Practical advice on pitching AI projects to your board and identifying high-ROI machine learning use cases that deliver measurable business value.
Continue Reading →January 14, 2025
AI Adoption & Strategy
Strategic Technology & FinOps Leader | CIO/CTO | Enterprise Transformation Expert
Bridging finance and technology to optimize cloud spend, scale global teams, and deliver measurable outcomes. Over 20 years leading $2B+ in portfolios, driving M&A success, and transforming operations for Fortune 500, SaaS, and PE-backed organizations.
I’ve always believed that technology is only as powerful as the strategy behind it. My path began in finance—an arena where precision, analysis, and outcomes drive every decision. That grounding taught me to see beyond numbers and understand how capital, performance, and innovation intersect.
As I moved into consulting, I discovered how much I enjoyed solving complex problems at scale—helping organizations navigate transformation, align operations, and unlock real ROI from technology investments. Those years sharpened my ability to translate vision into execution and bridge the language between business and IT.
The turning point came when I joined a venture-backed startup as the fifth employee. With no roadmap and no safety net, I built the entire technology architecture from the ground up—cloud infrastructure, automation, trading systems, everything. It was there I learned the art of building not just systems, but momentum: empowering small teams to deliver big outcomes through clarity, collaboration, and trust.
Two decades later, that same philosophy guides me as I lead enterprise-scale transformations for global organizations, SaaS platforms, and PE-backed companies. My focus is always the same—connect financial discipline with technical innovation to drive measurable, sustainable results.
At my core, I’m driven by a simple idea: when people understand the “why,” technology becomes an accelerator of possibility. My role is to make that connection—between finance and technology, vision and execution, teams and outcomes—and help organizations realize the full potential of their investment in innovation.
Proven track record of delivering transformative business outcomes through strategic technology leadership, operational excellence, and data-driven decision making.
Hover over each metric for more details on how it was achieved.
Realized through vendor consolidation, license optimization, and cloud spend FinOps programs improving ROI across the enterprise.
Achieved via hybrid SOC model, automation of vulnerability management, and AI-assisted threat detection frameworks.
Enabled through redundant cloud architectures, proactive monitoring, and predictive maintenance for mission-critical workloads.
Result of infrastructure modernization, observability enhancements, and standardized ITSM processes reducing MTTR.
Driven by IoT-driven automation, AI predictive analytics, and workflow digitization improving throughput and quality yield.
Delivered through predictive quality control and computer vision systems reducing material waste and rework costs.
Introduced RPA and low-code platforms enabling workforce efficiency and reducing cycle times across finance and IT functions.
Resulted from intelligent energy management, HVAC IoT retrofits, and data-driven sustainability initiatives.
Enabled by agile frameworks, DevSecOps automation, and cross-functional program governance increasing delivery velocity.
Achieved through digital experience modernization, proactive service models, and AI-powered personalization strategies.
Leading digital transformation and operational excellence across diverse industries, from startups to Fortune 500 enterprises.
57-person global team | $12M annual technology budget
$750M manufacturing subsidiary supporting 8 facilities across 5 countries
$4.2M annual operational savings through AI-driven optimization
200+ engineers across US, India, Portugal, Malaysia
2,500+ customers | $180M ARR | 22-point NPS increase
6 acquired companies achieving SOC 2 Type II certification
$2B portfolio | 600+ projects | $45M annual budget
25 companies | $125B combined revenue | 85-person IT team
50+ deals up to $4B including 18,000-employee acquisition
Hover over each metric for more details on how it was measured.
Established comprehensive security programs protecting business-critical assets while achieving regulatory compliance and reducing enterprise risk exposure across Fortune 500 and SaaS environments.
