James Reid Email & Phone Number

Denver, Co, Us

Greenwood Village, Co, Us

Strategic Consultant, Advisor, and fractional leader with extensive experience in various industries, including specialty retail, hospitality, technology, healthcare R&D, manufacturing, distribution, banking & finance, consumer lending, software, infrastructure, SaaS/cloud, non-profit & fundraising, and managed services.I specialize in aligning technology and business objectives to reduce costs, improve agility, and increase ROI. My people-focused leadership and commitment to continual improvement help organizations create a risk-based cybersecurity culture.Key functions:✶ Business-technology alignment: Develop strategic roadmaps to enable growth and support business objectives while ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of critical data.✶ Organizational health assessment: Evaluate functional maturity, technical capabilities, and staffing; create resource and individual growth plans.✶ IT team oversight: Strategically managed clients' IT teams and managed service providers across network, telecom, cloud, cybersecurity, DevOps, and end-user technologies.✶ Resource planning and budgeting: Implement resource planning, capacity planning, and hardware lifecycle management to improve predictability and reduce unnecessary expenses.✶ Cybersecurity assessment: Develop information security roadmaps and end-user cybersecurity training programs.✶ Compliance management: Oversee compliance with HIPAA, PCI, CMMC, GDPR, CCPA, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and other regulations; assess and remediate gaps. And implement solutions to improve security posture and user awareness.✶ Digital transformation: Enable IT modernization, cloud migration & optimization, and data center consolidation to improve agility and increase cost savings.

Greenwood Village, Colorado, Us

Executive leader responsible for cybersecurity, infrastructure, service desk, private & public cloud, LAN/WAN, business continuity & disaster recovery, and voice/collaboration for a family-owned, nationwide specialty retail jewelry business with ~900 end-users, 21 brick-and-mortar stores, and eCommerce storefront across sixteen markets.I successfully transformed and modernized IT to enable growth while improving the overall cybersecurity posture during my tenure.✶ Hired, trained, and led high-caliber teams across service desk, infrastructure, and cybersecurity✶ Evaluated and presented solutions to mature and revitalize company-wide IT infrastructure, securing executive buy-in✶ Developed and improved long-term partnerships with vendors & service providers to meet business demands; negotiated mutually beneficial agreements & pricing✶ Governed shared IT budget of ~$12.6M with meticulous attention to detail✶ Implemented a new ticketing system, remote support tool, centralized network management and backups, VPN, middleware, PKI, PC & printer refresh, network replacement, SD-WAN migration, and expanded VPN/MPLS connectivity✶ Resolved network infrastructure routing issues and optimized wired/wireless network performance for high availability✶ Drove a 36-month project for enhanced network remediation/segmentation across enterprise-wide IT infrastructure✶ Led the replacement of enterprise-wide Windows 7 devices, including POS, PCs, laptops, and digital signage✶ Successfully migrated the ERP system to MS Azure public Cloud for modernization and stability✶ Streamlined server/workstation patching, asset management, and hardware lifecycle processes for cost savings✶ Optimized monitoring, reducing response time and maximizing uptime/availability for mission-critical IT infrastructure

Denver, Co, Us

As Acting CIO, I provided strategic guidance to Senior Leadership, aligning business, technology, and cybersecurity initiatives to enhance security, improve operational efficiency, boost scalability, and reduce technology expenses.✶ Developed and implemented enterprise-wide IT and security roadmaps for the corporate office and over a dozen subsidiaries, promoting efficiency, cost savings, and innovation✶ Led the standardization of web hosting for customer-facing websites✶ Streamlined IT processes to ensure consistency, improve service delivery, and reduce resolution times✶ Managed three direct reports responsible for the service desk, infrastructure, and cybersecurity✶ Deployed cloud-managed antivirus, asset management, automated device patching, and endpoint encryption technologies✶ Established PCI-DSS compliance from the ground up, including processes, controls, and documentation✶ Executed unstructured file server restructuring and reorganization to realign permissions across business units, groups, and users✶ Developed and launched a comprehensive "Security Awareness Program" to educate staff on the current threat landscape, their obligations, and the importance of protecting sensitive data (e.g., PCI-DSS)✶ Defined and managed standards, Security & Acceptable Use Policies, and BYOD/Mobile Device Management

Rockville, Maryland, Us

As Director of IT Operations, I led three high-performing teams: Event Technology, IT Operations, and Application Support. I was responsible for network and internet infrastructure uptime, performance for the company, and its events, ensuring optimal uptime, top-rated network performance, and an excellent end-user experience.✶ Significantly reduced YoY attrition of IT staff✶ Drove the implementation of a new Learning Management Solution (LMS) on Amazon Web Services (AWS), authored comprehensive documentation for business continuity/Disaster Recovery (DR) solutions, and supported readiness for SOC2 Type1 IT operations of the platform✶ Achieved 60% annual savings by negotiating new Microsoft agreements for internal software and deploying virtual machines✶ Spearheaded vital initiatives to transform network infrastructure efficiency, productivity, and customer experience, including:- O365 email migration from on-premises Linux system- New financial system and BGP implementations to enhance bandwidth between redundant data center locations- Procurement and deployment of a new enterprise backup solution

Foster City, California, Us

In this multifaceted role, I developed key processes to improve monitoring, capacity planning, forecasting, budgeting, and communication across the organization.✶ Served as Chair of the Steering Committee, increasing alignment, visibility, and collaboration for key initiatives✶ Led vendor selection, procurement, and deployment of a new ERP in under 100 days, ensuring full functionality and high availability✶ Instrumental in reducing IT/IS attrition from 60% in the prior year to 0% in less than a year✶ Managed a $6M IT budget, driving growth objectives while reducing previous years' OPEX/CAPEX✶ Conceptualized and deployed a new corporate intranet on MS SharePoint to boost collaboration across the company✶ Architected a new global WAN strategy and deployed next-generation firewalls across the enterprise to standardize with a single vendor and enhance visibility and overall security posture✶ Drove a 60%+ expansion of the physical footprint at the corporate headquarters

Pittsburgh, Pa, Us

As IT Infrastructure Manager, I managed IT infrastructure across three data centers and six office locations. I ensured alignment with objectives during rapid and expansive growth, eventually being promoted to Vice President of Information Technology.✶ Led a team of ~35, including senior systems engineers, project managers, business analysts, and infrastructure engineers✶ Implemented and facilitated SOC2 Type II auditing, control development, sampling, and responses, successfully mitigating 96 audit findings✶ Re-architected LAN/WAN, virtualization/private cloud, security, and telecommunications to enable rapid growth, scalability, redundancy, high availability, and cost savings✶ Partnered with the CISO to deploy cutting-edge technologies, such as ForeScout NAC, Palo Alto firewalls, Varonis file access monitoring, Good MDM, SourceFire IDS, HIDS, and third-party Managed Security Services

Broomfield, Co, Us

Psychology

Computer Science, General Studies