Business Continuity Vice President

Kurt Sohn

Service Delivery Executive

****.****@*******.*** • 972-***-****

linkedin.com/in/kurt-sohn-3848971 • Montalba, TX

Distinguished professional with over 20 years in implementing Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Programs; known for expertly planning, navigating, and executing programs and projects in compliance with industry standards

Education

Master of Library Sciences

SUNY, Buffalo, NY

Bachelor of Arts

Taylor University, Edmonton, AB

Certifications

Certified Business Continuity Planner

DRI International

AWS Business Professional Certification

Amazon

IBM Global Sales School Badge

IBM

Affiliations

ASIS Technical Committee and Workgroups on BCM Standards, Member

State of Texas,

Personal Protection Officer (PPO) Level 4

Awards

Distinguished Achievement Award -

9/11 Client Support,

Aspect, Q1 2002

People Manager of the Quarter, Capgemini, Q1, 2009

People Manager of the Quarter, Capgemini, Q1 2011

Qualifications Summary

Exceptional problem-solving skills, complemented by a refined ability to work well under pressure

Professional reputation for consistently delivering quality solutions to technology organizations through actual and simulated disaster scenarios.

Keen understanding of Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery programming, Audit and Compliance assessments, Risk Mitigation, and Recovery Strategies including, but not limited to, Cloud, Mirror, Active/Active (A/A) Replication Systems

Adept at project management and analytical problem-solving, with a good eye for patterns in research data

Articulate, compelling communicator, bringing to the table an elegant set of interpersonal skills that facilitate cohesive teambuilding

Well=versed in the art and craft of attracting new talent and retaining high-performing staff

Career Experience

Virtual Corporation January 2022 – September 2023

Vice President, Client Experience

As Vice President, Client Experience, I negotiated and closed business; provided leadership for software implementation/service initiation, and provided QA support for consulting projects. I managed internal BC and DR program efforts, responded to audit inquiries, and supported client issues through resolution. I coached and mentored employees and served as the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) Integrator for the organization. I reported directly to the CEO.

Key achievements:

Successfully rolled out the “BC as a Service” (BCaaS) service offering – including the development of marketing material, go-to-market plan, program and deliverables design, and sales of the service

Completed $1.5M in renewal and new business (in 14 months)

Developed Strategic Partnership Program – White labeling our services through a newly created partners channel

Created new consulting services (VPS (Virtual Professional Services), Assessment Portal, BC Program Maturity Assessment (LITE), Travel Risk Assessment), Consulting project standards and example presentations to be used

Implemented QA program for all deliverables

IBM, Coppell, TX June 2019 – January 2022

Sales Executive, Telecom, Media & Entertainment

Analyzed the business needs of IBM’s Telecom, Media & Entertainment clients to understand their short- and long-term strategic initiatives and technology roadmap, translating these initiatives into appropriate IBM solutions. Formulated compelling value propositions around IBM services to accelerate client sales and adoption urgency. Nurture strong relationships

with key decision-makers including CXO and IT Management, and identify opportunities for acquiring new businesses as well as expanding services. Evaluate relevant data points for each account to establish achievable sales targets. Consistently meet incremental sales benchmarks based on account expectations. Keep abreast of industry trends, competitive forces, and disruptive technologies of the market ecosystem.

Key achievements:

Closed $4.8M in deals during my tenure

Successfully graduated IBM Global Sales School training

Received certification as an AWS Business Professional

AIG, Fort Worth, TX Jul 2013 – Mar 2019

Vice President, Disaster Recovery

Directed a multimillion-dollar global Disaster Recovery program with a team of 16 professionals worldwide, providing support at the time of a disaster/event for near-immediate failovers with next-to-no data loss. Provided thought leadership on DR best practices, and recovery/testing strategies, and developed the DR Policies and Standards for AIG. (Focused specifically on impacts to critical applications and infrastructure.) Provided oversight of the Business Continuity program for the AIG IT organization, conducted Business Impact Analysis and Risk Assessments, and developed an ISO 22301-compliant DR Plan template. Integrated DR exercises into the ServiceNow Incident and Problem Management modules and AIG ITSM program. Conducted 25-30 Disaster Recovery Exercises annually to validate the successful recovery of critical applications, ensuring the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) could be met. Assisted internal Business Continuity leads in identifying gaps and resolving them.

