Jamey Vester

About Jamey Vester

A skilled troubleshooter, technical manager, and business partner, I thrive at the intersection of IT strategy and execution.With a career marked by excellence in IT leadership, I am known for using technology to solve complex global business problems and enable strategic business transformation. Significantly, I have driven long-term operational planning for large system implementations, hybrid cloud transformation and application cloud migration at IES Abroad.Key Achievements->IMPLEMENTED CUSTOM SECURITY STACK. Components included: endpoint protection, SIEM, network monitoring, phishing testing and prevention, dark web monitoring, employee awareness training, Managed Detection and Response, and Okta MFA-> ALIGNED TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY TO OVERARCHING ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY AFTER M & AS; deployed standard technology stack to China after acquisition->REDUCED IES ABROAD’S TECHNOLOGY COSTS by renegotiating contracts, leading outsourcing contracts, and selecting new MSP. AREAS OF EXPERTISE: IT Management | Global Information Security | Vendor Relationships | Strategic Insourcing & Outsourcing | Project Management | Cloud | Networking | Security Frameworks | Governance | Infrastructure | Architecture | Program Management | Technology Solutions | Strategic Planning | Digital Transformation | Continuous Improvement | Agile Methodologies | Compliance (GDPR | CCPA)

Experience

1. Chief Technology Officer

   Ies Abroad

   Mar 2017 — Present · Chicago, IL, US

   I was promoted to this newly created role to provide executive technology leadership to global study abroad organization IES Abroad. As CTO, I own global IT Operations and IT Security programs, strategies, initiatives, and teams. Key Achievements:OPTIMIZED IT COMMODITY FUNCTIONS by researching, testing, and selecting best-in-class services, systems, and products to complement and enhance business function.SHIFTED ENTERPRISE TO 100% WORK-FROM-HOME DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC by migrating the business to cloud applications. LED RAPID SHIFT TO ONLINE COURSE CONTENT DELIVERY DURING COVID-19; cloud technologies that had previously been instituted allowed the organization to retain income that would have otherwise had to be refunded. IMPLEMENTED CUSTOM SECURITY STACK. PARTNERED WITH LEGAL TEAM TO IMPLEMENT GDPR AND CCPA COMPLIANCE organization-wide.CONDUCTED FULL RISK ANALYSIS OF THE IT DEPARTMENT WITH a 3rd-party consultant to identify gaps and maximize future spending; developed a 3-year strategic plan to bring IT security from defined/managed to optimized. REDUCED COST BY BRINGING SERVICES INTO UNUSED CAPACITY IN PRIVATE CLOUD, while moving other services to 3rd-party vendors and public cloud providers. RENEGOTIATED OUTSOURCED HELP DESK IN-HOUSE – reducing cost by 60%. IMPROVED EFFICIENCIES AND OVERALL EXPENDITURES BY 25% after negotiating new contracts for internet, PRI, MPLS, cloud phone services, and POTS lines. RECOGNIZED 36% IN SAVINGS OVER A 4-YEAR CONTRACT TERM by selecting a MSP. DEPLOYED STANDARD TECHNOLOGY STACK TO CHINA OFFICES AFTER ACQUISITION. Researched, interviewed, and hired local providers to manage infrastructure, help desk, website, and Drupal development. CHAMPIONED ADOPTION OF A NEW ERP SYSTEM, slated to be rolled out in 2022; completed RFP, vendor selection, contract negotiation, and initial blueprints.

Education

• Purdue University

  MS, Information Technology

  2006 — 2008

• Purdue University

  BS, Organizational Leadership

  1994 — 2000