Sahara Thurman
Board President | Transformation & Technology Executive | Cybersecurity • Infrastructure • Global Operations • PMO | AVP/Senior Director/CIO-Level Leadership
- Role
- Director, Global Pmo & Portfolio at Sysco
- Location
- Houston, TX, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Sahara Thurman
Strategic, transformation-focused technology executive with 30+ years of experience leading global infrastructure, cybersecurity alignment, enterprise operations, and large-scale program delivery across healthcare, public sector, retail, aviation, and global food services.Known for bringing structure to complexity, I specialize in modernizing technology organizations, strengthening governance, and aligning multi-million-dollar investments to business strategy. I’ve led and matured high-performing teams, unified fragmented processes, and delivered outcomes that increase resiliency, security, and operational excellence.My leadership approach centers on:Clarity and alignment across finance, cyber, engineering, and operationsConsistent, predictable delivery through strong portfolio governanceScalable, secure infrastructure environments that support enterprise growthDeveloping future leaders and uplifting organizational maturityBalancing innovation with pragmatism, risk, and business valueCareer highlights include:Leading Sysco’s global infrastructure technology portfolio, establishing a consistent delivery framework across North America, Europe, LATAM, and CanadaServing as AVP of Enterprise Systems at UT Southwestern, where I directed infrastructure for accounts and delivered a zero-downtime data center relocationDriving global infrastructure for 550+ locations at CEC Entertainment and achieving 95% incident reduction and 60% MTTR improvementServing as Deputy CIO for the City of Houston, negotiating $79M enterprise agreements and modernizing multi-department environmentsI bring a calm, integrity-driven leadership style that builds trust, eliminates noise, and accelerates delivery. My passion lies in helping organizations operate more efficiently, securely, and strategically — while developing people and strengthening organizational culture.Specialties: Cybersecurity Integration • Global Infrastructure • Enterprise Operations • PMO Leadership • Technology Strategy • Governance • Cloud & Data Center • Vendor Management • Cost Optimization • Organizational Change • Executive Stakeholder Alignment
Experience
Director, Global Pmo & Portfolio
Feb 2023 — Present · Houston, TX, US
Lead Sysco’s global infrastructure technology investment portfolio spanning North America, Europe, Latin America, and Canada. Drive strategic planning, governance, and execution for programs that strengthen global infrastructure resiliency, cybersecurity posture, and operational maturity.Key Achievements:Centralized fragmented project management into a global PMO, improving forecasting, transparency, and delivery predictability.Established unified governance and standards across infrastructure, operations, and implemented strategic partnerships with our cybersecurity portfolio team.Strengthened financial alignment with Finance, Operations, and Technology leaders, improving capital and opex forecasting accuracy.Developed enterprise PMO coaching programs that increased consistency and uplifted global delivery maturity.Built executive dashboards and reporting that improved decision-making and risk visibility across global portfolios.
Education
Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University
Master's Information Systems Management, Information Systems
2004 — 2010
University of Houston, C.T. Bauer College of Business
Bachelor of Business, Business Administration
1991 — 1996
University of Houston
Bachelor of Business Administration - BBA
1991 — 1996
Baylor University - Hankamer School of Business
Master of Business Administration - MBA, Cybersecurity
2020
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