Chris Collins Email & Phone Number

Atlanta, Ga

As a Cloud Optimization Consultant, I specialize in driving cost efficiency and operational excellence across Equifax’s cloud platforms. My role involves partnering with engineering, finance, and architecture teams to implement FinOps strategies, automate reporting, and achieve significant cost savings while enhancing the organization’s cloud governance and financial transparency.Key Accomplishments:• Developed and launched the first Unit Cost Reporting system for Equifax’s Data Fabric Decision Science platforms, consolidating cloud provider billing and time accounting cost data with platform usage telemetry data to track platform cost efficiencies, enabling data-driven budgeting and cost control• Led initiatives delivering $13M in cloud optimization savings in 2024, projected to save $29M in 2025, by identifying and implementing strategic cost-reduction measures across major platforms• Implemented automation for self-service dashboards to streamline unit cost reporting, utilizing batch file telemetry and Looker dashboards for real-time insights• Designed and delivered global FinOps workshop sessions on Data Fabric platforms for teams across Canada, Latin America, Europe, and Australia, aligning business units on top cloud savings opportunities for 2025• Spearheaded Ignite workspace optimizations, saving $1M+ annually by applying a new configuration pattern utilizing storage lifecycle policy automation to reduce operating costs by over 90%

Alpharetta, Georgia, United States

• Responsible for $125m-200m+ of annual cash technology budget covering 1,500+ headcount, cloud infrastructure, and 3rd party software contracts; led all core financial planning, budgeting, month end close, and reporting functions spanning multiple Equifax Technology organizations including Infrastructure as a Service, Corporate Services, EFX Global Consumer Solutions, EFX Digital Solutions, and Data Fabric• Reimagined all Corporate Technology month end close and reporting consolidations processes to provide detailed and accurate view of monthly performance by second business day of each month. Eliminated multiple failure points in existing processes, corrected significant inaccuracies, and enabled consistent, stable, and scalable core FP&A outcomes• Improved labor & cloud capitalization rates by 25% and expedited month end close by developing and implementing an automated Tableau financial reporting dashboard which analyzed core data and highlighted use cases requiring intervention• Standardized quarterly contract labor sourcing renewal process and implemented Agile-derived fixed capacity labor resource capacity models across multiple technology areas resulting in $5m+ annualized multi-year costs savings from eliminating unanticipated expense overruns due to program delays• Designed new mechanism to accurately track the variable cost structure of running and enhancing global platforms and products through standard time accounting, project structure, with supporting automation tooling; developed the structure based on interviewing engineering teams across multiple business technology organizations to create an enterprise hierarchy• Developed the first resource-level capacity mapping covering the 1,600+ resources working across the 2nd largest Equifax business unit; implemented ongoing headcount tracking & labor forecasting process to track ongoing allocations of labor spend across functions & products for Product P&Ls and profitability metrics

Alpharetta, Georgia

• Led the design and implementation of Apptio Cloudability to promote business-wide visibility of $150m+ of annual multi-cloud expenses and provided training across the business on FinOps and Cloud Cost Management• Initiated Cloud FinOps CoE holding monthly governance forum, providing standard reporting on Cloud expenses across the enterprise, driving accountability for key metrics, and increasing Cloud Tagging Compliance from 25% to 90%+• Authored controls document, designed & implemented the first Cloud Capitalization process for Equifax, resulting in capitalization of $30m+ of annual Cloud expense supporting development and testing efforts• Developed long-term Cloud expense forecasting model, incorporating percentage of revenue-based expense targets to guide cost optimization objectives, and targeted strategies to reduce cloud expenses by 20%+ annually• Drove resource-level inventory of all on-premise data center assets in CMDB and associated technology expenses to establish tracking & forecasting of outcomes for multi-year decommissioning plan targeting $100m+ of annual expense reductions• Created a widely-socialized & cited functional architectural evolution diagram for Equifax Digital Solutions technology stack showing the full integration path of legacy Equifax & acquired business platforms into planned future state architecture; aligned business, product, and engineering organizations around strategic story of funding and business outcomes• Fostered good rapport and a positive team culture during COVID remote work by implementing Agile processes, such as daily standups, which provided a greater engagement and alignment across the Corporate Finance Teams

