John J. Xenakis - Resume - DOC and Text Formats

Click here for: Resume in DOC format (updated November 2018).

Click here for: Resume Addendum (Detailed descriptions of selected projects)

Click here for: JWallBall -- a free addictive fast-moving Android arcade game by John Xenakis

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JOHN J. XENAKIS
100 Memorial Drive #8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
617-864-0010
john@jxenakis.com
www.jxenakis.com
Resume DOC/Word file: www.jxenakis.com/resume

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
--------------------

Highly experienced Senior Software Engineer, Computer Scientist and
Systems Analyst with special expertise in large software systems,
financial applications and mathematical algorithms, with 35+ year
career successfully developing dozens of applications of all sizes and
complexity.

* Development experience includes everything from core computer
system software to highly complex systems implementing a wide
variety of applications on multiple platforms (GUI, browser,
middle tier, back end server, data base, network components,
Windows, Unix).

* Special expertise in financial applications and mathematical
algorithms.

* Special expertise and methodologies for handling legacy code,
fixing "day one" bugs and transforming (refactoring) the code into
other platforms and languages.

* Experienced in all development methodologies, including Agile,
Kanban, Waterfall, and Heads-down Programming.

* Writes frequently on subjects related to analysis of computer
systems and computer systems management. Able to quickly assess
software and systems development objectives and plans, and provide
recommendations or specifications as needed.

* Previous employers include United Health/Optum, Ability Networks,
Nectar Corp., US Dept. of Transportation, US Air Force, CAC
International, IBM, Standard & Poors, Sun Microsystems, Staples,
Reebok, Fidelity Investments and HP/Compaq/DEC. Developed and
taught advanced object-oriented programming courses in C++ and
Java.

Online resume and extended resume: http://jxenakis.com/resume

TECHNICAL SUMMARY
-----------------

LANGUAGES: Java, Groovy, XML, Json, Spock, C#/.NET, C++, JavaScript,
Perl, SQL, VBA, various legacy and assembler and scripting languages.

WEB INTERFACES: HTML, JavaScript, JQuery, VBScript, ASP, ASP.NET, JSP,
XML, SAX, iPlanet Web Server, IIS, Web Services, Apache, Tomcat

NETWORKING: TCP/IP, VPN, Java RMI, Telnet, TN3270, SNMP

DATABASES: MySql, Oracle, SQL Server, Microsoft Access, Sybase,
Informix, SQL, ODBC, ADO, MyBatis framework, Apache Derby, SqlLite

PLATFORMS: Android, Android Studio, Spring, Spring Batch, IntelliJ,
VMWare, Windows, Linux, Macintosh Linux, UNIX, Sun Workstation, Red
Hat, J2EE, Eclipse, Apache, Visual Studio

USER INTERFACES: Android, Browser/HTML, Windows, Java AWT, Java Swing,
MFC, ATL, COM, DCOM, SAX, ActiveX, NET, WinForms, WPF, Motif

SOFTWARE: JUnit, Spock unit test, Unicode Data Flow, SQA Robot, IBM's
ICU, CVS, Git, Clearcase

LEGACY: IBM Mainframe, 3270DS (3270 Data Stream) Emulation, PL/I (PL1),
COBOL, DEC VAX, DCL, Assembler

METHODOLOGIES: Object-Oriented Design/Development,
Scientific/Mathematical Algorithms, Agile, Kanban, Waterfall

ENCRYPTION: DES, AES (Rjindael), RSA

SECURITY CLEARANCE
------------------
DoD Secret Clearance (expired)

ANDROID APP - JWallBall
-----------------------
Try the free new addictive Android arcade game: JWallBall
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jxenakis.jwallball

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
-----------------------

PERSONAL PROJECT 2012-Present
ANDROID APP DEVELOPMENT

Developing sophisticated Android apps as a personal project:

* JWallBall," a fast-moving arcade game, bringing the classic "wallball"
game up to date. Try it yourself!
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jxenakis.mathgame

* "Xenakis Professional Debt Calculator," a sophisticated financial
application implementing expert financial computations and
mathematical algorithms. The app implements the Federal Reserve
Truth in Lending Law (Regulation Z) to analyze complex debt
transactions. The app also includes functionality to access
Zillow's web service for real estate and demographic information
for any city.
Web site: http://www.prodebtcalc.com
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jxenakis.prodebtcalc

* "Xenakis MathGame" presents dozens of different math problems
graded K-12 and grades the user. The app can be used by
educators in lieu of math aptitude tests. Implementation of the
app was complex because it generates problems with random
parameters and still guarantees that the problems have unique
solutions.
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jxenakis.mathgame

GQ LIFE SCIENCES / APTEAN, BOSTON, 4/2017-6/2017
SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Took control of a big data project to convert a database of 900,000
gene sequence patents in raw form to a structured database format
suitable for patent searches. The technology involved using Spring
Batch to process records and map all 69 fields of each record into the
new structured format, to create new structured records for each gene
sequence patent, requiring parsing and conversion of 60 million data
fields. Tools included Java, Spring, Spring Batch, and IntelliJ
running on Apple Macintosh Linux.

