Senior Director / Associate Principal, ZS AssociatesZS Technology Engineering & Operations: Enabling Global Growth and InnovationAs the Senior Director / Associate Principal at ZS Associates, I lead the internal Technology Engineering & Operations division, focusing on delivering IT services to a globally distributed workforce, expanding client support capabilities, and developing our future leaders.Key Initiatives:• Improving Collaboration with Enterprise Partners: Collaborating with HR, Legal, Finance and Marketing to integrate operational tasks into the Service Management platform, enhancing incident and request management processes.• Driving Innovation and AI Integration: Deploying multiple development sandboxes and operational environments to support OpenAI Azure-based initiatives. Encouraging the implementation of MS Co-Pilot and developing the guard rails for success.• Enhancing the Digital User Experience: Transitioning from reactive to proactive support for ZSers, including optimizing hardware and software configurations based on data driven analysis. Further aiming to reduce variability in the IT environment and improve metrics related to patch compliance, crash reductions, network performance, and application performance.• Modernizing IT Infrastructure: Leading the Modern Management project to transition ZS into a fully cloud-based infrastructure management structure, implementing initiatives like migrating Group Policy to Intune, Autopilot for Windows, and the migration of on-premises Active Directory to Entra ID.• Strengthening Network Security and Performance: Enhancing network security, automating the optimization of global performance, and proactively monitoring network infrastructure.• Maturing the M&A Program: Advancing the M&A program by developing sustainable integration processes and collaborating with the Security Team to enhance diligence and integration strategies.

Focused primarily on the activities of the company divestiture of the education business and the merger with another leading healthcare organization while continuing to run the business. Managed organizational efforts centered on increasing business flexibility and driving the capacity for continued growth.► Directed the development and implementation for employee productivity (video conferencing, chat tools, distributed file sharing, wikis and email) including Citrix remote desktop, GoToMeeting, Box, Salesforce Chatter, Cisco Jabber, the Atlassian Suite, Workday, MS Exchange, Cisco Call Manager.► Led support for business unit and corporate shared application services (HR, Legal, Finance, Contracts, Salesforce).► Defined, implemented and enhanced infrastructure policies/processes for optimal support (global network, telephony, call center support, data centers, Amazon Web Services, firewalls, virtualization, storage).► Provided for data management of all production databases (MSSQL Server, Oracle, Hadoop, MySql, PostgreSql).► Defined common product platforms (identity management, master data management, build automation tools, code repositories, API management) including Layer 7, RabbitMQ, and tools such as Puppet, Bamboo, Wiki, JIRA, Graphite, Splunk, Nagios, Pentaho, HortonWorks (HDFS).

Responsible for most typical Enterprise responsibilities including service delivery functions, physical asset & software management, and internal facing infrastructure. Other functions include:► Determined a partner/contract strategy for off-loading non-core IT functions.► Provided support for M&A activities (pre-acquisition analysis and post-acquisition integration).► Assisted in the development of data management and integration strategies, including assisting the organization transition from a high-cost RDBMS data strategy to one that leverage open source (Hadoop/Spark) to diversify technology options, increase capability and reduce cost.► Collaborated on the development of DevOps and CloudOps functions as the business pivoted toward new technologies.► Helped develop cyber security policies and standards, as well as implementing technologies that protected employees and customers.► Built, from the ground up, a global, customer facing technical operations organization.Currently overseeing a global team of ~80 technology focused professionals, growing organizational capabilities, and delivering new value to a more traditional business framework.

