CTO vs. CIO: The Evolving Landscape in Mid-sized Companies
Los Angeles, California Metro Area
Independent Fractional CIO & Advisory Consulting
Technology vision & and strategy
Innovative technology platform development and modernization
Accelerating growth through technology innovation
Developing high-performance agile teams
Recruiting & retaining world-class talent
Driving operational excellence
Consistently delivering results
Fostering a diverse, inclusive & collaborative culture
Establishing long-term client relationships
Mergers & Acquisitions
Critical thinking & problem solving
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion including LGBTQ+ Advocacy
ArizonaCIO, 2020 CIO ORBIE Award Nominee
Phoenix Business Journal, 2019 CIO of the Year Award Finalist
Best Companies AZ, 2018 Spotlight Award for Innovation
Stevie Awards, 2018 Gold Winner for 3 Tech Products
AZ SIM, AZ SIM CIO Roundtable, AZ SIM CIO Mentor, AZ Tech Council, HMG Strategy PHX CIO Executive Leadership Advisory Board, Penn State Alumni Association, Penn State LionLink
Marci Chapman, VP of Ecommerce: " ... [Rich] is continuing to modernize the tech stack with Azure databases, Hubspot CRM and Brightspace LMS. He has done a great job of selecting the right vendors for the company systems while also keeping an eye on the overall budget impact and ongoing operating costs."
Chad Lane, Chief Product Officer: “… I can confidently say that he is an exceptional technology leader. Rich is a strategic thinker and a hands-on leader who consistently delivers results. Rich's visionary thinking and strategic acumen played a pivotal role in driving ISSA's transformation … His exceptional leadership skills and commitment to operational excellence make him an asset to any organization.”
Matt Habecker, VP of Marketing: "Rich has consistently demonstrated a profound understanding of the ever-evolving landscape of technology. His strategic vision has been instrumental in guiding ISSA through numerous technological advancements and challenges. Whether it's implementing cutting-edge solutions, streamlining processes, or ensuring the security of our digital assets, Rich has consistently delivered outstanding results."
Scot Hilchey, VP of Interactive: " ... [Rich's] understanding of complex systems combined with an amazing ability to communicate a vision, has made a significantly positive impact on our business. Clients love him and respect him as do his peers."
If you have any questions, please contact me directly via any method on my contact page.
I am a dynamic technology leader with a proven track record in technology leadership, innovation, strategy, growth, M&A, digital transformation, and agile team building. I excel in building world-class B2B and B2C tech organizations, developing and executing comprehensive strategies, and delivering scalable, revenue-driving cloud solutions. I have extensive experience in technology P&L management, financial planning, budgeting & forecasting, resource management, vendor selection, platform evaluation, and regulatory requirements related to IT security and data privacy. My expertise spans diverse sectors, including SaaS software, eCommerce, marketing, eLearning, and financial services. I have a strong record of success that includes:
Elevating ISSA's revenue from $10M to $100M in under 4 years, achieving >50% YoY growth through strategic IT initiatives, technology platform modernization, and 4 targeted acquisitions. Contributed to a successful company sale to Private Equity with an impressive 14x EBITDA multiple.
Delivering over $25M in Aggregate Cost Savings at 5 companies with digital transformation efforts like IT modernization, infrastructure cloud migrations, and AI automation.
>30% Reduction of Infrastructure Costs & TCO while hitting 99.99% Uptime at ISSA, Digital Air Strike, and Rouse Services through platform modernization efforts, process implementation & operational efficiency.
Successfully built, led, and scaled high-performance Agile software engineering, data, and IT teams that contributed to the efficient delivery of hundreds of progressive initiatives across multiple organizations.
Securing $50M+ in new projects as an SAP advisor at SBI Razorfish (UK) and rescuing at-risk international and government projects worth over $100M at Philip Morris, Deloitte, TSA, and Defense Logistics AgencyProfessional Experience
International Sports Sciences Association
Phoenix, Arizona | 2019/11 – Present
A $100M (FY23) global B2C & B2B eCommerce e-learning company specializing in practical distance education for fitness, nutrition, wellness, and health professionals.
Spearheaded the transformation of the technology division at ISSA, leading platform modernization efforts to support 5 million customers across 142 countries. This strategic initiative helped propel the evolution of ISSA from a small eLearning company into a dynamic B2C eCommerce-centric enterprise. Reporting directly to the CEO, I assumed full responsibility for all technology operations and software engineering.
Helped Drive Unprecedented Growth leading to an Exceptional Acquisition: Helped to drive ISSA's revenue from $10M (FY19) to $100M (FY23) in under 4 years, achieving >50% YoY expansion. Contributed to a $144M sale transaction (FY21) to Tailwind Capital at an impressive 14x EBITDA multiple.
Engineered Platform Stabilization for Unparalleled Uptime: Orchestrated seamless data services migration to Microsoft Azure, achieving an impressive 99.999% system uptime metric and enhancing operational reliability.
