As the CIO at BCB Bank, I lead the strategic direction & operational execution of all technology initiatives across the organization. My role is pivotal in making certain that our technology platforms meet the current demands of the ever-evolving financial sector but also lays the groundwork for future advancements.Key Responsibilities:Strategic Planning: Develop & execute a comprehensive IT strategy, aligning technology initiatives with the bank's business goals & driving digital transformation.Technology Operations & Delivery: Oversee the technology lifecycle, delivering seamless operations & the timely delivery of tech solutions to drive operational excellence & enhance customer satisfaction.Cybersecurity: Champion the formulation & implementation of cutting-edge cybersecurity protocols, protecting and safeguarding the bank's digital assets & customer data from cyber threats. Core Banking Platform Management: Lead the continuous improvement of the core banking platform to ensure its robustness, adaptability, & alignment with strategic business initiatives.Technology Infrastructure Oversight: Manage the bank's technology infrastructure, ensuring the availability, performance, & cost-efficiency of all IT platforms.Application Management: Supervise the suite of banking applications, certifying that they are effective, provide competitive advantage, & deliver business value.IT Governance & Regulatory Compliance: Establish a robust IT governance framework that ensures regulatory compliance while mitigating risk.Budgeting: Formulate & manage the IT budget, allocating resources towards impactful technology investments.My commitment to integrating technology as a strategic lever for efficiency, improved customer experience, & sustained growth is fundamental to our corporate vision. I am dedicated to fostering an IT ecosystem that is secure, innovative, reliable, & strategically poised for future challenges & opportunities.

As the driving force behind IT governance and project excellence at OceanFirst Bank, I achieved impactful results:IT Governance Program Development:Developed and implemented a robust / "bullet-proof" IT Governance Program.Established policies, procedures, and controls to ensure alignment with industry standards.Enhanced risk management by proactively addressing compliance and security requirements.Project and Program Management Leadership:Established and oversee the Bank’s Project and Program Management Office (PMO).Led cross-functional teams to deliver strategic projects on time and within budget.Championed project management best practices, driving efficiency and accountability.Strategic Acquisition Projects:Led critical acquisition initiatives—from due diligence to integration.Collaborated with stakeholders to ensure seamless transitions and maximize value.Delivered successful outcomes that accelerated business growth.Technology Audits and Compliance:Oversee all technology audits—internal, external, and regulatory.Worked closely with Audit and Compliance teams to address findings.Maintained a strong risk posture by continuously improving controls.

• Revolutionized Customer Facing Technologies: Partnered closely with business and technology units to create and implement a data-driven roadmap of modernization and a solution that paid for itself by generating a $1.6M annual run rate savings.• Delivers boutique technology management services that align with customers’ organizational needs, including project management, program management, project portfolio management, strategic planning, governance, audit preparation, social media management, business alignment, business continuity planning, and interim CIO services.• Transformed and Modernized Core Business Applications: Led the implementation of a 100% cloud-based contact center, workforce management, telephony, and visual IVR for a $1.8B mortgage company.

As the CIO at First Choice Bank, I was recruited to drive transformative change bank-wide. My mission: stabilize operations, enhance security, and optimize costs. Here’s how I made an impact:Strategic Transformation & Cost Reduction:Implemented a comprehensive strategy that streamlined processes and optimized resource allocation; Stabilized systems while driving down costs.Cybersecurity Champion:Led all cybersecurity initiatives, ensuring the bank’s digital assets were safeguarded.Collaborated closely with Audit & Compliance to remediate vulnerabilities identified in internal & external audits.Implemented the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, fortifying our defenses and improving our security maturity by 50% in 6 months.Strategic Technology Alignment:Partnered with business leaders to align technology initiatives with organizational goals; Drove change by ensuring that IT systems were functional and strategically impactful; Championed innovation, pushing the envelope to deliver value through continuous enhancements.Governance & Risk Management:Developed and maintained a robust IT governance program.Mitigated risk by enhancing controls & ensuring compliance with industry standardsImproved the bank’s risk profile, earning accolades from auditors.Reliability & Availability:Achieved an impressive stability & availability rate of +99.99%.Implemented industry best practices, including proactive maintenance, redundancy, and robust monitoring.Tracked meaningful KPIs, ensuring optimal performance across all technology platforms.Cost Optimization:Reduced technology costs by approximately 25% YoY.Prioritized IT initiatives, renegotiated vendor contracts, & eliminated inefficiencies.Delivered cost savings without compromising quality.Awards:Top Tech-Savvy Lender and Servicer (September 2013): Acknowledged for technological prowess and innovation.Exceptional Achievement in Compliance Automation (March 2016): Recognized for driving compliance excellence.

• Led global teams that delivered complex solutions: Modernized technology across 53 global pharmaceutical manufacturing sites in North American and EMEA, within budget and ahead of schedule.

• Oversaw all operations of University networking and telecommunications platforms by managing a cross-functional team to support network operations, production support, project management, implementations, security, telephony and billing for all schools of the University and the administration.• Spearheaded the upgrade and transformation of all legacy technology infrastructures, which stabilized the network and positioned the organization for disaster recovery and future expansion.• Stability and modernization: Lead a team that stabilized the university’s IT infrastructure and deployed wireless connectivity across 100% of the University securely.

• Led global technology teams that delivered complex customer-facing solutions.• Directed strategic client-facing technology programs.• Led successful build-out of multiple data center infrastructure projects.