Greater Atlanta Area

Directly led IT Business Operations organization (40+ staff) as CIO Direct Report comprising multiple teams responsible for managing the IT budget, facilitating executive-level Investment Governance board, administering Project & Portfolio Management system for tracking labor time & delivery, providing PMO support for strategic initiatives including M&A integrations; managing strategic vendor relationships and risks, and leading the development and support of Oracle ERP platform and back-office functions; facilitated quarterly townhalls & org readouts, implementing long-term strategy, mentoring and developing leadership team, aligning org to growth vision, book club, talent retention and staff development• Owned $160m+ annual operating budget; led deployment of new internal controls processes as organization rapidly expanded from ~500 to 1,000+ Technology headcount; oversaw all staff and technology investments including the integration of multiple M&A companies• Revamped and expanded IT cost center structure to facilitate decentralized budget ownership and drive accountability for costs across a diverse set of technology teams requiring integration of multiple recent M&As

Greater Atlanta Area

Assembled team for new Global Infrastructure Capacity Planning function for developing rolling forecasts of transaction volumes for customer-facing products and planning infrastructure investments to support business growth. Managed application performance monitoring & analysis group responsible for developing and supporting applications providing real-time visibility and alerting of performance measures across all commercial systemsRecognized by the CEO with the companies Chairman’s award for accurately predicting a rapidly approaching industry shift, forecasting an unprecedented 400% YoY growth in Air Search transactions due to metasearch traffic, one of the company’s largest variable cost drivers; developed and implemented a strategy to proactively add contractual protections and initiated offsetting tech modernization programs which led to a $30M+ yearly savings and a 60% unit cost reduction

Greater Atlanta Area

Managed planning, analysis, prioritization, and overall financial strategy for $250m+ of annual operating expense, $150m capital expense, and $15 million revenue P&L for consolidated technology business unit, including 1,000+ headcount• Led end-to-end design, development and successful implementation of a comprehensive show-back system for tracking and allocation of tech labor expenses to guide annual investment allocations and track financial and delivery outcomes across all IT departments and programs; delivered through new financial scorecard and business case program health reporting• Reduced technology expenses by 10%+($11M) annualized multi-year cost savings by leading a task force to analyze production support costs across all technology platforms and implement optimization strategies• Led ground-up restructure of the existing Chart of Accounts and Cost Center structures to streamline internal and external P&L reporting roll-ups for improved transparency into drivers of expense trends & key metrics

Atlanta, Ga

Responsible for planning, budgeting, analysis, and reporting for over $145 million of operating expense, $45 million of capital expenditure, and $10 million of revenue for software & services business unit.Designed & implemented new internal time accounting-based process and methodology to replace inconsistent vendor invoice-driven process for generating software development capital labor entries, providing better audit support and reducing impairment charges by 60%

Performed competitive intelligence on market trends, conducted margin analyses, scenario modeling and sensitivity analysis, customer-product usage analysis, and pricing model creation to facilitate signing $80m+ in high margin contractsDeveloped new pricing strategies and automated pricing worksheet models to expedite profitability analysis of customized usage-based pricing metrics, structures, and discounts and speed up internal deal approvals; delivered onsite commercial finance support throughout extended negotiations to secure long-term renewal deal with highest airline services revenue account outside of the U.S. (UAE)

• Performed due diligence and present recommendations for new land acquisition activities• Performed financial planning, accounting for all project expenses, and financial performance reporting for all regional land development project budgets • Competitively bid and wrote contract Scope of Work for all divisional land development activities • Worked directly with vendors to resolve all Accounts Payable disputes

Negotiated commercial automobile loan approvals with a group of preferred lenders. Sold manufacturer's extended automobile warranty and loan insurance products.

Master Of Business Administration (Mba), Management Of Technology (Certificate) And Accounting

Absorbed the latest academic thinking in core business disciplines with a concentration in information technology and financial management.

Leading For Organizational Impact

Leading Operational Excellence

Bachelor Of Business Administration (Bba), Business/Managerial Economics

Studied the fundamentals of basic business disciplines with a focus on the science (and art) of Economic theory and the application.