Appnovator Spotlight: Anthony Bucci

Meet Anthony Bucci, our Senior Project Manager from Montreal, QC.

1. Who are you? What's your story?
To start, I'm a Montrealer! I've always had a great passion for management and technology which led me to John Molson School of Business (JMSB) at Concordia, where I got both my undergrad and graduate degrees. I pursued a Bachelors Degree in Management followed by an Executive Masters of Business Administration. With a background spread among multiple disciplines, I really felt that project management was the right choice for building my career.

2. What's your role at Appnovation?
Currently, I am a Senior Project Manager in the Technology Enabled Services (TES) division of Appnovation. I work primarily with our largest client, Pfizer, and advocate many ways to manage our projects whether it's through Waterfall, Agile, or a hybrid format. In this role, I enjoy the opportunity to leverage my interest in technology and use that to learn daily from my projects and from my colleagues. I also look to get a sense of continuous improvement for myself and also, for my colleagues, on a regular basis.

3. What's the greatest lesson you've learned in your professional career (or even personal life) that you would like to share with others?
Firstly, the greatest lesson I've learned is that the friends you make throughout your career will become your greatest support group/network on an ongoing basis whether you continue to work with them or not. I have had co-workers from past work experiences, and since the beginning, who I have stayed great friends with and whom I am thankful for as they've been a strong network both personally and professionally.

Secondly, it is important to recognize that ups and downs are part of the learning process. It is all in the attitude and the outlook you have towards those situations that bring you toward improvement.

4. What do you do outside of work?
I like to stay active in the community. You will often find me biking, walking, or hanging out with friends. As well, I do like to blog... I currently have one dedicated to my favourite European football team. To add, I definitely like to explore new ways of meditation and self-hacking to wellness; changing at what levels my consciousness can go. In part of this, I am always trying to learn something new whether it is for my career or simply for myself. Lastly, I do like to think of myself as "Montreal Ambassador," so, if you need any tips, directions, or suggestions about the city be it restaurants, activities, shopping, culture, etc., I am always happy to tell you more about my city.

5. Where do you hope to take your career at this point/what's next for you in your professional career?
I definitely look to inspire others with my experience. I find it to be vast and enriched and I really like to share that, so whatever type of role I can play that allows me to do that; sharing my skills, knowledge, experiences, etc. I find gratitude in the being able to accelerate my skills while also doing the same for the skills of others. This certainly doesn't have to be in just the realm of project management alone.

Lately, I have been very active with Atlassian certifications, so you can often find me using the Atlassian applications with additional functionality. It is important to me to be as well rounded as possible, and with that aspect, and thus, Atlassian is a great tool that exemplifies my passion for Agile.

*BONUS* What is one fun/random fact about you that many may not know?
I have a strong base of at least four languages (which are English, French, Spanish, and Italian) and am now working on German, Portuguese, and Dutch. A tip on how I do this? I usually will watch soccer games, and the UFC, in their native language, ie. Spanish or German, to get used to listening to the commentators. Another tip is to watch foreign movies and shows, or better yet, hang out with friends who speak those languages.