UNITED HEALTH GROUP / OPTUM, BOSTON 9/2016-2/2017
SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER
Full-stack Java development for online medical claims processing
software. Developed Restful web services, JSON and XML interfaces,
browser interfaces, web pages, controllers, services, in several
languages, including Java, Groovy, XML, JSON, and using a variety of
technologies, including Linux, Vmware, Intellij, Spring, Apache,
Maven, MSSQL, SQL tables, SQL views. Also, developed unit tests using
Google's Spock unit test technology.

ABC SOILS, WAYLAND MA 11/2015-5/2016
CONSULTANT

Took control of a large Microsoft Access data base with thousands of
tables, queries, forms, reports, SQL blocks and VBA blocks. The
previous developer had worked on it for ten years, but left behind no
documentation, and thousands of lines of VBA code that were
uncommented, and contained hundreds of non-mnemonic symbols like t92
and j56, related to each other in obscure ways. In a 3-week project,
performed a complete analysis, automated with scripts and other tools,
and produced several documents revealing all the internal
relationships, allowing new functionality and improvements to the user
interface.

ABILITY NETWORKS, BOSTON MA 4/2013-10/2014
SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Full-stack Java development on Ease, a large web-based highly threaded
real-time Medicare payment system, which has 30,000 online (SaaS)
users. A user logs into Ease and makes a Medicare claim. Ease then
logs into the Medicare IBM mainframe and uses screen-scraping to enter
the claim data and harvest the results.

* Added numerous UI features, using HTML, JSP, Javascript, JQuery

* Identified and fixed numerous thread synchronization bugs. Ease
runs 40-80 simultaneous jobs in different threads.

* Repaired several complex SQL statements. A single SQL statement
might be 300 lines long, joining 10-15 tables, with complex WHERE
clauses that implemented federal Medicare regulations.

* Fixed bugs in the link to the Medicare IBM mainframe in
Washington. The messaging was accomplished through IBM 3270 data
streams (1960s technology).

NECTAR CORPORATION, BURLINGTON, MA 3/2012 – 2/2013
SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Full-stack Java development on Nectar's Converged Management Platform
(CMP), a heavily networked/threaded system capable of simultaneously
monitoring thousands of voice over IP (VoIP) and network devices,
including such measures as quality of server (QoS) across an
enterprise's entire phone system.

* Took control of the entire Reporter subsystem. Developed a
"Visio-like" graphical interface to the report generator, allowing
a user to "drag and drop" various chart and table types onto
pages.

* Designed and implemented a new system API to replace all the
ad-hoc accesses to server data with a consistent API for obtaining
data and data feeds.

DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION (COMPUTER SCIENCES CORP) 8/2008 – 9/2011
SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Develop enhancements to FAA's national Traffic Flow Management (TFM)
system, related to the automated rerouting of plane flights due to
weather or overcrowded skies.

* Development of the Traffic Situation Display (TSD), a complex
C++/STL program that displays all flights in real time on a large
map, enabling drill-down into specific details for particular
flights, routes or regions. Play key role in turning TSD into a
sophisticated real time system with numerous types of network
messages and dozens of new Motif dialog boxes.

* Developed a unique Quality Assurance AutoTest and data
visualization tool that greatly improved productivity, by running
tests with the Motif GUI under script control, executing scripts
involving any of TSD's 200 dialog boxes and menu commands and
tracking incoming/outgoing network messages. Resulted in rapid
identification of problems.

This quality assurance tool is described in detail in:
http://jxenakis.com/resume/AutoTest-Xenakis-110509.pdf

XENAKIS CONSULTING SERVICES, Cambridge, MA; 1979 - Present
PRINCIPAL/LEAD SOFTWARE/WEB DEVELOPER/ANALYST; 28+ years

Major Clients: US Dept. of Transportation, US Air Force, CAC
International, Standard & Poors, Staples, Sybase, Sun Microsystems,
Reebok, Fidelity Investments, HP/Compaq/DEC, Northrop, IBM, State
Street Bank, Thomson Financial, Boston Technologies, Digimarc

Founder and Lead Consultant for successful IT consulting firm
providing Web development, networking, database, software application
and hardware design, deployment and support for a wide range of
clients in the IT, electronics, manufacturing, defense contracting and
investment/banking industries.

