The work
The hardest problems are rarely technical.
They come down to people, priorities, unclear ownership, and customer needs that have not been made explicit—then translating those into plans teams can actually deliver.
About
People first.
Always.
Across 17+ years leading digital projects, programs, and product initiatives, I have learned that the biggest risks are rarely scope or process. They come from concerns that have not yet been voiced, and from user and business needs that have not yet been made explicit. Empathy is one of the most valuable tools I bring: listening carefully, asking better questions, and translating those needs into practical plans so teams can move with trust instead of friction.
I work at the intersection of product, delivery, and customer value. That mix of collaborative leadership and practical stewardship is how I have managed more than $12M in client work, supported roadmap-adjacent planning across SaaS and CMS ecosystems, scaled a global platform program across 200+ localized websites, and led a cross-functional team to the winning submission in Sitecore’s inaugural Agentic AI Partner Challenge.
- Experience
- 17+ years
- Client work
- $12M+
- Global scale
- 200+ websites
Experience
Built in the
work itself.
2022 — Present
Senior Project Manager
Horizontal Digital
Leads complex SaaS, CMS, and enterprise platform programs from discovery through launch and optimization, combining product-minded delivery, client partnership, and financial management. Managed more than $12M in client work; supported roadmap-adjacent planning across product and platform workstreams; led the largest workstream on a global program spanning 200+ localized websites; guided the winning Sitecore Agentic AI Partner Challenge team; and built the delivery foundation for a partnership now valued at about $4M.
St. Louis Park, Minnesota
2016 — 2022
Project Manager
The Nerdery
Managed client-facing and internal digital product, platform, and implementation work across healthcare, entertainment, financial services, government, and retail. Oversaw a $1.5M multi-workstream account as the primary delivery partner from discovery through launch, facilitating roadmap planning, requirements, and stakeholder alignment.
Bloomington, Minnesota
2008 — 2016
Customer Support & Production Coordinator
Tecnavia Press
Coordinated technical implementations and daily digital production for major media organizations—from requirements gathering through launch—and built training and QA practices that improved adoption and turnaround.
Burnsville, Minnesota
How I lead
From uncertain
to inevitable.
- 01
Create clarity
Turn competing priorities, vague requirements, and undefined ownership into decisions teams can act on—including tradeoffs, feasibility, and what to ship next.
- 02
Lead with empathy
Listen carefully, surface unvoiced concerns, and build the trust cross-functional teams need to solve hard problems together.
- 03
Steward the work
Pair financial discipline and governance with delivery systems that protect long-term product health, not just the next launch.
What colleagues say
Trusted when the work gets hard.
“Sam took the lead on multiple workstreams simultaneously and handled it with ease. He always came to meetings well prepared, and if a question sat outside his wheelhouse, he worked to learn the details before he spoke.”
“Sam has an amazing talent for clarifying vague project requirements, staying on top of client communication, and managing expectations and scope in a tactful manner.”
Foundation
University of St. Thomas
B.A., Business Administration — Entrepreneurship
2004 — 2008
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Scrum Alliance — issued 2021, expires 2027