Led an extensive global team of technology professionals in the management of IT infrastructure for all internal applications and tools, including physical hosts, databases, web infrastructure and application technical support. Drive professional cultivation, including succession planning, talent management, cost containment, and the development of organizational structures. Maintained 100% employee retention for a number of years. TECHNOLOGY: ► Directed the team responsible for all IT infrastructure - hardware, software and vendor management - for all internal applications and tools, including databases, web access and application technical support (SAP, PeopleSoft, Hyperion & Security / PKI). ► Managed all database infrastructure and the associated teams in support of all corporate operations, including all consumer services, such as MapQuest, Moviefone, AOL.com, AOL Mail, and Huffington Post, among others. Support multiple DB platforms - Oracle, Sybase, MySQL, MSSQL, MongoDB. Redesign of data warehouse from traditional RDBMS to DW architectures to unstructured (Hadoop) and column oriented databases (Vertica).SELECTIVE ACHIEVEMENTS: ☑ Key in shaping AOL’s sophisticated data warehouse (Vertica, Netezza, Hadoop and Abinitio).☑ Reduced a complicated and expensive employee/contractor staffing model from $5.5M to $3M with a 40% reduction. ☑ Introduced a “Follow the Sun” global operational support model, increasing system availability, reducing problem resolution time requirements, and significantly enhancing employee work/life balance.☑ Oversaw the Release Management Team in support of internal and external software releases. Created processes is support of Sarbanes-Oxley and PCI audits.☑ Developed new technology strategies to support AOL's evolving business model, driving adoption of cloud based services and infrastructure (AWS).

Played a crucial role during the merger with Time Warner. Brought into technical organization to launch a 10-division IT Help desk. Ensured seamless integration of technology, closing gaps in diverse business cultures and practice. Scaled operations, generating cost savings; continuously evaluated to keep multiple sites under budget without jeopardizing quality. TECHNOLOGY:► Planned, staffed, trained and implemented the new multi-million dollar Network Operations Center for the Internal Computing Unit.SELECTIVE ACHIEVEMENTS:☑ Charged with budget management of $10M for internal computing Help Desk Operations, allocating intelligently and prioritizing based on most essential needs. ☑ Entrusted to direct metrics, business process improvements and reporting for the entire IT organization. ☑ Executed a centralized support model for AOL-Time Warner Shared Services as well as the primary support mechanism for AOL employees worldwide.

Recruited from within company to assume management role as Country Manager to launch strategic country management support for AOL Australia and parts of Latin America (Brazil, Argentina and Mexico). Established first-class operations for AOL Brazil and AOL Argentina (90+ day projects in-country). TECHNOLOGY:► Led the installation of core infrastructures and critical processes for three continents. This includes telephony/ACD, case management/CRM, software development and build platforms.SELECTIVE ACHIEVEMENTS:☑ Achieved “Top Technical Support Site” out of 6 domestic sites. Aggressively mounted best practices, ultimately tested in Dublin, Tucson, and Jacksonville, to raise production, smooth out general operations and turn around support service levels.☑ Headed a team of 5 senior managers in training, motivating, and supervising a 1200+ person operation, teaching them to shape team members into coveted employees.

Pinpointed as the ideal leader to formulate and head up the new technical support location in Ireland. Assisted European operations in the coordination of customer support efforts for all new AOL services provided to the U.K., Germany, and France. Provided executive, supervisor, and general management training. TECHNOLOGY: ► Launched and managed Second Level Support Team overseeing all e-mail and real-time online chat support functions, beta and localization testing, support for English language clients, and all Member Services online production.► Led troubleshooting and analysis of member dial-up networks for the U.K., Germany, France and Sweden.► Maintained and programmed inbound customer service telephone switch for all countries SELECTIVE ACHIEVEMENTS:☑ Served instrumentally as a liaison between U.S. AOL and the joint venture partners of the European services.☑ Captained the team in charge of establishing the newest technical support site. Provided across-the-board training, initiated and maintained all second level support.☑ Identified talent, recruited, hired, and trained a 400-member team of technical support reps, molding them into star players who provided elite services usually offered by more senior reps.

Key member of the leadership team. On board during the company’s infancy. Handpicked team of up to 15 technical support consultants, building a high-performance, customer-centric cohort of problem solvers who were consistently awarded “Top 3” in member supportSELECTIVE ACHIEVEMENTS: ☑ Promoted to Supervisor within first quarter, and rapidly progressed to positions of more important accountability throughout tenure.☑ Selected based on results with Tucson team to relocate to Jacksonville, FL and establish a new technical support site to manage rapid growth by AOL during the boom of the internet.