West Hartford, CT *****

Linkedin.com/in/mark-r-schwartz/

Mark R. Schwartz

Chief Information Officer

860-***-**** (C)

admoef@r.postjobfree.com

PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

Organizational Value: My ability to lead the integration of technology design and cost-effective infrastructures with business functionality while building relationships based on trust will result in sustainable enterprise value that anticipates the future, and supports the goals of your organization.

SKILL SETS & CORE COMPETENCIES

Optimized, scalable technology and data solutions

Tech systems aligned with business growth goals

Critical system functionality, disaster recovery

Cybersecurity management, data strategist

Anticipating future innovations with discernment

Efficient resource allocation and management

Liaison and tech-champion across the enterprise

Team selection and growth for accountability

Inclusive relationships that embrace diversity

Personable, collaborative, transformational leader

Focused and steady under pressure, diplomatic

Ability to influence amicably, self-aware, witty

EXPERIENCE OVERVIEW

Technology & Operations Leadership (19+ yrs): Building work environments that embrace and adapt new technologies to ensure continuity between functionality and business objectives.

Change Management: Innovative solutions, implemented within the tolerance of change.

Staff Management (19+ yrs): Hired, trained, and mentored two managers with

responsibility for 12 indirect reports. Developed programs

to establish a diverse, high-performing team culture.

Industries: Academic environments. Accounting, Tax and Business Advisory Consulting.

Non-profit organizations.

WORK HISTORY

Blum Shapiro (acquired by CliftonLarsonAllen LLP effective January 1, 2021)

1998 – 2021

Chief Information Officer (2008)

IT Director (2006)

IT Manager (2002)

Network (Systems) Administrator (1998)

“With each new role, I designed and implemented processes to grow the company into a forward-thinking IT culture that embraced change.”

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & EDUCATION

Web based training on security threats and regulations:

KnowBe4 courseware: HIPAA/HITECH, GLB, GDPR

Continuous

Society for Information Management: Numerous Forums

2014 – Present

Baker Tilly International North America, Founding member in 2003

Information Technology Committee

Conference Attendance through 2019

2003 – Present

TED Talks: Leadership Series:

How to be a great leader

Leadership: hard-won wisdom

Continuous

Northeastern University: Bachelor of Science, Information Management

1994

EXPERIENCE DETAIL

Selected Achievements

COVID Response (2020)

In one week, converted 12 offices, across four states, with 600+ employees from an “office mentality” to a technologically efficient and functional “work from home” company.

Scalable infrastructure design (2011)

Designed and developed a scalable infrastructure supporting policies to seamlessly expand a company from one office with 150 staff to ten locations across four states with 400 staff, which quickly grew to 600.

Cost-effective innovation: remote voice and video-conferencing (2015)

Anticipating the need for best-in-class remote voice and video-conferencing, we integrated three software services (SaaS), which included custom video workstations and conference rooms for a fraction of the cost of video-conferencing services.

Business growth: staff time-reporting, client billing (2018)

As the company services expanded, I initiated and created a software development team. The need for accurate reporting as part of client billing was essential. We created a software application that mandated time stamps for employees to proceed, which increased revenue for unbilled time and prevented employees from engaging in their work prior to entering their time.

Selected Projects

Cybersecurity and Ransomware Attack (2019)

Ransomware attack: Our Outsourced Network Operations Center (NOC) was in breach of contract.

Anomalies with our server security were reported and ignored. A ransomware attack followed and the company was slow to respond so I personally contacted their remediation team. Teams worked 24/7 and secured the system in 48 hours. I then met with their leadership team.

Results:

The NOC gave us the option to terminate our contract.

Processes were changed to mitigate future difficulties.

Remuneration in the form of consulting was received to ensure additional security measures.

Strategic Tech-Implementation: Business Transformation (2018)

Customized dashboards for executive reporting

Our management was overwhelmed with lengthy reporting that included nonessential information. The reports required the finance team to spend several days each month to prepare the report package. We researched and evaluated tool selection and implemented PowerBI.

Results:

Executives received customized dashboards with only the needed information.

Finance department report-time was eliminated: from two days to zero.

Report consistency eliminated tension between internal factions.

Personal Job Satisfaction

Company Awards to the IT Team

Each year Blum Shapiro selected, publicly recognized and rewarded individuals for excellent work. Members of my IT community were consistently on that list, especially for Customer Service.

Valued IT staff member received a better offer

An “emerging star” on my IT team received a better offer from another company. I worked with Human Resources to create a three-year program to increase both his compensation and responsibilities. He decided to stay with our company.

Strategic Technology Leadership

Blum Shapiro: an accounting, tax and business advisory firm which grew from one local office to 12 offices across four states with 600+ employees.

Leadership:

Responsible for the strategic design and implementation of all technology including information and telecommunications infrastructure.

Designed a scalable, strategic roadmap that could adapt to changing priorities with the least disruption to the daily workflow of employees.

As a member of the leadership team:

Established the vision to ensure a culture open to changes in technology.

Ensured employees had the necessary tools and training to efficiently manage their workload.

Presented metrics and consulted with executive decision makers regarding technology needs, potential risks and programs to preempt potential disruptions.

Operations: Trends and Innovation:

Researched industry trends to determine selection based on business needs.

Identified and managed software development to drive process efficiency through automation.

Established, implemented, documented and tracked best practices for optimum efficiency across the enterprise.

Data integrity alignment and management: design for reporting capabilities across disparate systems to accommodate business growth goals.

