Alexei Ovtcharov

5470 S. Everett #3 Chicago IL 60615 (773) 309-1461

alexei@ovtcharov.net http://ovtcharov.net

OBJECTIVES
What I can contribute to the company, what I want, and what I need
I want to use my 20+ years of experience in GUI design, C#/.NET, and dozens of other languages, platforms and technologies in a mutually beneficial way for both my employer and myself. I can and I want to contribute to interaction design: to work with end users, to hear their complaints and to understand their frustrations. I can and I want either to create alternative solutions or to improve existing ones. I love to work in a group a fun and effective way to get good results quickly. I can and I want to participate in implementing solutions hands-on. I believe that in user interface/interaction design one seldom achieves professional yet innovative results without extensive trial and error. I will never get tired of explaining interaction design/user interface concepts to anyone interested; at the same time Im a grateful learner and love when someone teaches me things I did not know. I dont run from a dirty work, i.e. mundane (from my prospective) programmers tasks: bug hunting, testing, handling an issue tracking system, implementing non-UI related tasks etc.

Im looking for an environment where original ideas are valued as much as, if not more than, just effort. I believe I thrive best in settings that foster creativity and where ideas fly. One of everyones natural goals is to feel happy. In a professional sense Im happy when I
Generate new ideas: alone, in a heated discussion with a colleague, or in a group brainstorm. See how these ideas are being perfected in substance and form. Overhear users and stakeholders compliments for making their lives a bit easier and happier.

Professional Credo:
There is no need to sacrifice beauty for usability or, for that matter, usability for beauty. No need to sacrifice cost or function, time to manufacture, or sales. It is possible to create things that are both creative and usable, pleasurable and completely workable. Art and beauty play essential roles in our lives. Good designs will have it all aesthetic pleasure, art, creativity and at the same time be usable, workable and enjoyable. (Donald Norman)

SKILLS, TOOLS, QUALIFICATIONS

C# professional hands-on knowledge (from 1.1 to 4.0) my main development language for the last six years. C/C++ my main development language prior to C# (Microsoft Visual C++ with MFC) more than ten years of experience), but naturally not the first choice now. Interaction and visual design, user interface usability: This includes the entire UI design process from watching users at work to polishing the implemented solution. Once the solution is found, I am very detail-oriented. It does not mean that a user-exposed piece of software should be polished indefinitely, but good enough does not work for me either. Deep understanding of the underlying business (primarily different types of financial derivatives, including standard and custom strategies pricing, hedging, market participation, including market making). Experience in using UNIX, database programming, cross-platform development, porting code to other platforms, web programming (HTML, JavaScript, ASP.NET). Deep theoretical knowledge of modern computer science concepts and practices. Practical usage of enterprise-wise processes and tools that save time and boost productivity, including communication with QA, release process, defect tracking, source control everything that even a small company cannot live without nowadays. Though I prefer to work with user interfaces, I have decent architectural and other developers skills: I have a proven ability to develop features and entire subsystems vertically, independently or as a part of a team.

Alexei Ovtcharov

Reading and understanding my code does not require a group of experts: my coding style is consistent, algorithms are selfdocumentary /* comments are used but not overused */; My intellectual curiosity often carries me far beyond my professional domain, to the facts and concepts I never encountered before. I enjoy that intensely, and I think that the phrase useless knowledge is an oxymoron. Great ability to resolve conflicts. Willing to listen to alternative opinions and can find compromises in dead-end situations. Can acknowledge my mistakes and appreciate a better approach, yet should I believe my approach to be correct, I willingly assert my rationale. Bi-lingual: Russian (native), English. I am a US citizen. Good sense of humor, good cook, happy dad and husband.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Optionshop (January 2011 February 2013)

Position: Senior Software Engineer Major projects and activities:

Designed and implemented a Windows .NET client for a proprietary client-server trading system. Market: a retail

customer (i.e.not a professional trader), who wants professionally sophisticated trading tools. Market niche: exchangetraded commodity options and futures.

The Windows client has been developed from scratch, using a myriad of original ideas the result of previous experiences, multiple brainstorms, discussions, and illuminations. While initially I started working on the client part of the system alone, eventually more developers were hired; they helped in extending the client, testing and fixing bugs. Overall, in addition to the initial architecture, interaction design and overall look and feel, I contributed ~60% of the code, hours of testing and bug fixing. There are many features that I am proud of and I will be happy to talk about them (with screenshots supplied). Currently the product is in the beta phase and has approximately 100 clients/beta testers. The initial user reactions are very favorable.

Platforms, development environment, languages and tools: Microsoft Windows .NET 4.0, Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 / ReSharper, Syncfusion (grids and docking), Balsamiq Mockups, Adobe Photoshop, various graphical tools.

Independent contractor (June 2010 December 2010)

Position: Senior Software Engineer / Interaction designer / UI developer Was contracted by Urius Software Consulting to design and develop its clients option pricing screen in a web-based currency options exchange. I led a team of 3 people.

Proposed an elaborated web screen design based on technical requirements. Implemented an adapter/validation library to facilitate communications between the web screen and the server. Designed and implemented elaborate supplementary WinForms-based user interface to the pricing engine. Served as a business subject expert (currency options) to the team.

