Jim Buck

Experience

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  Travelers

  Jan 1998 - Jan 2002

  Senior IT Manager
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  Allianz Life

  Jan 2004 - Jan 2007

  Director of IT

  Managed the overall planning, organization and execution of all IT operations to meet business requirements as well as the support and maintenance of existing applications and development of new technical solutions via the supervision of 6 management direct reports overseeing multiple technology teams and two datacenters hosting over 6,000 servers. Implemented ITIL including CMDB, change management, incident management and problem management.• Implemented a world class monitoring environment that significantly improved system availability• Successfully maintained a system availability of 99.99% for all core systems; ensured the consistency and maintainability of existing applications by creating, maintaining and enforcing standards/procedures.• Directed the implementation and execution of new/upgraded systems and application via well-defined plans including procedures, deadlines and accountability.• Drove the planning and implementation of enterprise initiatives; technology purchases, application installations/upgrades, platform migrations, hardware installations, and application rollout/support.• Provided technical expertise regarding systems maintenance, upgrades, hardware and software; led and supervised staff activities, while managing and monitoring all systems, devices and services.• Handled/resolved incident and service requests; improved systems via review of user requests, analyzing needs and budgets, and making recommendations for updates, replacements or enhancements.• Analyzed complex business needs presented by the user community and recommends technical solutions.• Evaluates and implements IT procedures and equipment for maximum efficiency and cost containment; stayed abreast of trends, emerging technologies and regulations to ensure effectiveness and compliance.• Developed a disaster recovery program with full cutover exercises where none previously existed. Show less

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  Target

  Jan 2007 - Dec 2012

  IT Group Manager

  Managed and led all aspects of IT operations via numerous leadership positions across the IT Infrastructure with up to 7 direct reports and the management/monitoring of a $68M budget, while delivering strategic technical vision across diverse teams and leveraging existing/ emerging technologies that aligned with business direction. Partnered with upper management and diverse teams to improve existing systems by reviewing user requests, analyzing needs and budgets, and making recommendations for updates, replacements or enhancements Managed the interviewing, hiring, training and performance of staff; traveled to remote locations to review policies, while evaluating existing technologies and business processes for improvement, and recommending new strategies.• Managed the daily support of systems; monitored and maintained all system resources to include email servers, database servers, network traffic and storage.• Participated in technology research efforts, conducted system reviews and cost analyses for systems and infrastructure upgrades, and prepared technology plans.• Led and maintained the organization's effectiveness and efficiency by defining, delivering, and supporting strategic plans for implementing various technologies.• Directed all phases of large-scale project lifecycles for complex scopes from initial needs analysis and planning through project development and delivery.• Led the planning, implementation and direction of all enterprise-wide IT department activities.• Successfully implemented a staff augmentation model to push significant work volumes near-shore and offshore allowing Target to keep IT headcount flat during continuous business growth.• Drove a new Managed Service model to move entire blocks of service near-shore and offshore. Show less

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  Ditech Financial LLC

  Dec 2012 - Nov 2018

  Senior Vice President of Infrastructure and Operations

  Direct and oversee all aspects of the IT infrastructure and operations spanning 12 locations, to include managing an annual $71M budget and technology implementation projects supporting growth, including technology procurement, set-up, system/network and the effective and efficient delivery of all third-party and internally-managed IT infrastructure supporting all business process across the enterprise. Manage the approval and control of projects related to the selection, acquisition, development, and installation of major infrastructure systems.- Assess and communicates risks associated with technology-related investments, changes and purchases.- Plan and direct security, patches and other change management activities and technology deployments; streamline business and IT processes to provide near real-time visibility of infrastructure performance.- Oversee prioritization of projects and needs, guide strategy and innovation, and support implementation and overall project management.- Establish IT operations departmental goals, objectives and operating procedures; direct continuous improvement of the staff, technologies and procedures to maintain pace with technological progress and business needs.- Work with teams to establish IT operations goals and implement procedures and performance standards to achieve these goals; actively manage key vendors and play a significant role in negotiating contracts/agreements.- Effectively outsource several infrastructure services key to reducing expenses, improving stability, and driving both standardization and process optimization- Active participant in strategic planning sessions with business to ensure alignment of goals, resources and technology direction- Consolidated data center footprint from 6 on-premise sites to two co-locations with considerable cloud presence over a two-year period- Successfully built an Agile infrastructure that allowed business to grow 300% in size over a one-year period. Show less

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  Self-employed

  Dec 2018 - now

  Executive IT Consultant

  Seasoned IT professional offering uncommon blend of creative and analytical talents along with results-proven ability to apply new ideas, resourcefulness, and innovation to propel companies to the next level, overcome roadblocks and build competitive advantage.

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  Nerdery

  Apr 2019 - now

  Vice President of Technology Enablement