* Drive all business development, cultivate and build client
relationships and oversee administrative operations.

* Supplied leadership and oversight for wide range of
business-critical projects, including one of the few complete C#
and ASP.NET Truth-in-Lending Law implementations to date.

KEY PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

* EZECASTLE SOFTWARE (Brief project) Remediate problems in
UI/server communications. Uses Microsoft CAB in C# running
with VS 2010 on Windows 7 with WinForms and .Net 4.

* BOSTON TECHNOLOGIES: Designed and implemented a major enhancement
to the company's standalone "bridge" product line, enabling
components to be distributed over networks. Used Java J2EE with
Swing and RMI. The application was an online Forex currency
trading system integrated with MetaQuotes' MetaTrader4 trading
platform.

* DIGIMARC CORP: Central resource on project to create and install a
.NET/C# system, encompassing database access (SQL and
Pervasive/Btrieve), message queuing, integrated error and
exception handling, with function calling to and from existing C
DLLs. Included an IIS Web Service (ASMX). WinForms UI.

* US AIR FORCE (CAC International): Played primary role in
successful design and implementation of CITS Block 30, a
high-security networked system being deployed throughout the US
Air Force, using ASP.net, IIS 6, Apache, Tomcat, Java, Perl,
Netcool, BMC Remedy, Active Directory (AD), Directory Name
Services (DNS) and related security tools.

* 401KLOANS.COM: Deployed a C# and ASP.NET application supporting
the Federal Reserve Truth in Lending Law (Regulation Z, Appendix
J).

* COMPENDIUM RESEARCH:

- Assumed control of major C++ project to load 60 GB of data,
running on Windows/Linux and delivered on time.
Parsed/processed hundreds of 30MB files, producing output
suitable for Oracle's SQL*Loader.

- Built JavaScript programs driving mortgage computations.

* STANDARD & POOR'S FINANCIAL COMMUNICATIONS: Took over major C++
development project that was slipping badly and brought it back on
schedule. Significantly enhanced both the American Express
Financial Library Website and Merrill Lynch Investor Education
Center Website

- Site development required integration/implementation of numerous
technologies: JSP, Java, JavaScript, HTML, Perl. Sites ran on
an iPlanet Web server accessing a Sun/Solaris- based Oracle
database.

- Applied a homegrown Content Management System (CMS).

* THOMSON FINANCIAL-ELECTRONIC SETTLEMENTS GROUP: Modified
middleware interface to support XML/SAX transactions for
AlertDirect, a host-to-host transaction- based management/alerting
system for financial services firms.

* STATE STREET BANK: Built front-end (Windows COM, ActiveX, MFC),
middleware and led back-end (UNIX) development of a large
multi-national financial application.

- Application was written in cross-platform C++, linked to
multiple databases (Oracle, SQL Server, Sybase, Informix, ODBC,
ADO), and communicated (TCP/IP) over multiple UNIX and Windows
servers.

- Installed VPN applying DES and AES (Rijndael) encryption.

* STAPLES: Created VB tools to fully support applications on
www.staples.com site. Automated real-time Website monitoring with
service interruption alarms. Other applications targeted IIS and
SQL Server.

* DASH.COM: Implemented Website, built client-side applications (C++
and Java, using ActiveX and COM with ATL) controlling Internet
Explorer, and analyzed HTML from e- commerce Websites.

* ACCOUNTABLE BUSINESS SERVICES: Wrote ActiveX controls (using ATL
and COM/DCOM,) that enabled data sharing between clients and
servers for accounting systems.

* NORTHROP CORPORATION: Developed embedded operating systems on
multiple microcomputer CPUs, including device drivers and
simulators.

- Constructed development tools for embedded systems.

- Launched dozens of system administration tools in VAX DCL.

- Created floating point and hardware simulators in VAX Assembler
and C.

* PROCESS SOFTWARE: Successfully converted large C/Win16 product to
C++/Win32. Took control of project that was significantly behind
schedule and led to on-time delivery. Designed/deployed C++
multi-tasked/multi-threaded QA program (NT) for testing network
communications product.

