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John Thompson

IT Management Support / Strategic Planner / IT Controller

Skills

IT Strategy Development and Execution
IT Performance Monitoring
Cost Optimization and Financial Analysis
Innovation Leadership
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Emerging Technologies and Trends
Digital Transformation
Project Management
Supplier Management
Market Research and Benchmarking
Presentation Skills (Including C-level)

Voluntary experience

Non Executive Director for
SwissSafeSport 
Advise on IT infrastructure, website and mobile apps.

Languages

Bilingual - French and English

Summary

Experienced IT strategist with a proven track record in driving transformative changes and innovation within global IT organizations. Seeking the role of IT Management Support / Strategic Planning and Execution Control IT at Julius Baer to shape and execute the organization's IT strategy, enhance operational efficiency, and drive strategic initiatives for future growth.

Bilingual (English and French)

Work experience highlights

20222023

IT Vendor Management Office Manager

Galderma, Switzerland

In this role, I supported the development and implementation of IT strategies aligned with the organization's business goals, facilitating transformative changes and achieving strategic IT targets.

  • Established and monitored metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the effectiveness of IT outsourcing & vendor strategies, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
  • Identified opportunities for IT supplier cost optimization, conducting financial analyses in collaboration with the IT Controlling unit to optimize investments, reduce expenses, and enhance profitability.
  • Fostered a culture of continuous excellence and innovation within the IT department, identifying emerging technologies, trends, and best practices to drive IT innovation initiatives for partner organizations.
  • Assisted in preparing materials and presentations for board meetings and strategy workshops, providing updates on IT vendor strategy, progress, and key initiatives.
  • Collaborated with IT teams and business stakeholders to identify and prioritize initiatives aligned with the IT strategy, developing comprehensive business cases, financial models, and investment plans.
  • Led supplier management activities related to IT strategic initiatives, including sourcing, vendor selection, and contract negotiation.
  • Took ownership of special projects and transformation initiatives mandated by the office of the CIO, conducting research, market studies, and benchmarking activities.
  • Created vendor management office organisation and processes from ground up.
  • C-level advisory on the topics IT Outsourcing (ITO), Retained Organizations & Cloud Service Governance
  • Developed indirect procurement strategy, including strategic IT sourcing principles and brought operational cost savings CHF 10MM annually.
20212022

Global IT Operations Manager

Wipro, Switzerland

Oversaw Google Street View program overall operations. Steered high-performing team of five global programme managers, field services, offshore delivery units (450 members).

  • Presented new business model & vendor roadmap and boosted revenue by 10% through technology strategy execution, and organisational change implementation.
20202021

Senior IT and Digital Consultant

Schwartz NDT & Consulting Lebellue, Switzerland

Managed strategic workshops for the development of IT strategy and deployed contract life cycle management system & enterprise content management system. 

  • Accomplished strategic business objectives for medical and NDT clients.
  • Delivered guidance on transformational programmes, sourcing, and IT strategy.
20142019

Senior IT Program Manager & Change Manager

Nestle, Switzerland

Co-ordinated portfolio of IT projects and services worth CHF 150MM. Fulfilled changing business needs by leading major telecoms contract change negotiations. Established IT Project Management Office and IT Vendor Management Office. Managed RFx preparation, execution, and evaluation of global deals. Led global team of architects, whilst focusing on LAN, WAN, Datacentre, Unified Communication, Call & Social Contact Centre, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), and technology outsourcing programmes.

  • Reduced costs by CHF 50MM per year through benefit tracking and benchmarking.

  • Facilitated global workshops to define digital workplace products, customer profiles, and value propositions, implementation of Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) to support product management.

  • Developed sense of urgency and established service culture for continuous learning by co-ordinating with stakeholders as IT communications lead.

work experience (cont)

20062014

IT Project Manager

Nestle, Switzerland

Orchestrated all aspects of project management for deliverables and support services for SAP/HANA, merger, acquisition, and divestiture (M&A&D) activities; new offices/office relocation for clients. Established standard site commissioning policy and oversaw M&A&D process. Steered business process outsourcing (BPO) projects for HR and finance departments. Oversaw several IS/IT infrastructure deployment projects.

  • Attained 98% compliance rating by directing compliance projects and due diligence activities with focus on. network perimeter security including user authentication & authorisation, penetration testing & risk mitigation.