Situation: Legacy, fragmented identity stack caused access delays and audit gaps
Deployed Okta + Azure AD with adaptive MFA, SSO, privileged-access vault, and lifecycle automation for joiners/movers/leavers
Result: 80% faster provisioning | 60% risk reduction | Zero SOX/ISO audit findings
Situation: Ad-hoc security monitoring limiting incident visibility across global operations
Designed hybrid model with SIEM (Splunk/QRadar) + SOAR, built playbooks, trained analysts across India, US, and MSP partners
Result: 90% threat detection coverage | MTTC reduced from 72h to 6h | $300K annual insurance savings
Situation: Rapid cloud growth across AWS, Azure, GCP without consistent guardrails
Implemented enterprise CSPM with Prisma/Azure Defender, enforced least-privilege, automated remediation for misconfigurations
Result: 1,200+ critical findings closed in 3 months | 99% CIS benchmark compliance achieved
Situation: Rising malware incidents with antivirus proving insufficient for enterprise protection
Deployed CrowdStrike EDR integrated with SOC, built containment playbooks, implemented threat hunting capabilities
Result: 70% reduction in breach attempts | <5 minute first-response time | Enhanced threat visibility
Situation: Phishing was #1 cause of security incidents threatening IP and embargoed products
Implemented gamified training + phishing simulations partnered with HR, linked to onboarding and continuous education programs
Result: Phishing click-rate dropped from 21% to 2% in one year | Measurable audit posture improvement
Situation: Regulated data moving to SaaS created significant leakage risk for HIPAA/GDPR compliance
Rolled out Microsoft Purview & endpoint DLP, tuned policies with Legal/Privacy teams, implemented data classification frameworks
Result: 95% of attempted PII leaks stopped | HIPAA/GDPR readiness achieved | Enhanced data governance
Leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, and modern engineering practices to drive operational efficiency, predictive insights, and transformative business outcomes across manufacturing and enterprise environments.
Situation: Manual quality inspection processes causing waste, defects, and production delays
Deployed machine learning models for 100% automated quality inspection and predictive maintenance, integrated into real-time production workflows
Result: $1.2M validated waste reduction in 6 months | 25% capacity increase | 99.7% uptime improvement
Situation: Data siloes across systems preventing unified analytics and strategic decision-making
Architected global data lake connecting disparate sources, implemented self-service analytics, established data governance frameworks
Result: 40% faster time-to-decision | Real-time actionable insights | Enterprise-wide data democratization
Situation: Reactive approach to production planning and resource allocation causing inefficiencies
Developed predictive models for demand forecasting, resource optimization, and yield improvement using AI/ML algorithms
Result: 15% yield improvement | Optimized production planning | Enhanced supply chain efficiency
Situation: Developers deploying directly to production without security scanning or automated testing
Implemented SAST/DAST/SCA tools, secrets management, IaC scanning, and automated CI/CD pipelines embedding security into SDLC
Result: 75% reduction in production vulnerabilities | Maintained delivery cadence | Shift-left security culture
Situation: Manufacturing operations relying on fragmented, manual processes across production lifecycle
Led DevOps teams to architect comprehensive manufacturing application suite spanning production, warehousing, logistics, and quality systems
Result: End-to-end digital workflow | Enhanced operational visibility | 30% efficiency gains
Situation: Leadership lacking real-time visibility into operational metrics and KPIs for strategic decisions
Built analytics capabilities with Tableau/Power BI dashboards, automated reporting, and executive KPI frameworks
Result: Real-time executive insights | Data-driven decision culture | Competitive intelligence advantage
Driving cloud transformation and financial optimization through strategic architecture, cost governance, and intelligent workload placement across multi-cloud environments.
