Swingtide is led by Diane Carco, a recognized expert in helping companies obtain value from outsourcing and improving other aspects of IT business operations. She is a respected information technology executive, author, and frequent speaker at industry conferences and university seminars. As a senior vice president and chief financial officer for a large insurance services firm and CIO for a large multi-line insurance carrier, she led the organizations through acquisitions, divestitures, outsourcing, insourcing and major restructurings. She has also played key roles at a major U.S. auto manufacturer and industry-leading accounting and consulting firm.
Diane’s primary consulting focus is guiding companies to the successful completion of the complex set of tasks that make up an outsourcing deal. Her management of the outsourcing process for companies entering into deals, managing relationships, terminating relationships, and supporting other complex transactions has helped organizations save hundreds of millions of dollars while avoiding costly missteps. She has experience as both a consulting and testifying expert in significant outsourcing and technology disputes.
Diane has been a leader in the development of the technology business management function and continues to help clients with IT finance, sourcing, and cost recovery issues. She is co-author of The Smart Way to Buy Information Technology (AMACOM, 1998), a widely used and quoted guide to information technology sourcing.
Diane is a graduate of Marquette University and a CPA.
Ben Ford has extensive experience establishing, operating and continuously improving enterprise IT service management functions. He has managed services for internal and external customers, domestic and international. Ben is unique in that he is technically savvy with a business focus, with superior communication, arbitration, organizational, and negotiating skills. Ben has a comprehensive understanding of today’s IT objectives gained by managing the full life cycle of IT.
As the infrastructure architect for a leading global provider of technology infrastructure solutions, Ben defined integrated infrastructure solutions for customers in automotive, manufacturing, and financial services industries. His solutions encompassed multiple vendors, disciplines, and numerous customer, delivery, partner and subcontracted resources. Ben has previously served as a Vice President of the Open and Distributed Server Infrastructure area for a large, multi-line insurance carrier, and has served in technology and managerial leadership positions in financial services, technology, and consulting companies.
Ben is a graduate of Governors State University and holds numerous technical certifications.
Kevin Haber is a financial professional with extensive experience specializing in technology. He has a proven track record of leadership successes in both stable and changing environments in financial services, publishing and auto manufacturing industries. He has managed financial operations for internal and external customers and brings a unique understanding of the challenges businesses face in today’s IT environment. Kevin has significant experience in technology cost reduction initiatives, IT chargeback, and large-scale outsourcing management.
As the Information Technology Controller for a large financial services company, Kevin was responsible for preparation, reporting, forecasting and management of a $300 million annual budget for U.S. infrastructure and applications. In this capacity he developed and implemented numerous control processes, and is a leading advocate of the benefits of IT service catalogs and chargeback. Kevin has performed the financial lead role on various outsourcing transactions.
Kevin is a graduate of the University of San Francisco and a CPA.
Chris Herman is a senior sourcing and contracts professional with extensive experience with technology agreements of all types (outsourcing, software, hardware, consulting and network/telecommunications). He brings a proven, holistic approach to the most challenging IT sourcing initiatives and skillfully mediates within the matrix of competing organizational objectives. He is expert in all facets of technology procurement and vendor management and frequently speaks at industry conferences.
As the Technology Sourcing Manager at a major US insurance broker, and as the VP of Technology Sourcing at a major, multi-line insurance carrier, Chris brings a depth and breadth of expertise not commonly found in the sourcing arena. While in those roles, Chris managed and optimized large portfolios of technology agreements, was responsible for strategic vendor relationships, and realized tens of millions in cost savings in connection with outsourcing initiatives and acquisition and divestiture activities.
Chris is a graduate of Lake Forest College and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Align costs with consumption to gain visibility to the true business value of IT spend. Cross-subsidizations will ultimately be exposed and cause problems.
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