Herbert F.-Interim CIO | Interim CISO | IT Transformation Executive
Check rate
Experience
Pentest Center of Excellence - Strategy & Implementation
Cybersecurity & IT Risk Managed Services
- Built board/management business-case scenarios; assessed services, vendors, contracts and financials; defined target operating model, service catalogue, organization, processes and tooling.
- Implemented near-shore CoE in Romania and supported rollout to an international insurance group
Oracle Fusion Cloud Transformation Program Lead
Paper & Medical Device Manufacturer
- Heading up the Oracle Fusion transformation program
- Identification, impact analysis, recommendation & flawless initialization of IT restructuring with 60% headcount reduction covering organization, processes, technology
- Recommendation on change management approach
- Oracle Fusion migration rescue
Senior Advisor - Cloud Strategy
International Insurance Group
- Development of a multi-cloud strategy recommendation including vendor consolidation
- On-prem to cloud migration recommendation
- Tailored presentations for management, executive and board decision making
Board Advisor - Group IT & IT Security Restructuring
Group of Companies
- Identified $14.4M p.a. cost-reduction potential, obtained board approval and initiated quick-win restructuring across organization, technology, support, cybersecurity/compliance and outsourcing providers.
- Initiated IT restructuring with 60% headcount-reduction scenario; designed a demand/delivery governance model, challenged managed-service contracts and launched data-center, cloud, infrastructure and application-consolidation initiatives.
- Supported Oracle Fusion migration rescue and mentored the interim CIO in preparation for permanent nomination
IT/OT Project & Change Management Lead
Human Protein Manufacturer
- Managed IT/OT projects across numerous projects in the DACH region
- Established KPI-driven project and change management reporting in key corporate projects
- Stakeholder management for IT and OT
- Determined and documented OT side network components for GxP compliant planning and migration during black-out period
Interim Head of IT Infrastructure
Print Media Company
- Executed fast paced as-is assessment and recommendation of “to-be” for organization and IT infrastructure
- Identified short and mid-term cost cutting opportunities approved by board member and chairman
- Identified weak spots in the organization and issued recommendations for replacements
- Mentored the interim CIO in preparation of permanent nomination
- Re-aligned relationship with key outsourcing vendor
- Led remediation of high/medium cybersecurity audit findings, owned first business-app SaaS proof of concept and initiated M365 pilot and migration
Group Cybersecurity, Resilience & Transformation Programs
International Insurance Group
- €42M Cyber Defence Center / DORA program: program management, consolidation of teams and processes into group CoEs, change/communication and rollout across 33 countries, interim leadership in program streams, RFP and vendor management.
- Group-wide BCM / crisis-management rollout under DORA; board and management cybersecurity/compliance KPI dashboard.
- Led cybersecurity incident assessment and mitigation activities in Georgia and Romania across organization, applications, infrastructure and security; completed digitalization / AI approach assessment for Bulgaria.
- Led IT Strategy programs across entities; SOC2.0 strategy, charter, project leadership to modernize/restructure Cyber Defence Center
- Expert support group wide BCM program including assessments & POCs
- Developed board & management dashboards (demand to delivery)
- Program, change, transformation and rollout including group Cyber Defence Center build-out and DORA compliance program (€42M budget) + enhancement project in 2025
- Setup of group wide program structure including budget, governance, charter, scope, processes, stakeholder management
- Interim leadership in various program streams
- RFP management, vendor selection & management
ERP Project Rescue Mission Lead
Timber, Panels & Construction Materials
- Led ERP project rescue mission
- Resolved critical project and change management issues during ERP migration
- Directed the internal project manager towards best practice approach
- Implemented transparent project governance, change management and communication approach
SOC/SIEM Project & Change Management / QA
Social Insurance Provider
- Established governance, KPI reporting and end-to-end delivery; integrated with ITSM platform and managed outsourcing-provider performance; delivered in scope, on time and on budget with zero deviation
SOC/SIEM Build-out & IT PMO
Energy / Utility Provider
- Project & change management in SIEM/Security Operation Center build-out and IT PMO setup from scratch ($7.2M budget)
- Established governance and reporting structure aligned with client and vendor stakeholders
- Setup of internal governance, PMO and PM structure/processes for transition to internal PM ownership along project life cycle
- Delivered transparent, KPI-based reporting and project insights
Interim Manager - IT Demand Orchestration
Industrial Facility Management
- Established ITSM processes for incident and change management
- Implemented processes in cloud ITSM tool including business aligned SLAs
- Streamlined IT demand, relationship and governance processes to improve customer satisfaction score
- Conducted vendor structure analysis and derived strategy for migration from single global to four regional vendor structure
- Identified issues and suggested resolution for inadequate project on/off-boarding processes
- Implementation partner performance and delivery management
CIO & Acting CISO - Construction & Verticals
ASGC Group
- Led group-wide digitization and digital transformation; developed business/digital strategy, IT strategy, governance model and roadmap; consolidated independent company IT organizations into one group IT.
- Built security, governance and compliance function from the ground up and prepared the organization for ISO 2700x certification.
- Owned Oracle Fusion HCM and Oracle EBS programs; moved on-prem/in-house data center to cloud/laaS managed services, increasing system availability to 99.982% while reducing cost
CIO & Acting CISO - Maritime & Shipping
United Arab Shipping Company
- Consolidated business ITs into one global group IT / CoE, reducing headcount by 28% and cost by 36%; personally led people/process/technology transformation and communications.
- Built global security, compliance and governance organization and achieved ISO 27001 certification; led smooth post-merger integration on time and below budget.
