Resume

Summary:

Enterprise technology executive who translates business strategy into technology roadmaps that deliver measurable results — offering 25+ years of experience at large, multi-site retailers and energy companies, including 15+ years partnering directly with Finance and the Office of the CFO to drive digital transformation across corporate functions.

Most recently at Whole Foods Market (Amazon), as the de facto Head of IT for back-office functions, served as the accountable executive for a $35M+ portfolio of 60+ systems, supporting 100,000+ users across 500+ locations in the US, Canada, and UK.

Driven by a long-standing desire to transition into a career focused on social impact, currently advising two non-profits as a strategic pivot towards a full-time role where a balance of strategy, execution, and financial discipline will expand an organization’s reach and impact.

Highlights:

  • Crisis Leadership & Business Continuity — Personally led the disaster recovery effort when our vendor-hosted timekeeping solution (Kronos) suffered an extended outage during peak business season amid COVID-19, with payroll for 100,000+ employees across three countries at risk — directing my team’s build of a Workday-based timekeeping application within days to keep payroll running, and securing emergency vendor executive support to stand up Kronos in AWS within weeks for long-term resilience. Outcome: zero missed paychecks, across three countries / regulatory regimes, amid global health crisis.
  • Back-Office Digital Transformation — Directed the digital transformation of Whole Foods Market’s back-office platforms — replacing PeopleSoft with a full-suite Workday Financial Management and HCM deployment, redesigning the chart of accounts and fiscal calendar, consolidating three planning tools into Workday Planning, modernizing recruiting systems to improve candidate experience and reduce time-to-fill, and rolling out Coupa globally to automate $2B in procurement spend — recognized by Coupa for achieving some of its highest recorded utilization and value-realization metrics.
  • Culture & Talent Leadership — Transformed organizational culture to strengthen accountability, operational excellence, customer focus, and continuous improvement. Built a PMO and leadership bench that business executives repeatedly asked to replicate — asking to hire more people like them. Coached leaders to turn around performance, including developing a previously underperforming leader into a company-wide award recipient who was later promoted.

Experience:

TASK Consultants — Principal Consultant & Executive Advisor • Houston, TX | 2024–present 

Advisory services for CxO and IT leadership teams of Fortune 1000 companies and mission-driven nonprofit organizations.

  • GenAI & Data Strategy (Oceaneering): Engaged by Chief Data Officer to drive data and automation innovation. Identified 80+ data and AI-enabled product ideas; advanced 3 to business cases and secured investment for 2 funded prototypes. Led development of the enterprise Data Strategy spanning architecture, governance, BI, AI, and data monetization. Developed value case for Microsoft 365 Copilot adoption and secured executive alignment to proceed into active pilot phase.
  • Nonprofit Advisory (National): Analyzing operational data for a poverty alleviation program to identify opportunities for greater community impact and operational efficiency.
  • Nonprofit Advisory (International): Reengineering manual, labor-intensive processes and introducing automation for a legacy giving program to reduce operational costs.

 

Whole Foods Market — Senior Director, Enterprise Transformation • Austin, TX | 2022–2023  

Recruited for newly created business transformation team to lead strategic initiatives prioritized by executive team.

  • $300M SG&A Optimization: Recruited to lead an enterprise-wide cost reduction initiative against a $250M goal; identified more than $300M in SG&A savings, built the integrated change agenda, and co-launched cross-functional initiatives to capture savings — in partnership with a leading management consulting firm under C-Suite sponsorship.
  • Functional Cost Reduction: Outsourced item data management function, reducing cost by more than 50%.

 

Whole Foods Market – Senior Director, Enterprise Business Systems • Austin, TX | 2020–2022  

De facto Head of IT for all back-office corporate functions. Owned the full technology stack — applications, support, and infrastructure — for the portfolio of financial and business applications supporting Accounting, Finance, Tax, Indirect Procurement, HR, Workforce Scheduling, Timekeeping, Site Planning, Store Construction, and Repairs and Maintenance.

  • Executive CFO Advisory: Served as Acting VP of Finance Tech and partnered directly with the Office of the CFO to build the integrated digital transformation strategy and roadmap across Finance, Accounting, Tax, and Indirect Procurement. Facilitated strategy workshops and designed the operating model to support business-led digital transformation.
  • Platform Ownership & Vendor Governance: Owned strategic platform relationships for Workday (Finance and HCM), Coupa, and UKG/Kronos; ran quarterly business reviews to ensure ROI and SLA compliance and align vendor roadmaps with business goals. Negotiated $25M in SaaS subscriptions (new and renewal), achieving 30%+ savings.
  • Operational Excellence: Reduced software defects 10% and support cost 35% YOY by redesigning the operating model; cut KTLO 19% over two years through application rationalization and technical debt remediation. Reduced data center footprint 20% by migrating workloads to AWS.
  • Security Vulnerability Remediation: Mobilized Linux, Windows, and DBA resources to remediate 5,000+ security vulnerabilities across 600+ infrastructure assets on an aggressive Amazon-driven timeline, materially reducing risk profile.
  • System Reliability & Customer Experience: Instituted an automated QA framework across the portfolio — accelerating release velocity and ensuring core application stability for internal business customers.