Situation: Fragmented cloud deployments across AWS, Azure, GCP lacking unified governance
Designed hybrid landing zones using Terraform and ARM templates, established cloud-first architecture principles, migrated 200+ workloads
Result: 35% infrastructure cost reduction | 99.9% availability | Unified cloud governance framework
Situation: Cloud spend growing 40% annually without visibility into cost drivers or optimization opportunities
Implemented FinOps practices, established cost allocation tags, deployed CloudWatch/AppDynamics observability, created chargeback models
Result: 30% cloud cost reduction | Real-time cost visibility | Disciplined investment decisions
Situation: Certain workloads proving cost-ineffective in public cloud, requiring strategic repatriation analysis
Conducted TCO analysis for 150+ workloads, implemented VxRail for on-premise private cloud, designed hybrid architecture patterns
Result: $2.5M avoided CapEx | 18% PUE reduction | Optimized workload placement strategy
Situation: Legacy data centers at capacity with aging infrastructure posing business continuity risks
Led comprehensive US infrastructure refresh, decommissioned critical physical servers, implemented dual WAN vendor-diverse circuits
Result: Enhanced system reliability | Improved business continuity | Eliminated infrastructure risk exposure
Situation: Limited visibility into application performance and infrastructure health across distributed environments
Embedded AppDynamics, Dynatrace, CloudWatch for full-stack observability, implemented self-healing automation and SRE practices
Result: 40% system reliability improvement | Proactive issue detection | Enhanced resilience and scalability
Situation: Traditional VDI unable to support remote workforce scalability and security requirements
Implemented Cloud PC platform leveraging AWS and Microsoft offerings, streamlined provisioning, ensured robust governance and security
Result: Seamless remote work capabilities | 50% faster onboarding | Enhanced security posture
Architecting seamless technology integrations and divestiture strategies that accelerate deal value realization while minimizing business disruption across complex, multi-billion-dollar transactions.
Situation: M&A technology integrations taking 180+ days with inconsistent processes across deals
Established MADICS PMO (Mergers, Acquisitions, Divestitures, Integrations, Closures, Sales) with governance frameworks and repeatable processes
Result: 90-day integration cycles | 98% on-time delivery | Industry-leading M&A excellence
Situation: Insufficient technical assessment leading to post-deal surprises and integration challenges
Developed comprehensive due diligence frameworks assessing infrastructure, applications, security, technical debt, and integration complexity
Result: Accurate risk assessments | Informed deal valuations | Accelerated integration planning
Situation: Complex 18,000-employee acquisition requiring rapid IT integration without business disruption
Executed phased rollout with integration playbooks, standardized systems, consolidated infrastructure, addressed technical debt strategically
Result: Full integration in 90 days | Minimal disruption | $5M O365 savings | 35% AWS cost reduction
Situation: Divestitures requiring complex separation while maintaining service continuity through TSAs
Led divestiture initiatives, framed Transition Service Agreements, maintained critical relationships throughout obligation periods
Result: Seamless separation | Value preservation | Maintained service levels during transition
Situation: Multiple acquisitions resulted in 15+ redundant platforms and fragmented technology stack
Led architects and engineers to consolidate SaaS applications into unified platform under single UI/UX, rationalized technology investments
Result: 35% software cost reduction | Streamlined user experience | Reduced operational complexity
Situation: Each M&A deal being approached uniquely without leveraging lessons learned or best practices
Created scalable integration and divestiture playbooks with governance frameworks, tools, and processes for repeatable excellence
Result: Standardized processes | Accelerated speed-to-value | Knowledge capture and reuse
Deep expertise across strategic leadership, operations, innovation, and security domains with hands-on experience in enterprise-scale platforms and frameworks.
Here are my reflections and strategies shaped by firsthand experience driving enterprise transformation, technology modernization, and innovation at scale.
Practical advice on pitching AI projects to your board and identifying high-ROI machine learning use cases that deliver measurable business value.
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Continue Reading →Cloud decisions aren’t just technical—they’re financial instruments. The strongest IT leaders think like portfolio managers, allocating compute the way a CFO allocates capital.
Continue Reading →Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT concern—it’s a board-level discipline tied to enterprise resilience, financial risk, and strategic growth.
Continue Reading →Successful M&A isn’t just financial—it’s about aligning technology early, planning ahead, and capturing IT synergies from day one.
Continue Reading →Modern IT governance is more than compliance—it’s a mechanism for aligning technology, risk, and business outcomes in a rapidly evolving digital environment.
