Michael Brizendine

About Michael Brizendine

Over the past 30+ years, I’ve built a career around solving complex technology and business problems—especially in travel, manufacturing, payments, eCommerce, web-to-print, platform architecture, and large-scale modernization.I’ve led cloud migrations, designed next-generation payment and digital commerce platforms, delivered large volume transaction processing engines and helped organizations move from legacy constraints to scalable, forward-looking systems. I lead teams designing platforms where data and architecture work together to drive smarter decisions and better business outcomes.My focus has always been the same: connect business intent to practical execution, and build platforms that actually deliver value.What sets my approach apart is balance. I care deeply about outcomes, but also about sustainability and growing people—ensuring teams can execute consistently, and that plans reflect reality, not just ambition.I work best in environments where clarity, accountability, and honest conversations drive progress—and where product and technology is treated as strategic enablers, not just a delivery function.

Experience

1. SVP of Technology & Chief Architect

   Onyx CenterSource

   Mar 2022 — Present · Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, US

   Lead global technology strategy, architecture, cloud modernization, product development, and analytics for a global payments company. Head of architecture / engineering teams, member of Product & Technology Leadership team and member of Strategy, Steering & Prioritization team with C-Suite.Key Achievements:• Hand-picked a geographical distributed leadership team that formed the basis for the technology strategy and transformations occurring across Onyx. Cultivate, nurturing, optimizing and retaining this high performing team for the last 8 years; collaborate on strategy & delivered 100% on companies’ goals.• Led 2 AWS cloud transformation programs, one in 2019 and one in 2024, generating more than $1.75M in EBITDA improvements with a 30% performance uplift.• Successfully migrated legacy core platform to Redhat Linux that processes over $2 Billion in Commissions Annually, extending the life of the asset prior to the modernization program.• Led team to sunset 12+ Identity & Access management legacy capabilities across the company’s ecosystem and standardize workforce and customer IAM with Okta. CIO denoted this as the top risk in the company outside of the re-platforming and data center migrations.• Architected and deployed the next-generation Payment Engine POC; partnered with C-Suite on Business Case positioned to consolidated legacy platforms and drive growth.• Led the creation and delivery of GDS Affiliate Payment capabilities for major OTA clients, delivering a projected $4M ACV once fully rolled out.• Built & partnered with Product Leader to launch GroupPay—the industry’s first automated meetings & events commission payments platform.• Currently leading a one-hundred-person team to modernize, consolidate, and re-platform Onyx’s core payment systems following prior acquisitions. First major release on time and budget in Q1 2026.• Support C-suite in leading team to retain 99% of its clients, improving client NPS scores, growing revenue annually.

Education

• University of Virginia Darden School of Business

  Power and Leadership: Getting below the Surface

  2014

• East Texas A&M University

  BA of Science, Computer Information Systems and Business Administration

  1992 — 1996

• Southern Methodist University

  SMU First Line Management and Mid Management Programs

  1998 — 2001

Skills

• Data Warehousing
• Project Management
• Databases
• System Architecture
• Strateg
• Growing Teams
• Application Portfolio Management
• Software Development Life Cycle (Sdlc)
• Sdlc
• Business Process
• Solution Architecture
• Oracle
• Business Analysis
• Data Modeling
• Process Improvement
• Business Process Improvement
• Capacity Planning
• IT Strategy
• Strategy
• E-Commerce
• Enterprise Architecture
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Business Technology Optimization
• Technical Writing
• Analytics
• Integration
• Data Management