Directed 250 cross-functional personnel to achieve program deliverables and commitments, resolved risks and dependencies, and maintained schedule adherence and quality standards in high-risk operational environments.
- Led diverse teams under pressure to successfully meet mission objectives.
- Developed strategic plans that improved operational efficiency and readiness.
- Coordinated logistics for personnel and equipment, ensuring effective deployment.
Education
MBA -
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MNBS - Aeronautics
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Daytona Beach, FLSkills
- Enterprise transformation
- Portfolio & Program Governance
- Change Management
- Agile planning
- KPI / OKR Development
- Risk management
- Financial oversight
- Steering reporting
- Vendor accountability
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Continuous Improvement
- STARS Regulatory Alignment
Certification
- PMP
- SAFe 6 Agilist
- SAFe Scrum Master
- Certified ScrumMaster
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
Core Capabilities
- Enterprise Transformation Programs
- Portfolio & Program Governance
- STARS Regulatory Alignment
- Vendor Performance Accountability
- KPI / OKR Development
- Executive Steering Reporting
- Program Financial Oversight
- Agile & PI Planning Alignment
- Risk & Dependency Management
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Continuous Improvement
Timeline
Enterprise Program Strategy & Planning Leader
Medica
01.2023 - Current
Senior Program Manager (Part Time)
Hope to Healing
01.2022 - Current
Project Manager (Consultant)
Mayo Clinic
01.2022 - 01.2023
Strategic Program Consultant
Medical Industry Leadership Institute
01.2018 - 01.2021
Strategic Programs Leader & Program Manager
United States Navy
01.2001 - 01.2021
MBA -
University of Minnesota
BS - Aeronautics
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University