* HP/COMPAQ COMPUTER/DEC: Used VB to build Sales Workbench, a
program with a GUI integrating a collection of remote laptop
tools.

* Reebok: Launched VB applications that provided an interactive data
transfer between PC and mainframe.

* FIDELITY INVESTMENTS: Developed financial application used by
telemarketers to track clients' portfolios and automatically
generate trades, as well as performing account
allocation/rebalancing on a monthly basis (C).

PRIOR EXPERIENCE
----------------
Held positions as Marketing/Production Manager, Consultant and Senior
Developer with Digital Equipment and IBM.

PUBLICATIONS/DOCUMENTATION
--------------------------
Noted Author of books, articles, manuals, reports and procedures for
range of clients and media outlets.

* Datacap, Inc.: As Senior Technical Writer, prepared/upgraded
installation, user and developer manuals on "rush" basis for
on-time product release.

* Wrote hundreds of articles for CFO Magazine, InformationWeek,
ComputerWorld, The Boston Globe, PC Magazine and many others.

* Tech Editor for CFO.com. Wrote weekly column, "Xenakis on
Technology".

* Published book, "Generational Dynamics: Forecasting America's
Destiny" in 2004, comparing changes in attitudes during historical
periods/major crises. Published hundreds of articles on web site
http://GenerationalDynamics.com .

RECENT BLOG POSTS
-----------------

Recent blog posts on technical issues

** Artificial Intelligence and the Singularity by 2030

This technical article describes the "intelligent computer algorithm"
that will be implemented to make computers more intelligent than
humans. The only reason that it can't be implemented today is that
computers are not fast enough. By applying Moore's Law, we can
estimate with reasonable certainty that the Singularity will occur
around 2030. This article also speculates what will happen after the
Singularity.

http://www.generationaldynamics.com/pg/ww2010.i.singularity151228.htm

** China's game of Go beaten by Google's AI software, bringing the Singularity closer

AI experts at Google's DeepMind used neural network technology to
write a program that, for the time, can beat masters at Go. This is
significant because Go is massively more complex than chess, and
brings the world one step closer to the Singularity, the point in time
where computers are more intelligent than humans.

http://www.generationaldynamics.com/pg/xct.gd.e160128.htm

** For academics: Dysfunction, subversion, sabotage and fraud in software development projects

Research by Robert L. Glass found that about 20% of all software
development projects are sabotaged by stakeholders -- people who, for
one reason or another, do not want the project to succeed. This is a
major problem throughout the industry. My own research shows that
about 5% of development projects are almost totally dysfunctional,
with no credible project plan or schedule, going on just to collect
funding for as long as possible before the project crashes.

http://www.generationaldynamics.com/pg/ww2010.i.academic150823.htm

** A primer on financial engineering and structured finance

This January 2008 article was written at the height of the financial
crisis. It describes the financial calculations and algorithms used
to create collaterized debt obligations (CDOs) and other financial
derivatives, and how bankers manipulated the algorithms to defraud
the public and create the financial crisis.

http://www.generationaldynamics.com/pg/ww2010.i.cdo080123.htm

** Healthcare.gov -- The greatest software development disaster in history

On the afternoon of October 1, 2013, President Obama stood up at a
press conference to launch Obamacare. When a reporter asked why so
few people could log on, he answered that millions of people were
enrolling for insurance, so the web sites were slow. As it turned
out, only six people across the country were able to enroll on that
day. How is it possible that Obama and the entire White House were so
completely blindsided by the disaster that was already unfolding that
they didn't even know what was going on hours after the launch had
begun? How many people had to lie? How many people had to commit
fraud? How many people had to be silenced or fired? How many layers
of management were lied to, to prevent Obama from knowing the size of
the disaster, hours after the disaster was already in progress? This
article, based on interviews with contractors and whistleblowers,
provides the answers.

http://www.generationaldynamics.com/pg/ww2010.i.hcgov150823.htm

** Independent Review of Mobilengine Developer Documentation

http://mobilengine.com/independent-review-mobilengine-developer-documentation/

INSTRUCTION/TRAINING
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Delivered courses/workshops to enhance employee skills and enable them
to earn credits toward IT-related degrees in corporate and university
settings.

* Courses: Java and Java for C/C++ Programmers, Windows Development
in C/C++, C++/OOD for C Programmers

* Locations: EMC Corp./Sybase Corp. via Northeastern University, Sun
Microsystems, Process Software Corp.

EDUCATION
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Ph.D., Mathematics (All but thesis)
B.S., Mathematics

Speaks German, French