Case Studies
Organizational Design
Operations
2019–2026
How the work actually gets done
Resumes show outcomes. These case studies show the systems, operating models, and decisions behind those outcomes.
Designing a Stewardship-Based Operating Model for a Global IT Team
Publicly traded company · 11-person cross-functional team · 3 regions
Situation
Leadership directed a return to operational fundamentals. I'd already been advocating for the same thing in concrete terms — defined ownership, governed change, operational discipline. Used the directive as the opening to design and deploy the operating model I'd been building toward.
Approach
- Three-area accountability structure covering operational baseline, scoped improvements, and documentation
- Every platform mapped to a named steward with defined accountability
- Governed enhancement pipeline with leadership review and change ticket requirements
- Structured 1:1 framework built around pitching, decision-making, and development
- Performance measurement tied directly to defined success criteria across all three areas
Outcomes
- ✔ Complete operating model designed, documented, and deployed
- ✔ All improvement work flows through a governed, traceable pipeline
- ✔ 1:1s shifted from status updates to development conversations
- ✔ Leadership has real-time visibility without asking
- ✔ Framework designed to survive leadership transitions
Building a Change Management Framework for a Lean IT Team
Publicly traded company · ITIL-aligned · SOX / SOC 2 / ISO compliant
Situation
No formalized change management for IT operations despite SOX and ISO obligations. Changes lacked traceability, approval trails were inconsistent, and separation of duties wasn't enforced structurally.
Approach
- Two change types (planned + emergency) — deliberately deferred pre-approved types until team habits are proven
- Dual approval gates with structural separation of duties — enforced by architecture, not policy alone
- Risk decision tree replacing rigid matrices — planning depth scales to actual risk
- Full ITSM automation: lifecycle gates, calendar integration, notifications, compliance routing
- Reference example built into the policy as the quality bar for every ticket
Outcomes
- ✔ Complete change management framework — actively iterated across multiple versions
- ✔ Full ITSM automation behind the lifecycle
- ✔ Audit-ready for SOX, SOC 2, and ISO from day one
- ✔ Separation of duties enforced structurally
- ✔ Team adoption without resistance
Building a Repeatable Acquisition Playbook
Publicly traded company · 200+ employees · 5 countries · 3 acquisitions
Situation
Three acquisitions in three years. Different tech stacks, identity providers, hardware ecosystems across multiple countries. No integration playbook existed.
Approach
- Day-zero access provisioning and identity migration
- Hardware lifecycle: procurement, imaging, shipping across regions
- Workspace migration and communication platform consolidation
- Vendor contract consolidation and SaaS license reconciliation
- Communication framework for acquired employees
Outcomes
- ✔ 200+ employees onboarded across 5 countries
- ✔ Zero productivity loss
- ✔ Repeatable playbook across 3 acquisitions
- ✔ C-level recognition for execution quality
- ✔ 99% Day 1 delivery SLA
From 0% to 60% Ticket Automation
Publicly traded company · 900+ tickets/month · 1,600+ employees
Situation
Entirely manual service desk. Every request required human processing. Volume outpacing capacity during growth from ~1,100 to 1,600+ employees.
Approach
- Approval workflows: Automated chains tied to manager hierarchies and role-based provisioning
- Lifecycle automation: End-to-end employee lifecycle from onboarding to termination
- AI routing: Models for ticket categorization and intelligent assignment
- Self-service: 150+ service catalog items and manager access request portals
Outcomes
- ✔ 60% ticket automation rate
- ✔ ~2,700 manual hours eliminated annually
- ✔ $135K+ annual labor cost avoidance
- ✔ Team capacity freed for strategic work
$500K SaaS Consolidation Strategy
Publicly traded company · 6 platforms · 1,600+ users migrated
Situation
Post-acquisition tool sprawl. Redundant platforms, inconsistent licensing, no visibility into actual usage vs. contracted seats.
Approach
- Custom tooling for real-time license reconciliation across collaboration and AI platforms
- Communication platform migration: 1,600+ user migration with cross-departmental change management
- Project management consolidation with engineering stakeholders
- Usage data informed vendor renegotiations and right-sizing
Outcomes
- ✔ ~$500K in annualized savings
- ✔ Unified technology ecosystem
- ✔ Custom license governance tooling
- ✔ Data-driven negotiation leverage
Privileged Access Redesign — Zero Audit Findings
Publicly traded company · IAM, directory services, collaboration platform
Situation
SOX audit deficiencies around privileged access. Admin rights broadly distributed, inconsistent approval trails, no systematic access reviews.
Approach
- Zero-trust access model for remote support teams
- Service desk governance tooling for identity, directory, and collaboration platforms
- Approval-based workflows with complete audit trails
- Recurring access review cadences with automated reporting
Outcomes
- ✔ Zero SOX findings since June 2024
- ✔ All prior deficiencies eliminated
- ✔ Scalable governance framework
- ✔ Reduced privileged access surface
Global Employee Lifecycle Automation
Publicly traded company · 7 lifecycle events · Multi-region
Situation
Fragmented lifecycle management. Manual HR/IT coordination. Offboarding gaps. Mid-lifecycle events (transfers, title changes) not tracked at all.
Approach
- Rebuilt onboarding automation with real-time status and manager self-service
- Automated data ingestion pipeline with HR for real-time lifecycle events
- Expanded tracking to 7 additional events: transfers, manager/title/location changes, rehires, conversions
- Automated termination: device lock, retrieval coordination, ownership handoff
Outcomes
- ✔ 40% reduction in Day 1 onboarding delays
- ✔ 7 additional lifecycle events automated
- ✔ Self-service for hiring managers
- ✔ Eliminated manual coordination for routine events
Want to talk through any of these?
Happy to walk through architecture, decisions, and lessons learned.