Key achievements:

Conceived, advanced, and developed a formal, regionally integrated DR program. Successful integration with AIG’s IT Service Management Program. Including authoring the DR Policy and Standards, and creating program metrics such as an Exception Handling process, an Active/Active Application Testing Program, and a Third-Party Vendor Compliance Program

Championed the use of Public Cloud for DR (DRaaS and cloud-based recovery options)

Enhanced DR Exercise issue-tracking integrating issues into ServiceNow’s Incident and Problem Management modules

Evaluated, purchased, and implemented the use of MaestroRS (now part of ServiceNow Risk Module) to manage DR data, reporting, and plans across the enterprise

Increased DR Exercise recovery rate from 50% (2013) of applications successfully tested to over 90% (2018)

Served as the DR Single Point of Contact (SPOC) during various incidents

SunGard, Dallas, TX Jan 2012 – Jul 2013

Director, IT Service Continuity Consulting

Supervised 14 DR professionals in North America, servicing a global clientele through 60+ in-flight projects. Analyzed failure modes and designed, tested, and implemented effective IT recovery protocols to ensure key corporate resources were restored and critical business processes were resumed in the event of a disaster. Advised team on international and federal regulations concerning DR. Upskilled staff on latest developments in DR tools and designed templates to enable a consistent approach for all consulting engagements.

Key achievements:

Achieved a revenue target of 10M in consulting sales revenue in 2012

Led the development and delivery phases of a new Managed Recovery Program (MRP) and oversaw its integration into the Recovery Services Program

Championed SunGard Recovery Services and Consulting Services with clients, and at trade shows and speaking engagements

Supported staff development and certification (CBCP)

Capgemini NA, Dallas, TX Aug 2006 – Jan 2012

Global Practice Lead, IOS Business Continuity-IT Service Continuity

Directed daily operations for more than 35 global clients in North America implementing their IT Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans and Exercises. Ensured that IT Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery efforts were well synchronized across North America (including regional DR, Emergency Response, Crisis Management, and Pandemic planning. Served as Global Subject Matter Expert (SME) on BC/DR Practice and DRII Best Practices, BC/DR tool evaluation and implementation. Developed the Mission Statement and DR program delivery methodologies to be incorporated in future sales opportunities. Monitored the continuous availability of information and systems (production outages). Coordinated with regional Capgemini Data Centers to ensure compliance with ISO-22301 and ISO-27031, FFIEC, and COBIT standards. Logged and reported on the status of BC/DR Corrective Action Plans to both internal and external auditors and clients through to the resolution of noted issues.

Key achievements:

Received recognition in the form of two Quarterly People Manager awards (becoming the only people manager in Capgemini North America to receive this honor at the time)

Evaluated, purchased and integrated SunGard LDRPS and Bia Pro products to manage BC/DR data and reporting

Served as SPOC to Senior Management, during Hurricane Ike (2008), Hurricane Earl (2010), and Hurricane Irene (2011)

Served as SPOC for pandemic response during the 2009 H1N1 outbreak and organized alternate work strategies for all Capgemini employees in North America (including plan development, this was completed in 6 weeks). The program was then adopted by Capgemini’s regional centers in the UK, India, Poland, and Romania. Created corporate communications signed by the SVP of HR, worked with Legal dept. to ensure messaging was clear and protected the organization. Created signage for facilities regarding “etiquette”.

Skills and Technical Proficiency

• BCM Software Implementation • Microsoft Office • DRJ General Accepted Practices • Disaster Recovery Program Development • Business Continuity • Pandemic Planning • Business Impact Analysis (BIA) • Crisis Communications • Emergency Response • Incident Management • Problem Management • People Management • Hiring • Coaching

ISO 22301, FFIEC, Risk Management, Third-Party Vendor Management, Negotiations, Sales, Pre-Sales, Reporting, Audit, Audit Response, Internal Audit, External Audit, PwC, Cloud, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Amazon Web Services, Mentoring, Collaboration, Servant Leadership, Executive, Resilience, Program Leader, Speaker, Analytical Skills, Incident Response, Resilience, Remote, KPIs, Key Performance Indicators, Regulatory Audits, Crisis Management, Communication, BCI Good Practices, DRII Generally Accepted Professional Practices, Resiliency, Deadline Oriented, Gap Analysis, Key Metrics, Recovery Plans, Recovery Strategies, Contractual Obligations, 3rd Party Vendor Management

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