Continue Reading →Operational excellence turns IT from a cost center into a growth engine, blending technology, people, and process for maximum business impact.
Continue Reading →Consistently outperforming industry benchmarks through operational excellence, strategic innovation, and people-first leadership.
My leadership approach is grounded in balancing empowerment with accountability, innovation with execution, and strategic vision with operational excellence. Over 20+ years, I’ve built high-performing teams by fostering a culture where people understand their value, own their outcomes, and are equipped with the tools, autonomy, and support to deliver exceptional results.
“Transparency breeds trust, and trust is the foundation of any successful organization.”
Team members should always understand how their work ladders up to enterprise objectives, why decisions are made, and what success looks like. This clarity empowers individuals to make informed decisions, take calculated risks, and contribute meaningfully to our collective mission.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion aren’t just values—they’re strategic imperatives. Diverse teams bring varied perspectives, driving innovation, better decision-making, and stronger business outcomes. I’ve championed inclusive hiring, mentorship programs, and career development pathways that increased underrepresented talent from 12% to 35%, while maintaining retention rates above 90%.
Finally, I lead with empathy and authenticity, investing time in understanding each person’s aspirations, strengths, and challenges. Whether coaching a first-time manager or advising C-suite executives, I bring the same commitment to growth and success. This approach has created scalable leadership pipelines and teams that consistently exceed performance targets while maintaining exceptional morale.
This philosophy manifests in tangible outcomes across critical dimensions of leadership excellence
Fostering high-performing, globally distributed teams with >90% voluntary retention through transparent leadership ensuring team members understand their value and ownership in our collective mission. Created environments where individuals thrive, take ownership, and drive innovation from within.
Champions DEI in technology organizations, increasing underrepresented hires from 12% to 35% through inclusive hiring, promotion, and mentorship programs with 75% internal promotion rate. Building diverse teams that bring varied perspectives and drive superior business outcomes.
Developed scalable leadership pipelines promoting multiple managers into executive roles through structured career paths, targeted upskilling, and continuous improvement culture. Invested in external leadership development resources to train and elevate emerging talent across the organization.
Orchestrates complex initiatives aligning operations, finance, security, product, and commercial teams delivering 40% service NPS uplift and major post-merger integrations. Skilled at building consensus, managing stakeholder expectations, and driving results across organizational boundaries.
Built scalable, high-availability infrastructure and FinOps frameworks delivering 35% cost optimization without sacrificing performance. Implemented KPI-driven governance and automation that improved uptime, efficiency, and financial transparency across global operations.
Spearheaded cloud modernization, AI-driven insights, and platform transformations driving measurable enterprise growth. Consistently positioned technology as a business accelerator—aligning innovation with strategic and financial outcomes to deliver competitive advantage.
Real-world transformations in IT, cloud, AI, and data that delivered measurable outcomes, reduced risk, and accelerated growth.
Integrated IT for 50+ deals in 90 days, capturing $4B+ in transaction value while reducing risk by 40%.
Read More →Increased production capacity by 25% and realized $4.2M in annual cost savings through AI-powered systems.
Read More →Achieved 3X faster feature deployment cadence, reduced technical debt by 35%, and improved team engagement scores.
Read More →Reduced feature time-to-market by 80%, halved support costs, and doubled product release frequency.
Read More →Reduced decision-making time by 40% and enabled enterprise-wide self-service analytics with AI integration.
Read More →20% growth in digital pipeline, reporting lead times cut from weeks to minutes, and improved forecasting accuracy.
Read More →Cut cloud spend by 18%, improved app performance by 30%, and maintained GDPR/DORA compliance.
Read More →Improved AI project success rates by 40%, reduced deployment time by 50%, and ensured compliance with evolving AI regulations.
Read More →Available for CIO, CTO, and VP Technology roles where strategic vision meets hands-on execution. Let's discuss how I can help accelerate your organization's technology transformation and drive measurable business outcomes.
© 2025 Joseph Schiavone | Strategic Technology Executive