Comprehensive Modernization with Strategic Innovation: Executed a $10M multi-year technology roadmap for legacy platform modernization, resulting in accelerated time-to-market, fortified business self-service capabilities, and a 25% reduction in TCO
Optimized Infrastructure with Strategic Cloud Migration: Strategically migrated to Microsoft Azure leveraging Azure Function Apps and scalable API Micro-services, reducing infrastructure costs by over 30% and optimizing operational efficiency.
Developed Forward-Looking Multi-Brand E-Commerce Strategy: Introduced an API-first Multi-Brand e-commerce platform strategy, transitioning from a home-grown system to a versatile headless e-commerce model. Utilizing React/Next.JS, ElasticPath, Contentful, and EdgIO, the shift ignited a massive revenue surge of >$25M
Championed Expansion through Strategic Acquisition and Integration: Orchestrated seamless acquisition and integration of four eLearning companies, contributing >$50M to overall revenue and solidifying ISSA's industry leadership.
Digital Air Strike
Scottsdale, Arizona | 2017/07 – 2019/11
A $50M (FY19) consumer engagement & B2C digital retailing agency specializing in social media and full-lifecycle, digital marketing solutions.
Recruited as the CTO to lead technology platform and application development and manage technology operations across 7 offices. This encompassed the orchestration of geographically distributed nearshore and offshore teams in Mexico, Belarus, and Ukraine, comprising over 75 engineers and supporting roles.
Strategically Engineered Product Innovation: Collaborated with the CPO to develop a multi-year roadmap for new product vision, technical strategy, financial planning, and resource allocation. Achieved three new product rollouts and shifted 5% of IT spending from support to innovation, resulting in a $10M revenue increase.
Orchestrated Cost-Efficiency Measures: Migrated in-house development resources to nearshore teams, reducing total development costs by 25% through strategic transition. A 40% reduction in annual Cloud vendor costs was achieved through rigorous negotiation and service consolidation.
Fueled Innovation and Recognition: Led the development of an avant-garde automotive Consumer Experience (CX) platform using React and GraphQL. Generated $5M additional revenue and earned an Innovation Award.
Platform Modernization: Spearheaded legacy system re-platforming to Google Cloud (GCP). Reduced infrastructure costs by 34% and support costs by 50%.
Enhanced Insights with Data Transformation: Introduced Data Services team and created a cutting-edge Enterprise Data Warehouse integrated with PowerBI. Empowered comprehensive KPI and financial reporting.
Navigated Complex M&A Endeavors: Executed 3 successful acquisitions, seamlessly integrating assets, team members, and cloud platforms. CRM migration showcased adaptability and contributed to a $12M revenue increase at a 22% EBITDA margin.
Rouse Services
Beverly Hills, California | 2014/05 – 2017/07
A $50M (FY17) market intelligence, analytics & B2B e-commerce website developer for the construction rental equipment industry.
Led technology operations and development, including multiple full-stack Agile software development teams focused on the creation, delivery & management of high-volume SaaS data services, microservices, web and mobile applications using the latest JavaScript frameworks and technologies.
Game-Changing Cloud Migration and Cost Transformation: Developed a business case, secured funding, & orchestrated a seamless shift from a physical data center to a hybrid cloud infrastructure using virtualized computing, resulting in >$1 million in annual cost savings, increased efficiency and scalability.
Achieved Deployment Efficiency and Collaboration: Implemented an agile ALM framework using JIRA, JIRA Service Desk, Confluence, Bitbucket, and CI tools. Achieved a 100% reduction in deployment downtime, driving productivity and collaboration.
Enhanced IT for Seamless Expansion: Strengthened IT capabilities to support $20M+ in additional professional services revenue with upgraded tools, stabilized systems, and operational excellence.
Year-1 Cost Efficiency: Achieved 30% reduction in tech operating expenses within the first year. Strategically blended cost-saving measures, resource optimization, and consolidated IT infrastructure.
SourceLink
Itasca, Illinois | 2013/10 – 2014/05
Los Angeles, California | 2009/02 – 2013/10
A $100M (FY2013) full-service interactive marketing and direct mail agency providing print, digital & marketing services to B2C and B2B clients, including Maserati, Ferrari, BMW, MINI, and the US Social Security Administration.
I spearheaded design and implementation, expanded the marketing tech division to support an additional $20M in revenue, drove a $10M surge in professional services revenue, and created a groundbreaking multi-tenant solution for dynamic analytics and enhanced customer engagement.
Pioneered Fortune 500 Design and Implementation: Spearheaded scalable e-commerce & marketing solutions for clients such as BMW, MINI, Huntington Bank, M&T Bank, and Tractor Supply Company.
Engineered Evolution of Marketing Solutions: Expanded marketing tech division to support an additional $20M in incremental revenue leveraging dynamic analytics and omnichannel marketing services.
