Technology is an operating discipline: a digital core that holds, a cost base you can defend, and a team that stays.
Eleven years in the CIO chair at North Highland taught me that most technology failures are operating failures wearing a technical costume. The ERP that never lands, the acquisition that takes two years to integrate, the cloud bill nobody can explain. Each one traces back to a missing decision about who owns what and how we will know it is working. I run technology the way a good COO runs a plant: clear ownership, measured outcomes, and a bias for retiring things.
The same discipline shows up in people. A technology organization with 86% engagement and attrition down 40% is not a perk program. It is the result of giving smart people real problems, protecting them from thrash, and being honest about priorities. Boards and private-equity owners care about cost and resilience; I have found the fastest route to both runs through a team that trusts the plan.
North Highland · 2014 to 2026
A multi-year transformation that retired 19 systems in favor of an integrated ERP, HRIS, PSA, finance, and CRM platform for a global consultancy.
North Highland · 2014 to 2026
Technology due diligence and post-deal integration for six acquisitions, turned into a playbook the firm could run at scale.
North Highland · 2014 to 2026
A risk and compliance program aligned to ISO 27001, HITRUST, HIPAA, GDPR, and UK Cyber Essentials that certified on the first pass and opened more than a billion dollars of revenue.
North Highland · 2014 to 2026
A full-scale cloud migration that cut total cost of ownership by 30% and replaced a 48-hour recovery objective with a 4-hour one.