  • Delivered e-learning infrastructure training to offshore delivery units.

20042006

Microsoft Infrastructure Consultant

Georgia Pacific, France
20032004

Microsoft Infrastructure Consultant

British Telecom, UK
20022003

Webmaster

National Health Service (NHS), UK
20002002

Webmaster

Concurrent Technologies, UK

Education

20172019

University of Barcelona, Spain

Executive MBA (English Program)
Final project: PV Solar Farm Business Plan

2018

IMD School of Management, Switzerland

Mobilising People to Implement Change

2017

Project Management Institute, USA

Project Management Professional (PMP)

1997 2000

Anglia Ruskin University, United Kingdom

Business Information Systems 

IT Management Support / Strategic Planning and Execution Control IT job description

At Julius Baer, we celebrate and value the individual qualities you bring, enabling you to be impactful, to be entrepreneurial, to be empowered, and to create value beyond wealth.
Let’s shape the future of wealth management together. Are you ready to take on a pivotal role within our Global IT Organization? As part of our IT Chief of Staff team, you will be at the forefront of shaping, executing and monitoring our IT Strategy for the upcoming years. Doing that, you'll collaborate closely with the Head of IT, his direct reports, and partner organizations within the bank to drive transformative changes to achieving our strategic IT targets.
In this role, you will have the unique chance to take impact onto the future of our IT, playing a critical part in preparing our organization to tackle accordant challenges and embrace game-changing solutions. By spearheading the implementation of strategic initiatives and driving cross-functional collaboration, you will ensure that we are well-equipped to seize exciting opportunities that lie ahead.
In that staff position, you will be a key driver of change within our organization. Your role will involve navigating a dynamic landscape of opportunities, forging strong partnerships with stakeholders, and continuously challenging the status quo. With your expertise, you will steer us towards a future where we thrive on innovation and seize every chance to take the next level in our transformation journey.

YOUR CHALLENGE

  • Develop and implement the next cycles of our IT strategy: Support the development and implementation of IT strategies that align with the organization's business goals
  • Monitor IT performance: Establish metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor the effectiveness of IT strategies
  • IT cost optimization: Identify opportunities for cost savings and efficiency improvements within IT operations. Conduct financial analysis together with our IT Controlling unit to optimize IT investments, reduce expenses, and enhance profitability
  • Orchestrating IT innovation: Foster a culture of innovation within the IT department. Identify emerging technologies, trends, and industry best practices to support our partner organizations in driving IT innovation initiatives
  • Preparation of board meetings and strategy workshops: Assist in preparing materials and presentations for board meetings and strategy workshops, providing updates on IT strategy, progress, and key initiatives
  • Initiative and investment planning: Collaborate with IT teams and stakeholders to identify and prioritize initiatives aligned with the IT strategy. Develop business cases, financial models, and investment plans to support strategy implementation
  • Lead supplier management activities related to IT strategic initiatives, including sourcing, vendor selection, and contract negotiation
  • Take ownership of special projects and transformation initiatives mandated by the Head of IT
  • Conduct research, market studies, and benchmarking activities to identify emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices

YOUR PROFILE

  • Bachelor's or master's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field
  • Proven experience (> 5 years) in IT strategy development, execution, and monitoring
  • Ability to think strategically and align IT initiatives with overall business objectives
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to identify and address complex IT challenges
  • Innovation mindset: Curiosity and openness to new ideas and technologies. Ability to drive innovation and introduce disruptive IT solutions to improve business processes and outcomes
  • Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, stakeholders, and senior management
  • In-depth knowledge of IT systems, infrastructure, and technologies. Familiarity with industry trends, emerging technologies, and digital transformation strategies
  • Solid understanding of IT controlling patterns and financial analysis
  • Ideally having experience in driving IT innovation initiatives and digital transformation projects
  • Strong experience in working in global IT organizations.
  • Strong verbal and written communication and storytelling skills to convey complex IT concepts to non-technical stakeholders
  • Ability to present ideas, strategies, and recommendations in a clear and concise manner
  • Outstanding communication and presentation skills, also on C-level

We are looking forward to receiving your full job application through our online application tool. Further interesting job opportunities can be found on our Career site.

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