Johann Vaz

About Johann Vaz

Senior technology and cybersecurity executive with deep experience operating in FDA regulated manufacturing, financial services, and other publicly accountable environments. I focus on cybersecurity, enterprise risk governance, data integrity, modernization of legacy platforms, and operational resilience. My work helps organizations strengthen compliance, transparency, and defensible operations while enabling responsible growth.My background includes executive leadership in global cGMP manufacturing environments and SAP enabled operations. I have led regulatory compliance programs spanning FDA, SOX, GDPR, SOC 2, and NIST frameworks. I have directly supported FDA inspections and regulatory inquiries by ensuring validated systems, audit trails, access controls, and documentation practices meet defensibility standards. I have also led risk based computer system validation efforts aligned with GAMP principles. These efforts strengthened lifecycle governance, change control discipline, and data integrity oversight across regulated platforms. These same governance principles apply to public-sector and education environments where data stewardship, privacy, and reporting integrity are essential to stakeholder trust.I partner closely with executive leadership, operational stakeholders, and governance bodies to translate regulatory and policy expectations into scalable operating models and structured governance.I am known for clear executive communication and disciplined control environments. I help boards and leadership teams understand cyber, regulatory, and operational risk in business terms, and I establish measurable performance dashboards that enable informed decision-making.I complement existing IT leadership structures by strengthening regulatory resilience, modernization discipline, and enterprise risk maturity while preserving operational continuity and public trust.

Experience

1. Chief Information Officer

   Penserv Plan Services, Inc

   Sep 2024 — Present · Columbia, SC, US

   Strategic CIO leading enterprise IT, digital transformation, and risk-aligned modernization for a national third-party administrator of 401(k) and 403(b) plans. I focus on aligning technology with business strategy, reducing technical debt, and embedding governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) across operations. Key areas of impact:IT modernization, digital workflows, and cloud transformationGRC leadership, SOC 2 management and readiness, NIST and ISO27001-aligned governancePolicy development and control frameworks to meet DOL/IRS/ERISA requirementsTechnical debt remediation and scalable infrastructure planningAI-driven automation to streamline operations and enhance complianceVendor oversight, cybersecurity strategy, and business continuity readinessProven ability to lead IT organizations that enable growth, improve resilience, and deliver sustained business value.

Education

• Aquinas College - Grand Rapids

  Associates of Science, Information Systems

  1984 — 1986

• Washington University in St. Louis

  BSEE, Electrical Engineering

• Aquinas College - Grand Rapids

  Associate of Science - AS, Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services

  1984 — 1986

• Grand Valley State University

  MS, Computer Information Systems/software engineering

  1989 — 1991