Zoltán K.-Head of IT, specialist in full IT-function leadership, Agile transformation, portfolio governance and IT service stabilisation

Brought in to mobilise a brand-new IT service for the European Commission's Simple programme, heading seven mid-level managers within a wider management, assurance and testing structure of around 50 people. The service carried an annual budget of roughly €5m and gave us independent governance oversight across a wider €150m, three-year consortium of six providers. Beyond the framework contract, almost nothing was defined when I arrived, so I built the service's operating model, governance and controls from the ground up.

• Mobilised a Greenfield IT Service from Nothing: Built the service's operating model, governance cadence and reporting structure from scratch, as the only starting point was an unharmonised pair of framework contracts; had the service fully functioning within three months.
• Established Three-Way Governance and Control: Set up a three-lateral communication, quality management and compliance structure spanning programme management, technology, testing and cybersecurity, giving the European Commission's senior programme representative independent oversight of the wider consortium.
• Recovered an Early Quality Management Shortfall: Identified that the original Head of Quality Management could not deliver against the agreed strategy, brought in additional support, then transitioned to a new Head of QM; had all related delays fully recovered within the service's third and fourth months.
• Gave the Commission a Single Point of Assurance: Ensured no element of the consortium's delivery, management methodology, tools, and artefacts could proceed without my team's review and approval, providing the Commission with one consolidated source of independent assurance across programme management, technology, quality, testing, cybersecurity and compliance.

Joined Rubix Group to recover a stalled transformation programme of 140+ IT and cybersecurity projects across seven regions, after the original Programme Manager had reached an impasse with the IT Director and Head of Cybersecurity and the programme had stalled at around 5–10% progress. The three of them had strong but conflicting views and a traditional management style that wasn't adapting to the programme's needs, organisational needs and they did not consider the current and very varying circumstances in different regions, so my first job was to reset how we worked together.

• Recovered a Blocked 140+ Project Programme Within Weeks: With Agile mindset, re-evaluated the scope of every project across all seven regions with the relevant project managers, and regional IT Leaders, realigned them with the group's IT strategy, and had the programme back on track within two to three weeks.
• Rebuilt Working Relationships Across Leadership: Re-established collaborative working with the IT Director and Head of Cybersecurity, replacing a rigid, traditional management approach with a more adaptive way of working that the wider team could engage with.
• Directed a Large Cross-Regional Delivery Team: Led 16 project managers and 2 cybersecurity managers across the programme, holding accountability and overseeing integration activity for around 35 companies and due diligence on a further 20 mergers and acquisitions (M&A).
• Matured IT and Cybersecurity Standards Group-Wide: Worked with Head of Cybersecurity and local IT leaders across all seven regions to develop and roll out more consistent IT and cybersecurity standards and policies, restoring delivery momentum and rebuilding confidence with Advent's representative, the IT Director.

Pattopo brought me back for a second contract (I'd worked with them briefly in 2011 – see below). This time it was a much bigger remit: full delegated accountability for the Agile IT delivery function on a confidential insurance client mandate, directing six project managers and around 35 people across IT and actuarial teams, on a budget of roughly €600k.

The main piece of work was leading Agile delivery of a brand-new online insurance sales capability – front-to-back integration, underwriting, document workflows, back-office, the insurance products dedicated to sell online – reporting to both the client's CIO and Pattopo's CEO. It's a nice example of how one good engagement can lead to a much bigger one a few years later.

A genuine ground-up transformation for a manufacturing business, and one of the more complex mandates I've taken on.

I held full accountability for the IT function, leading 6 IT project managers and 1 machinery project manager (40+ people across IT and machinery) on a programme worth around €7.5m, reporting directly to the CEO. I prepared an Agile programme strategy covering annual IT strategy, two operating models and a communication strategy, then aligned delivery across IT infrastructure, production technology, machine connectivity and business process redesign – including a complex testing phase and a switch from the old infrastructure to the new one with minimal interruption to production, leaving behind a fully operational IT function capable of running independently, replacing what had previously been a small number of overstretched people trying to cover IT alongside other responsibilities.

A short engagement where I introduced Agile project management, coached three project managers, and tightened up client-facing reporting. The team kept delivering successfully in Agile after I left – which is partly why Pattopo asked me back a few years later.

Five years delivering around 55 insurance-sector projects – Life400, workflows, document management, web, call centre, MIS, disaster recovery, system integration, upgrades and incident management – leading teams of anywhere from 5 to 20 developers, business analysts and actuaries. I also did annual IT strategy, planning and budget work on contracts under €350k.