Chris Thomas
Details
Information Systems Management
University of Phoenix
CIO Development Program
Ellucian
Completion
Professional Leadership Development
Sanders
BSIT
Information Technology
University of Phoenix
Certificate
Augemented & Virtual Reality in Education
Oral Roberts University
Business Process Automation within internal operations and collaborating with internal teams to optimize their strategic benefits while monitoring changes and advancements in technology to discover and recommend applications that align with the Forest River vision and long-term objectives.
Analyzing ITS budget costs and forecasting, proactive value propositions, and risk mitigation to advise leadership on actionable items while harmonizing and optimizing business processes and customizing technological systems and platforms.
Technology Strategist for 14,000 employees
Saved 2.2M annually
Decreased cyber incidents through outsourcing MDR, IR, and SOC.
Developed Regulatory and Compliance strategic model
2022 : Present
Forest River Inc.
Vice President of Information & Security
Developed 5-year Strategic Plan that aligns with university goals and objectives.
Responsible for the selection and implementation of suitable technology to streamline all internal operations and help optimize university strategic benefits.
Designing and customizing technological systems and platforms to improve the customer experience.
Implemented 3-Year Security Strategic/Technical Plan for the university based on current NIST standards
Increased customer satisfaction by 27% through a comprehensive customer-centric approach focused on flexibility, communication, transparency, and time-based response initiatives.
Reduced in-house custom applications by 15%
2020 : 2022
Dynamic Campus
Chief Information Officer
Executive Director for Jackson State University, a public urban university with almost 9,000 students. Initiatives included : Ellucian Banner 9 ERP implementation, business process improvement, and ODS/Cognos Analytics business intelligence tools implementation.
Prioritized, developed, implemented and managed IT solutions to prepare project plans and execute technology projects on-time and on-budget for this higher education management software and services provider.
Continuously evaluating and providing options to ensure current ERP / CRM systems are optimized for performance and if enhancements are required to meet current Higher Education demands. Demonstrated that unmet needs could be readily met by the proper application of existing software and technology. Initiated extensive training for all departments.
** Top Performer 2018
2018 : 2020
Ellucian
Executive Director for Managed Services
Responsible for building the strategic vision and plan for the Information Technology Department to support and align with the Northwest’s University Strategic Plan to provide a sustainable and positive student experience. Executive Leadership the Senior Leadership team on technology and strategic operations.
Leadership & Strategy
Strategic senior leadership role with the company developing process and procedures aligning them with University objectives.
Provided leadership and direction to a team of 25 team members across 4 distinct teams to include desktop Computing, Network Services, Telecom, and Application Support and Development.
Managed life cycle for the student laptop program deploying 6,000 laptops within 3 months.
Established the first Data Governance Team for the University to ensure data safeguarding and integrity.
Reduced overall Information Technology annual budget by 40%.
Developed 5 year Strategic Plan aligning with University goals and objectives
Technology & Business Solutions
Spearheaded the redesign and deployment of new processes to reduce the overall experience and features for Northwest’s students/faculty and staff.
Directed the build-out of extended Ellucian's Banner ERP features and functions to support ongoing process improvements and efficiencies in productivity to service students more expeditiously.
Defined the Project Management framework to standardize project standards and communication across multiple teams reducing inaccurate data reporting by 30% and ensuring adhoc practices were minimized.
Project Management for improved online graduate studies through a strategic partnership with Academic Partners providing additional opportunities for students to obtain post-graduate degrees.
Deployed University Security Framework and polices supporting FERPA, PCI, HIPPA and information security best practices.
2016 : 2018
Northwest Missouri State University
Executive Director of Information Technology (CIO)(CISO)
Built and Implemented processes and procedures to ensure Appia Communication in the SIP Trunk and Hosted PBX market.
Responsible for meeting all relevant statutory and mandatory requirements associated with operations, provisioning, and for working within the framework of the company's core values, as well as promoting its ethics and mission statement.
Leadership & Strategy
► Strategic IT Executive leadership role with the company developing process and procedures aligning them with company objectives.
► Provided IT Executive leadership and direction to a team of 30 team members across 4 strategic national locations to include sites within the Midwest and Southeast.
► Managed the implementation of a new business partner and wholesale retail onboarding process to support a more diversified approach in expediting customer requirements.
► Established the standard support policies to support the 24x7x365 Network Operations Team.
► Designed alerting and monitoring solution to reduce incidents by 25%.
Technology & Business Solutions
► Spearheaded the re-design and deployment of new processes to reduce to overall implementation of services and features for Appia’s customer base.
► Directed architectural design and the build out of a mass SMS alerting system to alert customers of incidents and problems more efficiently and expeditiously.
► Defined analytic framework to standardize reporting and communication across multiple teams reducing inaccurate data reporting by 45% and ensuring adhoc practices were minimized.
► Managed the re-design of 2 specific teams to align with business requirements through an Operations and Onboarding focused approach.
2015 : 2016
Appia Communications Inc.
IT Executive - Vice President Operations
Skills
Administration, budgetary control, business analysis, business continuity, Business Intelligence (BI), Business Process, Business Process Improvement, call centers, Change Management, cloud computing, compliance, Customer Satisfaction, data center, Disaster Recovery, Documentation, enterprise software, executive management, Information Security, Information Technology, integration, it & business strategy alignment, IT Business Strategy, it management, IT Operations, it operations management, it service management, it solutions, IT Strategy, it visionary, Leadership, Management, network architecture, network engineering, network security, problem solving, Process Improvement, program management, project management, sdlc, strategic communications, Strategic IT Management, strategic planning, strategic sourcing, strategic visionary, Strategy, system deployment, team building, troubleshooting, vendor management, virtualization, ms office suite, ms project, wireless, active directory, microsoft office, system administration, visio, cisco technologies, software documentation, Citrix, vmware
About
I am a VP of Information & Security at Forest River Inc., a leading manufacturer of recreational vehicles, cargo trailers, and buses. With an MISM degree and over 15 years of executive IT management experience in various sectors, I am a strategic, results-driven, and innovative leader who aligns IT and business goals to deliver value and impact.
In my current role, I spearhead the strategic direction and implementation of IT services, security, and compliance, ensuring a secure and optimized system that meets the latest technology standards and aligns with the Forest River vision and long-term objectives. I also lead business process automation, vendor management, digital transformation, and customer experience initiatives, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to leverage effective solutions and platforms. Some of my key achievements include: reducing in-house custom applications by 15%, increasing customer satisfaction by 27%, and implementing a 5-year strategic plan that supports the company's growth and expansion.
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