Chris Marko

About Chris Marko

As a creative IT leader, I’ve been at the forefront of technological innovation in data-intensive organizations including life sciences and developing new cloud computing capabilities. My expertise lies in transforming IT landscapes, optimizing IT infrastructure, and aligning technology strategies with organizational objectives. At the Broad Institute, I have spearheaded a comprehensive re-design of Institute-wide IT capabilities. This included introducing new cloud-like service delivery models, and piloting innovative hybrid on-premises/cloud High-Performance Computing solutions (HPC). These initiatives delivered substantial performance gains, reduced costs by nearly $20 million, and significantly enhanced overall capabilities.Throughout my career at organizations like Broad, Novartis, Litle, and Unica-IBM, I’ve consistently driven cross-team innovation:• Cloud Strategy - Spearheaded adoption of AWS, GCP, and hybrid public/private cloud solutions into IT service offerings• Infrastructure Optimization - Implemented CI/CD pipelines, reducing provisioning time from weeks to minutes• FinOps - Introduced new data-driven IT capabilities, avoiding $6.5M in unnecessary costs and improved cost visibility• High Performance Computing - Developed and managed robust GPU and HPC product strategies for cutting-edge research across several organizations• Leadership - Reduced team attrition by 45% and improved project efficiency by 82%I’m passionate about leveraging automation technologies like Puppet, Terraform, Jenkins, and Kubernetes to streamline operations and drive business growth. My approach combines technical expertise with strong leadership skills, fostering cross-functional collaboration and cultivating a culture of continuous learning.As a strategic partner to C-level executives and research teams, I enjoy translating complex technical concepts into organizational value. I’m dedicated to staying at the cutting edge of technology trends, particularly in areas like cloud computing, HPC, data storage, and FinOps. My goal is to continue working closely with colleagues to understand their needs, driving technological innovation that empowers organizations to achieve their strategic objectives and push the boundaries of what’s possible with IT capabilities.

Experience

1. Executive Director, Research Technology

   Vanderbilt University Medical Center

   Jan 2025 — Present

   VUMC is a comprehensive health care organization dedicated to innovative research. As a top-10 NIH grant funding recipient, almost 25 percent of the medical center count research as their primary focus.To foster research advancements, responsibilities include promoting IT capabilities across disciplines including advanced scientific computing, bioinformatics, high-performance computing (HPC & AI), and translational research.

Education

• MIT Sloan School of Management

  Unsupervised Machine Learning: Unlocking the Potential of Data

  2023 — 2024

• Champlain College

  Cert, Computer Forensics

  2003 — 2005

• New Hampshire Tech College

  CS, Computer Science

  1996 — 1999

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Leadership & Innovation

  2022 — 2023

• Harvard University

  Certificate of Specialization, Data Science & Innovation

  2023 — 2024

• Stanford University

  The Upside of Stress

  2015 — 2015

• Western Governors University

  Masters, MBA, Technology

  2014 — 2014

• Champlain College

  BS, Computer Forensics

  2003 — 2007

• New Hampshire Tech College

  Cert, Data Network Design

  1998 — 1999

• edX

  LFS152x - Linux Foundations OpenStack, OpenStack

  2017 — 2017

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  Cloud & DevOps - Continuous Transformation

  2021 — 2021

Skills

• Ubuntu
• Strategic Planning
• Glusterfs
• Ibm Storage
• Sox
• Freenas
• Compliance Audits
• Forensic Investigations
• Apache
• Amazon Ec2
• Software as a Service (Saas)
• Internet Security
• IT Strategy
• Data Center Architecture
• Pci Dss
• Project Implementation
• Netapp
• Amazon
• Jboss
• Plunger
• Vendor Management
• Php
• Tomcat
• Docker
• Enterprise Architecture
• Gpfs
• Linux
• Project Management
• Kvm
• Saas
• San
• High Availability
• Fault Tolerance
• Vagrant
• Agile Methodologies
• Vmware
• Management
• Leadership
• Red Hat Linux
• Vmware Infrastructure