 

Whole Foods Market – Principal Program Manager • Austin, TX | 2018–2020  

Member of leadership team of Enterprise Business Systems Delivery group.

  • PMO & Governance: Requested by VP of Enterprise Systems to informally assume oversight of all digital transformation programs. Led the consolidation of three planning tools into Workday Planning (Adaptive Insights) and the replacement of the financial reporting tool with Workday FPM, while redesigning the chart of accounts and changing the fiscal calendar. Delivered projects within 3% budget and schedule variance.
  • Bar Raiser Award: Received “Bar Raiser” award (modeled on Amazon Bar Raiser program) from VP of Enterprise Systems for excellence in program planning, execution, stakeholder engagement, and benefits realization.
  • Coupa Global Rollout: Personally led global implementation of Coupa to automate $2B in decentralized indirect procurement spend. Recognized by Coupa for achieving their highest metrics for system utilization and value creation.

 

TASK Consultants – Principal Consultant • Houston, TX | 2010–2018  

Program management for enterprise business systems: Baker Hughes, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, Texas Children’s Health Plan.

  • Core System Migrations (Energy): Led implementation of SAP PRA and Quorum to replace legacy financial systems for third-party crude accounting and surface assets at a Fortune 10 energy company. Delivered integrated solution within 11 months — recognized by SAP as one of the fastest implementations of its kind.
  • Corporate Divestitures: Led system and data segregation for Corporate and Indirect Tax departments to support a multi-billion dollar corporate split, utilizing Zytax (Avalara) SaaS.
  • Regulated Program Launch: Augmented core business platforms to support the rapid launch of the STAR Kids Medicaid managed care program for Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP).

 

Earlier Career – Accenture and startups in enterprise software and device logistics • Houston, TX | 1994–2009 

Technical and commercial leadership roles at Accenture and VC/PE-funded startups.

  • Flipswap | VP Operations, Sales & Acting CIO: Reduced per-device recycling costs by 50% through process improvement, boosted gross margins by 24% through dynamic pricing model engineering, and increased inventory turns from 5.5 to 10 by reengineering inventory workflows and introducing policies and governance.
  • Wireless Works | CEO & Founder: Bootstrapped with $10k seed capital and attained operational profitability within 6 months. Grew startup into $50M revenue company in mobile device reverse logistics, refurbishment, and recycling.
  • Network International | VP Technology Management & Deputy CIO: Led 75+ person engineering team to build and launch 3 integrated B2B transactional systems within 6 months.
  • Accenture | Manager: Led design, development, and delivery of SAP R/3 environments in global rollouts for Fortune 100 energy clients; designed enterprise business process and application architecture.

 

Education:

M.S. in Data Analytics — Texas A&M University, Mays Business School

M.S. in Computer Science — The University of Texas at Austin

B.A. in Computer Science — Coe College; Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa

 

Certifications:

Program Management Professional (PgMP)

Project Management Professional (PMP)

Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)

Certified Change Practitioner (Prosci)

 

Testimonials:

“Bar Raiser” Award — Enterprise Business Systems Delivery.
— VP of Enterprise Business Systems Delivery (leader)
 
“Sudz has high standards and consistently asks questions to drive long-term thinking from both teams. He is an excellent communicator with a strong awareness of his multiple stakeholders.”
— VP of Finance (internal customer)
 
“Sudz is highly strategic. He has been instrumental in creating and communicating a compelling and inspired vision/strategy around product ownership, performance management, and financial accountability. He continually plays the long game and helps set us up for success.”
— VP of Accounting (internal customer)
 
“Sudz has a strong capacity to drive cross-functional teams to decision as a strategic partner and leader. He is also skilled at breaking up group-think by playing devil’s advocate.”
— VP of Accounting (internal customer)
 
“Sudz’ inclination to think strategically is stronger than that of most others. He also possesses the superpower of staying calm and level-headed during critical times.”
— VP of Tax (internal customer)
 
“Sudz is a very talented and capable leader with an impressive ability to bridge the gap between technology and business, communicating effectively with technical SMEs as well as board members.”
— CIO (former leader)