Chicago Trading Company Holdings, LLC (November 2006 March 2010)

Position: Senior Software Engineer Major projects and activities:

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Two generations of the companys proprietary flagship trading software:

The first generation is in production (basically a desktop application). Team of ten developers constantly worked on this product. My role was to work closely with traders to find ways to implement user-desired features and program them; find and fix problems, troubleshoot unexpected behavior. Working together with QA and Application Support was key. This product is a major money maker for the company.

The second generation is a client-server. At the time I joined the team, the server part was practically implemented. Though I believe that the client should have been starting developing much earlier in the process, I was able to design the entire client solution. In the team of seven people, I was the only one 100% responsible for the client part: two more people worked on the client part-time, and the rest of the team on the server only. My responsibilities covered virtually all the aspects of the client: Visual solutions (dockable windows environment, grids, interaction elements based on standard Windows Forms, consistent look and feel). Underlying architecture, based on observer pattern (internal messaging / communication, persistence, server connection). During user interface development, I designed and implemented many Windows Forms custom controls to perfect user experience. Closely worked with dedicated users (traders) to evaluate prototypes and discuss new ideas.

Since the software is not in production yet, it is difficult to monetize its value, but it has great potential. First, performance is measurably higher by orders of magnitude; second, consistent look and feel and very well-thought-through interaction logic greatly increased user satisfaction, and hence productivity. Provided colleagues from other groups with consultations on visual interaction design, overall solution ideas sometimes up to writing prototypes. Platforms, development environment, languages and tools: Microsoft Windows .NET 1.13.5, Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 / ReSharper, Janus Studio (views and docking), 9Rays FlyGrid (grid), Google Protocol Buffers, Spring, Adobe Photoshop, various graphical tools.

Derivatech Risk Solutions (1996 2006) (bought by Sungard Data Systems in 2004)
Position: Senior Software Engineer Major projects and activities:

Option pricing software pricing of OTC vanilla and exotic FX options with sophisticated volatility surface handling.
Well known software in FX option trader community (more than 500 licenses were sold worldwide).

In the team of five people, my responsibilities included porting the UI part of application from Sun/Solaris to Windows NT (basically writing a new UI); support and addition of numerous features including custom strategies.

Risk management software (DTRisk). Based on sophisticated and efficiently implemented pricing engine, DTRisk
evaluates the entire portfolio plus ladders (what-if scenarios). Some of the largest OTC desks in the world have used this platform My role was to design and implement the entire desktop application (except for the pricing math and database connections) initially in a team of only two developers, later in a bigger team. This product made Derivatech a well-known financial software vendor. In 2001, Derivatech was ranked #194 in the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies astonishing result for a small company.

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Other (smaller) tools from the companys comprehensive set of pricing, risk management and back office products
(dtCompass). Platforms, development environment, tools, and languages: Microsoft Windows NT/2000/XP, Microsoft Visual C++ 4.2/5.0/6.00 with MFC, Olectra Chart, Objective Grid, Rogue Wave Tools.h++, ORBIX.

Probots, Inc., Massachusetts (1995 1996)

Position: Independent Contractor Major project: Design and implementation of the Quotation System for Tuthill Corp., Coppus Turbine Division

Single-handedly implemented a tool for a turbine salesman. This tool

Shows different turbine configurations and optional parts. Checks parts compatibility and optimizes configuration. Prints invoice.

It was my first Windows UI-intensive project, with no previous C/C++ experience. An especially tedious part was

printing basically using graphics primitives and calculating offsets to create professional output with tables, logos, various fonts etc.

Platforms, languages and tools: Microsoft Windows 3.11, Windows 95, Microsoft Visual C++ 1.51/2.0 with MFC, MS Access (ODBC), Flow charting software.

IBT International, Samara, Russia (1992 1995)

Position: Senior Programmer/Analyst Major projects and activities:

Design and implementation of the Courseware Sensor Dynamics for technical universities.
100% own implementation included low-level EGA animation programming, font rendering etc. Designing the screens for Thermo sensors and Seismo sensors meant transporting textbooks to interactive media. I was working together with well-known people from the Russian Academia (a very enjoyable project).

Coordination and support of multimedia projects, development of a multimedia encyclopedia environment.

Platforms, languages and tools: MS DOS, Microsoft Windows 3.11, Borland Pascal, Microsoft Access, various sound and graphic editors, Authorware, Assembler.

Reid Enterprise, Samara, Russia (1987 1992)

Position: Programmer Responsibilities: Personal computer administration; system utilities development (mainly related to the IBM PC mainframe data transfer and nuclear submarine systems testing); application support. Languages and tools: Borland Pascal, Dbase, FoxPro, IBM PC Assembler.

EDUCATION
Samara State Aerospace University, Samara, Russia
1981 1987. Masters degree in Computer Science and Systems Engineering GPA: 4.6 (of 5.0); Diploma thesis defended with honors. While employed by CTC took three special classes taught by Sheldon Natenberg (Beginners Options (2008), Intermediate Options (2008), Interest Rate Instruments (2009)).

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