Transformations
Where I've applied this
Seven transformations over 25 years. Each one different. Each one teaching something about what it takes to change how organizations work.
Enterprise Agile Pioneer
Compuware Corporation · Detroit, MI
Progressed from Technical Lead to Director of Architecture & UX over 15 years. Built deep expertise across mainframe through modern stacks. Led the organization's first Agile transformation.
What I Did
- Introduced iterative development practices in a waterfall-dominated enterprise
- Built Architecture and UX organizations from scratch
- Combined technical vision with user-centered design
- Developed change methodology that became the foundation for subsequent transformations
What I Learned:
"Change doesn't come from mandates—it comes from trust. The teams that adopted Agile fastest were the ones where I had invested in relationships first. Process follows people."
Pattern: Trust before technology—every time.
Team Optimization at Scale
Gale / NGL / K-12 Cengage · Detroit, MI
Led technology for Gale's research content platforms—massive repositories of digitized primary and secondary sources. Expanded to include National Geographic Learning's multilingual platforms.
What I Did
- Restructured teams around product ownership rather than technical layers
- Introduced CI/CD practices and deployment automation
- Reduced costs 12% annually through team optimization
- Increased delivery velocity 25% via Agile transformation
What I Learned:
"Velocity comes from fixing handoffs and building trust, not from working harder. The biggest gains came from reorganizing around outcomes, not activities."
Pattern: Foundation before features. Fix the structure, then build.
Platform Transformation
Cengage Group, SVP Core Platforms · Detroit, MI
Led technology delivery for 30+ platforms during a critical business model transformation from textbook sales to subscription.
What I Did
- Drove efficiency through team restructuring and architecture modernization
- Enhanced CI/CD practices with feature flagging
- Directed cross-functional team that launched Cengage Unlimited
- Enabled the industry-first all-access subscription
What I Learned:
"Technology enables business model change—but only if the technology organization is aligned with the business strategy. The launch was the easy part."
Pattern: The real work is alignment. Technology execution is downstream of organizational clarity.
Enterprise Scale
Cengage Group, SVP of Technology · Boston, MA
Led all software engineering for Cengage Learning—globally distributed team across US, India, and Ukraine.
What I Did
- Scaled engineering effectiveness through DORA-aligned DevOps practices
- Increased deployment frequency and reduced lead times
- Built continuous improvement culture across three continents
- Navigated PE ownership, federal compliance, and M&A integration
What I Learned:
"What works at 40 people breaks at 300. Global teams require explicit design. Metrics reveal culture—they don't create it."
Pattern: Scale deliberately. Design for the organization you're becoming.
Post-Acquisition Integration
Infosec (Cengage Group), Interim CTO · Madison, WI
Led post-acquisition technology integration for a cybersecurity training company while maintaining federal compliance.
What I Did
- Reduced capability redundancy across organizations
- Enhanced development practices to enterprise standards
- Maintained FedRAMP, FISMA, NIST compliance throughout transition
- Preserved team morale during organizational uncertainty
What I Learned:
"M&A integration is a trust problem more than a technology problem. The acquired team needed to know their expertise was valued."
Pattern: Assess before acting—especially when you're the outsider coming in.
AI Agent Implementation
Fortune 500 Electronics Company · Strategy Team
Designed and directed development of agentic AI systems. Built context-aware interview agents, RAG-based knowledge retrieval, and cross-functional intelligence tools.
What I Did
- Architected Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) frameworks
- Built persistent memory systems using Azure Cosmos DB
- Created AI Agent Maturity Model
- Transitioned team from Level 2 to Level 3 maturity
What I Learned:
"AI amplifies what's already there. If the organization has clear processes, AI makes them faster. If it's confused, AI creates more confusion faster."
Pattern: Foundation before features applies to AI too. Governance first, then capability.
AI-First Startup
zyq.ai · Ann Arbor, MI
Co-founded AI-first fintech startup. Building from scratch with AI at the core—not bolted on afterward.
What I Did
- Led product design and technology architecture
- Applied AI to transform unstructured financial documents
- Leveraged Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot
- Built in both greenfield and legacy code environments
What I Learned:
"Still learning. Building AI-first from day one is fundamentally different. The development velocity with modern AI tools is remarkable."
Pattern: The tools are changing what's possible. Stay curious, stay building.
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