Eric Jacobsen

About Eric Jacobsen

As a technology executive with 20+ years of experience, I lead enterprise-scale IT operations, modernization, and application delivery in highly regulated environments. Currently serving as Corporate Vice President at New York Life, I oversee mission-critical systems for Long-Term Care and Disability Insurance, reporting to the VP of Data Analytics and the Shared Services COO.I specialize in AI-aided software engineering, DevOps at scale, and cloud-native architecture. I’ve used GenAI to accelerate architecture and automate compliance modeling, while leading CI/CD transformation, secure infrastructure modernization, and phased cloud migrations—reducing defects, increasing velocity, and strengthening operational resilience.My background includes driving enterprise IT strategy and forming a formal PMO at FirstCare, cutting IT backlog by 250% and introducing ITIL-based governance frameworks. At Dell, I led modernization of financial platforms, improving data availability 10x and coordinating over 25 simultaneous deployments.Earlier in my career, I delivered complex federal and nonprofit systems—including budget platforms for the U.S. Army’s submission to the President’s Budget and secure matching systems for NRMP—demonstrating deep capability in mission-critical, compliance-driven platforms.I bring a cross-sector lens, combining innovation with discipline, and thrive where enterprise architecture, AI, and regulated systems intersect.

Experience

1. Corporate Vice President, Insurance Solutions

   New York Life

   Jan 2010 — Present · Austin, TX, US

   Lead IT Operations and Application Delivery | Long-Term Care & Disability Insurance – New York LifeReport to the VP of Data Analytics and the COO of Foundational Business & Shared Services. Oversee enterprise-scale systems critical to policy administration, financial processing, and compliance reporting.Accelerated Delivery & Intelligence with GenAI and AI-Aided Software Engineering: Leveraged generative AI and AI-assisted development techniques to enhance architecture design, automate test generation, and model complex compliance logic. Boosted development velocity, improved code quality, and increased system accuracy.Legacy System Transformation: Decoupled historically interlocked legacy systems—previously considered immovable—accelerating modernization timelines and avoiding multi-year delays. Used AI to generate test harnesses, data schemas, and automation scripts, increasing logic validation accuracy before UI development.CI/CD & Orchestration at Scale: Built and scaled CI/CD pipelines to automate build, test, and release workflows. Integrated code validation and release orchestration, increasing deployment velocity 5x and reducing production defects below 3%. Designed event-driven communication between ESP and Stonebranch to enable phased migration without upstream disruption, while converting on-prem infrastructure to cloud-native architecture.Enterprise DevOps Leadership: Scaled DevOps environments by 300% and drove enterprise-wide adoption of standardized release practices. Successfully passed rigorous IT audits covering development methodology, secure SDLC, penetration testing, and operational resilience in a tightly regulated insurance environment.Modernized Secure Infrastructure: Designed and deployed a credentialed, SFTP-based file transfer system, fully replacing legacy FTP. Achieved 100% adoption, reduced maintenance by 95%, and significantly enhanced uptime and security.

Education

• American University

  B.S.

• The George Washington University

  M.S.

Skills

• Quality Assurance
• Entrepreneurship
• Business Analysis
• Strategy
• Software Development
• Process Improvement
• Program Management
• Technology Roadmapping
• Policy Management
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Analysis
• System Conversion
• Relationship Management
• Business Intelligence
• Full Sdlc
• Technology Solution Delivery
• IT Infrastructure Management
• Team Building
• People Management
• Product Delivery
• Large Scale System Integration
• Leadership
• Project Management
• Process Optimization
• Analytics
• Product Deliver
• Strategic Planning
• Change Management