Information Security & Compliance Management
Regardless of industry, information security and compliance are critical to keep any organization operational. Key facts in this area:
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Every industry has become a target in the security space.
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Designing effective security policies, controls and user awareness programs are absolutely necessary to minimize risk.
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Training ties into security awareness and it's important that every organization understands security is everyone's responsibility. It's the person who feels security doesn't apply to them that will be the reason for a breach that brings your organization to its knees.
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Compliance with security and industry regulations ensures your organization stays on track with defined policies and procedures.
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Being prepared for when, not if, an attack occurs and have controls in place to shut it down as quickly as possible.
No longer can we accept that if an incredible security infrastructure is built we can thwart attacks. It's no longer a matter of if, it's now a matter of when will an organization will be hit.
IT Operations Management & Strategy
I have been involved with all levels of IT and business strategy, from delivering technical software and infrastructure solutions to partnering with business units to forward the organization’s success. Maximizing the effectiveness of this process has included:
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Establishing cooperatively key corporate business objectives and develop proposed individual/shared solutions in direct collaboration with the business units.
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Setting up, jointly agreed, success measurements, tied to each business units objectives.
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Establishing budgets for all IT projects for funding approval including business case justifications jointly owned with the business unit.
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Ensuring collaboration with business unit stakeholders on project teams, and IT teams.
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Align business unit plans and IT architecture to minimize cost while providing optimized functionality, minimizing system duplication, and maximizing existing IT investment.
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Generate an enterprise IT Plan with success criteria measurements to provide the rationale for senior executive approval based upon cost vs value business proposition.
Profit generate across the company is tied to business participation and shared ownership of the company’s enterprise solutions.
Project Management and Implementations
One of the most challenging areas in any organization is project management and implementations.
Such operations expose long-hidden flaws in existing systems that have been addressed over time with temporary solutions and fixes.
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Evaluating need to upgrade or migrate outdated systems
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Assisting customer in choice of appropriate destination systems
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Planning out upgrade/migration in detail
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Requirements gathering
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Execution of upgrades and migrations in as non-disruptive a manner as possible
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Initiating and maintaining end user communications at all times during the upgrade/migration to ensure end user comfort with the process, and to minimize business disruption and complaints
Performing proper planning and research prior to a project will result in a streamlined go-live and great first impressions which will ultimately help your project be successful.
M&A Integration
Successful M&A Integrations are informed by the preservation of local knowledge and clear communications to facilitate the empowerment of the acquired team during the integration as well as:
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Awareness and responses to cultural compatibility and assessment of local talent
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Defined communications channels are imperative for the acquired organization’s team to receive a message of empowerment
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Evaluation of differences in business practices, compliance standards and reporting formats in due diligence phase
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Mitigation of business continuity risk due to M&A organizational restructuring
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Implementation of intermediate solutions for reporting compliance until the information system integration is finalized
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BPR based on the rationale for a current process, its impact on the acquiring company and the assessed cost/risk of change
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Scenario stress-testing of potential synergies with flexible models
Stakeholder & Vendor Management
Managing vendors and partnering with key members within an organization is something I have successfully accomplished in multiple industries. Collaborating with vendors and fellow employees globally has helped in expanding the experience required to build relationships. There are many areas that touch on this with some holding more importance than others. Areas to place a strong focus on include:
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Contract negotiations
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Process design and improvement
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Clear communication one organizational requirements
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Internal customers with conflicted demands
The experience required to build successful partnerships, once obtained, can be applied across industries. The strengthening of these partnerships through long term commitments will help in the success of your organization.