Ben D.

About Ben D.

Founder & CEO | FinOps Pioneer | Author of “End of Abundance in Tech” | Investor & Innovator in Efficiency-Driven SystemsI\'m on a mission to redefine how enterprises scale technology by making efficiency—not just capability—the new measure of success.The FinOps movement I’m building brings engineering, operations, and finance into alignment—because today’s infrastructure sprawl and rising IT budgets demand more than visibility. They demand accountability. When every line of code and every query has a cost, leaders need to understand the *why* behind the *spend*.As founder of Fortified Data (twice named to the Inc. and now Fortified, I’ve spent two decades scaling some of the most demanding database environments—designing private clouds before they were mainstream, and building systems that could withstand peak workloads.That front-line experience exposed deep inefficiencies: overbuilt capacity, wasteful code, and disconnected teams. These insights led to WISdom by Fortified, the first FinOps observability platform built specifically for databases—giving enterprises real-time visibility into query costs, performance bottlenecks, and optimization opportunities.I\'m the author of “End of Abundance in Tech” (Forbes Books, 2023), where I introduced foundational FinOps concepts like Total Cost of Code and workload-based financial observability. My patent-pending framework helps organizations save millions by aligning engineering decisions with business outcomes and cost discipline.For 20+ years, I’ve helped enterprises shift from technology abundance to strategic efficiency. Today, I guide a new wave of CTOs, CIOs, CDOs, and CFOs toward building cost-conscious engineering cultures that drive innovation and scale with intention.As an investor, innovator, and speaker, I’m actively shaping how enterprises measure and manage performance, efficiency, and cost. My dual background in Information Systems and Accounting gives me a unique lens to bridge the technical and financial worlds.When I’m not building systems or breaking down spend, I’m climbing mountains, exploring the world, or mastering BBQ in Charlotte, NC.Learn more at or listen to my podcast, Tech\\[e]valuation, by Forbes Books.

Experience

1. Finance Chair

   Entrepreneurs' Organization

   Jun 2017 — Present · Charlotte, NC, US

Education

• University of Cincinnati

  BA, Information Systems and Accounting

Skills

• Sql Server 2000-2008
• San
• Windows Server 2008
• Database Design
• Database Administration
• Database Development
• Database Security
• Data Modeling
• Performance Tuning
• High Performance Computing
• Performance Analysis
• Server Consolidation
• Consolidation
• Sybase
• Oracle
• Db2
• Cloud Computing
• Program Management
• Software Consulting
• Security
• Compliance
• Scalability
• Large Scale Deployments
• Data Migration
• System Migration
• Disaster Recovery
• Management Consulting
• Windows Server
• Network Security
• Network Architecture
• Data Integrity
• Data Warehousing
• Data Center
• Disk Arrays
• Business Intelligence
• Troubleshooting
• Executive Management
• Large Scale Systems
• Encryption
• Microsoft Sql Server