Customer Support Service

Sasha C. Challgren

Director of Information Technology

*****.*********@*****.*** • 919-***-****

LinkedIn Profile • Raleigh, NC

Strategy-oriented and servant leader mindset with demonstrated experience in streamlining IT operations and establishing solid business partnerships. Proficient in leading, training, and collaborating in a cross-functional, collaborative environment. Skilled at managing diverse projects and troubleshooting technical issues. Well-versed in budget planning and cost control. Knowledgeable in conducting research, analysis, audits, and reviews. Proven expertise in ensuring regulatory compliance. Areas of Expertise

IT Operations/Consulting

Business Partnerships

Leadership & Training

Cross-functional Teamwork

Project Management

Contract Negotiation

Strategic Planning/Analysis

Business Development

Client Relationships

Vendor Management

Budget Planning & Cost Control

Research & Analysis

Budgeting, Cost Benefit Analysis

HR Operations

Audits & Reviews

KPIs & Metrics

HIPAA, FERPA, DOD

IT SOX & ICFR

Technical Expertise

SDLC, SaaS, PAAS, ITaS

SAP, Oracle, HRIS (SuccessFactors), LMS

WordPress, Drupal, CRM (Hubspot, Salesforce)

MS Office 365

Windows and Mac OS

SCCM, JAMF, ServiceNow

Agile methodologies

Project Management (Jira, Trello, Slack, Smartsheets, MS Project) Google Analytics

Social Media Platforms

SAAS, Cloud computing (AWS Azure, Globus, Cluster Computing, VCM’s, Containers) Dropbox Enterprise, Box, OneDrive, Google Drive

Professional Experience

Director of IT, Poole College of Management 01/2022 to Present North Carolina State University

Budgeting: Conceptualized and handled the first annual IT budget for Poole College of Management, comprising meticulous IT infrastructure strategies (on-premises and cloud-based), Computer replacement process (CRP), software procurement, audit, and compliance and purchased affordable as well as robust technological equipment and software. End-to-End Technical Operations Management and Consulting: Championed IT Governance, strategic planning, process improvements, and prioritization. Directed technical operations, infrastructure, cloud services management, and evaluation while ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. Promoted best practices, stayed up-to-date with technological advances, and balanced objectives while developing personal, professional, and organizational relationships. Performed the ideation and implementation of IT infrastructure; undertook strategic technology planning for continued growth & security risk management. Facilitated inspection readiness and implemented an IT audit tracking system by partnering with Internal Audit and review teams. Evaluated and negotiated software contracts. Developed consortiums with several colleges. Boosted research and learning opportunities for faculty and students by deploying hybrid cloud technologies & ensuring fiscal needs. Enhanced awareness, personal education, community connections, and representation by serving on numerous committees.

● Maximized efficiencies and minimized costs by planning strategic initiatives to execute process improvements to support the university and central OIT goals. Established partnerships and cross-collaborations and optimized technical support across departments, colleges, and disciplines.

● Strategized a collaborative vision that enabled the IT team to deliver superior service and leverage technology to uplift the educational experience for individuals attending Poole College of Management.

● Streamlined support models by developing sustainable partnerships and collaborations with technical and non-technical colleagues across the university in central OIT.

● Spearheaded the creation of the first walk-in IT service desk, providing 136 hours of IT support for faculty, staff, and students. Comprehensively oversaw all operations regarding budgeting, training, oversight, and team-building initiatives.

● Developed an Academic Computing and Teaching Technologies Committee to define, design, deploy, and convey IT Policies. Ensuring the incorporation of the faculty’s opinions and the student’s needs into IT policy. Refined the instructional mission of the college, leading to total security compliance and risk mitigation; leveraged computing resources for the same.

● Harnessed cutting-edge technologies to improve Business processes, HR processes, personnel management, and employee engagement. Marketing Technology integrations, analytics, Website management, and instructional delivery.

●Managed, implemented, and oversaw the design and implementation of cloud computing resources leveraging both on premises centralized services (HPC cluster, Windows VCL) and AWS, AWS Appstream, MS Azure, Google Co-lab. Balancing the technical needs with scalability, budgetary constraints, and resource offerings. Sr. IT Manager and Systems Administrator: Biology & Evolutionary Anthropology Depts. 09/2016 to 12/2021 Duke University

End-to-End Technical Operations Management and Consulting: Supervised technical operations, infrastructure, and Cloud services management and evaluations. Adhered to departmental and university policies to ensure optimal compliance and led the development and deployment of IT infrastructure while eliminating all security risks. Enabled continued growth by undertaking strategic technology planning and gained 9+ years of experience in IT research initiatives and consulting.

Budgeting: Coordinated operational planning and replacement by devising IT infrastructure strategies. Saved 10% yearly costs by skillfully managing the IT budget for Biology and EA Departments. IT Policy formulation: Assisted in implementing university-wide strategies and security protocols by composing department IT policies and systems and determined technology requirements by analyzing businesses and conveying agency details to the respective departments and research labs.

Vendor Management: Leveraged IT solutions to standardize data management and demonstrated in-depth knowledge of SLAs, contract negotiations, and contract compliance. Oversaw external DevOps team, custom projects, and life cycle management to expand IT support services effectively. Successfully decreased expenses for storage and printing by over 50% by conducting a cost-benefit analysis and negotiating affordable contracts without compromising on quality.

● Earned and received an outstanding rating on the annual performance review in 2012.

● Assisted Duke researchers, Genome Institute, and Duke Health Systems on the COVID-19 Data Surveillance modeling project.

● Provided impeccable coaching to the staff based on creative problem-solving skills, innovation-oriented solutions, sustainability, waste reduction, fiscal responsibility, and re-utilization of existing tools and equipment. IT Manager & IT Analyst: Biology & Evolutionary Anthropology Depts. 07/2008 to 09/2016 Duke University

Team Leadership: Played an instrumental role in developing the first departmental student IT consultant Helpdesk. Oversaw full-fledged activities related to budgeting, training, oversight, and team-development initiatives; coached staff and faculty on newly implemented technology software and wrote technical documentation; assessed employee performance and prepared annual reviews.

IT Project Management: Directed DevOps team from resource planning and timeline management to change management and implementation.

● Elevated departmental customer support satisfaction by 70% in the first six months.

● Delivered consistent, high-quality customer service for all departmental users (irrespective of the platform) by cross training all employees.

● Allocated tasks and projects to the team members while setting and prioritizing short- and long-term objectives. Education

Bachelor’s Degree, Business Management/Information Systems East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 2016 to 2019 Associate Degree, Paralegal Champlain College, Burlington, VT 1994 to 1996 Professional Development

Advanced Skills for Managers Certification Women in Tech Leadership – NCSU Currently enrolled in the state of NC CPM program Duke Leadership Academy ITIL Certification Duke Project Management Certification Management for IT Professionals Duke Customer Service Excellence Certification SCRUM Master Certification Duke Security Professionals Certification Additional Information

● #Itwasneveradress: Zoom Presentation on what we can do to recognize the challenges women face in their roles in IT programs. How can we support a mission for collaboration which enhances excellence through positive leadership and inclusion? https://rb.gy/z3851 Passcode: 0%J?k5%c

● Volunteer as a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem for children of abuse & neglect in Durham County 11/2013 to Present

● Serve as an NC State Student Leadership Development Coach and NC State Pack Promise Mentor

● Published in EDScoop: https://edscoop.com/duke-it-manager-helps-integrate-the-old-with-the-new-while-preserving- security

● East Carolina National Society of Leadership & Success; Beta Gamma Sigma; The International Business Honor Society

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