Propelled $10M Professional Services Surge: Led a surge in professional services revenue exceeding $10M, achieving a substantial 20% EBITDA growth. Utilized innovative solutions and OPEX services.
Architected Paradigm-Shifting Multi-Tenant Solution: Created a visionary multi-tenant solution aggregating billions of rows of data. Facilitated marketing campaign orchestration and dynamic analytics, which amplified customer engagement, acquisition, retention, and growth strategies.
Move Marketing
Phoenix, Arizona | 2007/01 – 2009/01
A $3M (FY2008) B2C ecommerce marketing start-up providing dynamic eCommerce websites and key word marketing solutions.
Recruited with a mandate to implement and construct a Cognos BI solution, my journey at Move Marketing evolved into a hands-on role as an individual contributor. I quickly assumed the pivotal responsibilities of Chief Data Architect and DBA, where I drove the design of data services and managed data platforms. Concurrently, I took charge as the primary system administrator, meticulously managing both production and development infrastructure, as well as web platforms.
Revolutionized SEO and PPC Automation: Led architecture, development, and management of rules-based solutions. Streamlined automated processing and submission of 10,000+ SEO and PPC keywords daily, adding an impressive $100,000 monthly revenue stream.
Empowered E-Commerce with Robust Solutions: Orchestrated end-to-end architecture of e-commerce web and database platform. Seamlessly integrated systems for over 100 e-commerce websites, showcasing strategic prowess in resilient solution design.
Excelled in Data Management and ETL Design: Demonstrated architectural acumen by envisioning and creating ETL services. Managed daily load of 10 million+ affiliate marketing consumer products, showcasing a commitment to data management and operational excellence.
Bank of America
Phoenix, Arizona | 2003/05 – 2007/07
A prominent multinational investment bank and financial services holding company recognized for its comprehensive range of financial offerings and services provided to clients across various sectors.
From a .NET BI developer to Vice President of BI in just one year, I spearheaded the Card Services Management Information Systems - Credit Card Services data modeling & BI team of 20. Overseeing the transition of .NET reports to Cognos BI, I also pioneered credit card and fraud data modeling while delivering crucial Cognos BI reports. I managed the Cognos BI reporting environment, catering to a user base of over 25,000 internal stakeholders.
Rapid Promotion to BI Leadership: Promoted from .NET BI developer to VP of BI within a year, leading the Card Services Management Information Systems - Credit Card Services data modeling & BI team of 20. Shaped and drove critical initiatives, showcasing prowess in leadership.
Revolutionized Fraud Detection with Data Warehousing: Orchestrated cutting-edge data warehousing systems for terabytes of daily transactional card data. Empowered credit card fraud department to swiftly analyze data, identifying fraudulent transactions and saving millions.
Championed Self-Service BI Solution: Led design, implementation, and deployment of self-service Cognos BI solution for 25,000+ users. Empowered independent data insights, enhancing decision-making and efficiency across the organization.
Pioneered Lean Process Reengineering: Led lean process reengineering in the Card Operations Division, resulting in a $200,000 annual cost reduction. Demonstrated ability to drive efficiency and tangible cost savings.
Navigated Complex Acquisition Integration: Played an integral role in harmonizing MBNA and Bank of America card data reporting platforms during acquisition integration. Demonstrated precision and strategic foresight in intricate organizational transitions.
SBI Razorfish
Phoenix, Arizona | 2002/01 – 2003/05
A global interactive agency providing services such as web development, technology development, and innovation
I was recruited with a mandate to expand the SBI SAP Enterprise Portal practice and provide strategic consulting support to SAP customers. Recognized by SAP for my expertise, I served in an advisory capacity for several government and international organizations on SAP portal projects.
Strategic Project Wins Beyond $50M: Orchestrated project wins exceeding $50M for prestigious clients like Philip Morris, Advanced Energy, and Valero Energy, operating in an impactful SAP advisory role at SBI Razorfish (UK). Demonstrated strategic leadership in securing substantial contracts and driving remarkable global value.
Rescued Projects Valued Over $100M: Advised critical SAP Portal projects, rescuing over $100M worth of projects from potential cancellation at Deloitte, TSA, and DLA. Safeguarded investments, ensuring vital initiatives' continuation and resource preservation.
Various technology consulting roles for some of the world’s largest companies such as SAP, American Express, and Bank of America.
Various Technology & CIO project consulting roles for SourceLink, Ciber, Maxim Group, TMP Worldwide
Startup Experience as a co-founder at JMRA Technologies, Red-Fork Hospitality Solutions, Aventera, 310WEST & DIR Media
Adjunct CIS Faculty for the DeVry University Evening & Weekend Program
Implementation Engineer for Micros Systems
I love to have open discussions. Let's chat about how I can help you succeed or become a better leader. Want to discuss current events or just life in general, shoot me a note. Below are a few of the topics I prioritize:
Rich Brown
c/o 310Brands LLC
17631 Ventura Blvd #250
Encino, CA 91316
[email protected]
(818) 208-0074