- Created global single-instance ERP platform and outsourcing/off-shore model; launched machine-learning initiative identifying >$50M in operational cost and revenue opportunities
Senior Director - Global IT Infrastructure & Information/Cybersecurity
Stryker
- Led enterprise-wide global IT/OT infrastructure and security transformation; consolidated business-unit ITs into enterprise IT/CoEs, reducing headcount 15%, including an India offshore CoE.
- Built global security, governance and compliance function; achieved zero deviations across HIPAA, SOX, PCI and GxP/FDA controls.
- Delivered 20+ post-merger integrations/divestitures covering approximately $4B M&A; initiated data-center consolidation from 33 to 3 with $15.6M p.a. manufacturing loss avoidance.
- Drove application/ERP rationalization saving $10M p.a.; optimized managed-service providers by >$1.5M p.a.; consolidated 22 IT helpdesks into one global 24/7 outsourced service with >$500K p.a. savings
Enterprise Architect
McDonald’s Corporation
- Liaised with global & regional technology and outsourcing vendors as well as in-country IT teams for deployment of world-class infrastructure and connectivity scenarios globally
- Secured best-practice, scalable, cost-optimized solutions
- Developed business case and financing models to ensure franchise investments and IT vendor subsidies through cross-marketing opportunities
- Conceptualized revolutionary architecture and design frameworks for WiFi hotspots, digital menu boards, wireless order taking, central productivity reporting, centralized inventory planning and IoT based kitchen equipment monitoring
CIO EMEA
ACS Inc.
- Integrated IT teams and budgets across multiple business units into a single unified EMEA IT operation
- Implemented cost allocation and charge-back model ensuring cost transparency across business units
- Ensured SOX compliance with zero audit findings for infrastructure and client data center facilities
- Improved project delivery speed by 30% with fewer deviations and reduced IT cost base by $700K
- Led build-out of a near-shore customer service center in EMEA on time and within budget, improving quality and scalability
Industry experience
See where this freelancer has spent most of their professional time.
Experienced in Healthcare, Information Technology, Banking and Finance, Insurance, Food and Beverage, and Professional Services.
Business area experience
See which departments and functions this freelancer has contributed to most.
Experienced in Information Technology, Project Management, Strategy, Procurement, Customer Service, and Quality Assurance.
Summary
Interim and transformation executive with 20+ years leading IT, infrastructure, cybersecurity and enterprise change across multinational and regulated environments. Former CIO / Acting CISO and Senior Director Global IT & Information Security, combining board-level advisory with hands-on recovery and delivery of complex programs. Track record in restructuring, cost reduction, cloud and infrastructure modernization, ERP transformation, SOC/SIEM and cyber-defence programs, governance, BCM and compliance. Experienced in multi-country transformations, M&A integration, outsourced/managed-service ecosystems and high-change situations requiring rapid assessment, decisive prioritization and sustainable transition.
Skills
Cio / It Leadership: Interim Leadership, Strategy, Governance, Operating-Model Redesign, Transformation Roadmaps
Ciso / Cybersecurity: Cyber Defence, Soc/Siem, Isms, Incident Mitigation, Risk, Compliance, Bcm/Crisis Management
Infrastructure & Cloud: Data Centers, Networks, Cloud/Iaas, M365, Infrastructure Consolidation And Modernization
Transformation & Recovery: Rapid Assessments, Program Rescue, Erp/Oracle Fusion, Change/Communication, Pmo
Commercial & Vendor: Cost Optimization, Rfps, Outsourcing/Managed Services, Provider Consolidation, Performance Management
M&A / Integration: Due Diligence, Post-Merger Integration, Divestitures, Coe And Near/Off-Shore Operating Models
Sectors: Financial Services / Insurance, Construction, Maritime & Shipping, Life Science / Medtech / Pharma, Energy / Utility, Public Sector, Real Estate / Hospitality, Manufacturing, Managed Services, Retail
Frameworks: Iso 27001, Nist, Dora, Sox, Gxp, Hipaa, Pci Dss, Gdpr, Cobit, Itil
Languages
Education
University of Alaska
MBA · Info & Comms Technology
Danube University Krems
Master of Science · Info/CyberSec
Certifications & licenses
Statistics
Experience
Global experience
Expertise
Qualifications
Profile
Frequently asked questions
Have questions? Find more information here.
Herbert is based in Salzburg, Austria.
Herbert speaks the following languages: German (Native), English (Native), Arabic (Intermediate).
Herbert has at least 21 years of experience. During this time, Herbert has worked in at least 16 different roles and for 15 different companies. The average length of individual experience is 1 year and 4 months. Note that Herbert may not have shared all experience and actually has more experience.
Based on recent experience, Herbert would be well-suited for roles such as: Pentest Center of Excellence - Strategy & Implementation, Oracle Fusion Cloud Transformation Program Lead, Senior Advisor - Cloud Strategy.
Herbert's most recent position is Pentest Center of Excellence - Strategy & Implementation at Cybersecurity & IT Risk Managed Services.
In recent years, Herbert has worked for Cybersecurity & IT Risk Managed Services, Paper & Medical Device Manufacturer, International Insurance Group, Group of Companies, and Human Protein Manufacturer.
Herbert is most experienced in industries like Healthcare, Information Technology, and Banking and Finance. Herbert also has some experience in Insurance, Food and Beverage, and Professional Services.
Herbert is most experienced in business areas like Information Technology, Project Management, and Strategy. Herbert also has some experience in Procurement, Customer Service, and Quality Assurance.
Herbert has recently worked in industries like Banking and Finance, Insurance, and Information Technology.
Herbert has recently worked in business areas like Information Technology, Project Management, and Strategy.
Herbert attended University of Alaska for Info & Comms Technology.
Herbert has 5 certificates. Among them, these include: CISSP, ITIL, and ISO27001.
The availability of Herbert needs to be confirmed.
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