Cybersecurity Program and Activities:

Implemented training programs to ensure up-to-date security awareness for all employees.

Routine audit to ensure risk awareness and mitigation preparedness.

System optimization across the organization.

Strategic planning for information services.

Policies and procedures to maintain standards for regulation and compliance.

Technology trend analysis, application considerations, and recommendations.

Scalable Business Growth, Expansion, and Merger & Acquisition (M&A):

Designed technology platforms to ensure business readiness for expansion.

Company growth initiatives included the concurrent, overlapping acquisition of two companies, a new office expansion initiative, and an office buildout in Massachusetts.

Acquisition details:

Acquisitions were annual from 2012, occasionally concurrent.

Offices expanded to include Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Virginia.

Acquisitions varied in size from 5,000 to 22,000 square feet.

Acquired staff from 20 to 95 people. Some staff were assimilated with mixed results.

Subject Matter Expert:

Regular participation in IT community discussions, Q&A, and software forums.

Reviewed technology services, hardware and software for online retailers including Amazon.

Central Connecticut State University. Guest speaker: Business Analytics, Advanced Excel.

Results:

Cybersecurity management reduced risk from 14.2% to 3.6% –below the industry average.

Business Roadmap allowed employees to work anywhere, anytime, from any device.

Company expansion efforts were completed on time and on budget, while maintaining the health and retention of the salaried IT team.

Staff Management

Selected, hired, trained, and mentored two managers with responsibility for 12 indirect reports.

Personally invested in every IT employee to provide a supportive culture and ensure consistent messaging between their managers, myself, and company executives.

Developed a plan to intentionally develop camaraderie and care within a culturally diverse IT department.

Two managers with overall accountability for information and telecommunication implementation, firmwide including:

Network setups

Data security

Evaluation of new technologies and trends

Risk management and mitigation

Data analytics

Telephony services

Results:

The IT Team consistently demonstrated personal commitment, enthusiasm, and a willingness to learn as the company grew.

Members of the IT Team were consistently recognized by company executives for exceptional customer service.

My personal investment in the lives of employees led to a high retention rate.

One of my managers moved on to develop his career and continues to maintain relationship with me.

Relationship Management

“I believe technology is a tool to help people in their work, their decisions, and in their personal life. It should help them without getting in their way. With the constant state of acceleration and disruption that results in continuous transformation, I lead by intentionally cultivating relationships that embrace and leverage change to increase performance and user satisfaction which in turn drives the business to success.”

Internal partners

Business Relationships

C-suite

Legal

Accounting

Marketing

Finance

Human Resources

Business owners

Medical professionals

Consultants and vendors

Industry Communication & Cooperation

Vendors

Car Dealerships

Clean Energy

Construction

Food and Beverage

Government

Hospitality

Life Sciences

Long-Term Care and Senior Living

Manufacturing, Distribution and Retail

Non-Profit (academic, service, religious)

Private Client and Family Office

Professional Services Firms (including, legal, medical and financial)

Real Estate

Technology

Transaction Advisory Services

Communications (telephone, ISPs etc.)

Copier and printer service and support

Hardware manufacturers

Software manufactures

IT consulting

Service Providers (MSPs)

IT Systems & Services

Network & Security

ActivTrak, Azure AD, Azure MFA, Cisco Firewalls, routers and switches, DNS Made Easy, FortiGate Firewalls and VPN, Intune, KnowBe4 Security Awareness, Malwarebytes Nebula, Meraki Networking, Office 365 Admin Center, S2 Access Control platform, Sophos Cloud Central, System Center (SCCM), VEEAM

Cloud Services

AdobeSign, Citrix ShareFile, Exclaimer, GoFileRoom (SaaS Document Management), Prolaera Learning Management, Right Networks, Submittable, Tallie (Expense Management)

Project Management

Fresh Service (ITIL Cloud helpdesk), Microsoft Project, Microsoft Visio. Planner, StaffTrack (Resource Management)

Collaboration & Communication

PowerAutomate, PowerBI, SharePoint, Skype for Business, Teams, Wrike

Productivity

CCH ProSytem Engagement, CCH ProSystem Tax, Century Interactive Reporting, Cornerstone performance management, Data Management, Analytics and Automation, Live Tiles, Microsoft CRM, Microsoft SQL, Microsoft Office: Excel, Word, PowerPoint, OneNote, Nintex Promapp, Paylocity, Practice Engine (Time and Billing/PSA)m Sharegate

Employment Prior to 1998

INC.com. Help Desk Specialist

Civic & Professional Affiliations

Non-profit Board and Leadership Participation

United Way Campaign Chair: 2013 – 2015

Mikveh Bess Israel Board Member: 2012 – Present

Hebrew Academy of Greater Hartford Board Member: 2007 – 2011

Co-Chair: Purim Project for Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy (LYA): 2009 – Present

• Largest annual PTA fundraiser, distributing 425 holiday gift baskets.

Team manager (20 – 25 people, teens through adults): Chanukah at Blue Back Square: 2010 – Present

Volunteer

Central Connecticut State University: Guest Speaker: 2011 – Present

• Business Analytics, Advanced Excel Techniques

Habitat for Humanity: Painting new homes in Hartford

Chabad of Greater Hartford: Network setup and technical support

Fundraising

Friendship Circle International: Marathon runner.

Friendship Circle International raises funding to support special needs communities.

Miami Marathon: trained for four months to run the half-marathon.

• Raised over $5,000 in 2015, and 2018.

Contact this candidate