David C Penrod

David C. Penrod 📍 Cedar Falls, IA | 📞 - | 📧-🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidcpenrod EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Senior Infrastructure & Cybersecurity Program Manager with 15+ years of experience leading enterprise-scale transformation initiatives across Fortune 500 and global organizations. Proven expertise in Identity Governance (SailPoint), Privileged Access Management (CyberArk), infrastructure modernization, and regulatory compliance within hybrid and cloud environments (AWS, Azure, Nutanix). Adept at aligning IT operations with business goals through governance, risk mitigation, and digital strategy. Recognized for driving cross-functional collaboration, managing multi-million-dollar technology portfolios, and delivering executive-level reporting that influences C-suite decisions. Practitioner of Agile, ITIL, and DevOps frameworks. CORE COMPETENCIES ✔ Infrastructure Modernization | Cloud Strategy (AWS, Azure, Nutanix) ✔ Privileged Access Management (CyberArk) | IAM (SailPoint, AD, MFA) ✔ IT Strategy & Governance | Audit Readiness | NIST/ISO/PCI Compliance ✔ Agile, Scrum, SDLC, DevOps | Jira/Confluence | Azure DevOps | Smartsheet ✔ Executive Reporting & Stakeholder Engagement (CTO, CSO, CFO) ✔ Vendor & Contract Management | Global Procurement | ERP Implementation ✔ Risk Assessment & Mitigation | Change Management | Program Recovery ✔ CoPilot (AI Adoption) | Citrix Architecture | End User Computing (EUC) PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE VW Financial Services Infrastructure Project Manager | June 2024 – December 2024 Developed and implemented a comprehensive project plan in Jira for launching a new production test domain. Defined and integrated key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor project success and measure outcomes effectively. Established clear milestones and deliverables to ensure timely project execution and alignment with organizational goals. Enhanced project visibility and team accountability by leveraging Jira dashboards and reporting tools. Conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the existing Citrix environment to assess performance, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. Analyzed the feasibility of transitioning to AWS, Azure, or Nutanix platforms, considering operational needs, cost implications, and technical compatibility. Performed a cost-benefit analysis comparing modernization of the current Citrix environment versus migration to alternative solutions. Delivered actionable recommendations through detailed reporting and presentations to key stakeholders, focusing on aligning technology with business objectives. Played a pivotal role in introducing CoPilot features to VW Credit, enhancing operational efficiency and user engagement. Identified and defined key use cases for CoPilot integration, aligning functionalities with business needs and objectives. Created and distributed comprehensive informational resources to support daily users in leveraging CoPilot capabilities effectively. Fostered cross-departmental collaboration to ensure a seamless rollout and sustained utilization of CoPilot tools. Key Achievement: Contributed to the successful adoption of CoPilot, driving innovation and improving team productivity. Key Achievement: Provided strategic insights that enabled leadership to make informed decisions, balancing innovation with cost efficiency. Key Achievement: Delivered the project within established timelines, contributing to operational efficiency and improved testing processes. J.Crew Group Infrastructure Project Manager | July 2022 – June 2024 Spearheaded the enterprise-wide implementation of CyberArk, enhancing privileged access management (PAM) to mitigate cybersecurity risks. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to design workflows, configure tools, and enforce security protocols. Directed the deployment of SailPoint, an Identity Governance and Access Management (IAM) solution, ensuring robust user access controls and compliance. Conducted comprehensive training sessions for staff, enhancing IAM adoption across all departments. Championed the modernization of IT infrastructure by executing wireless refresh projects across multiple sites. Designed and implemented strategic IT roadmaps to address vulnerabilities and optimize performance. Utilized Agile methodologies to manage team backlogs, prioritize deliverables, and coach team members in conflict resolution and iterative improvements. Key Achievement: Established a culture of ownership, increasing team productivity by 20%. Key Achievement: Strengthened organizational defenses against unauthorized access, achieving a 30% reduction in security incidents. Key Achievement: Improved audit compliance ratings by 25%, minimizing exposure to access-related risks. Key Achievement: Delivered projects under budget, saving $250K annually through efficient resource allocation. Cognizant Infrastructure Services (for Deere & Company) Infrastructure Project Manager – End User Computing (EUC) | April 2016 – July 2022 Collaborated closely with internal teams and external vendors to define detailed project requirements, scope, deliverables, and success criteria across infrastructure and security projects, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and regulatory standards. Oversaw multimillion-dollar project budgets and aggressive delivery timelines, consistently ensuring adherence to financial constraints and contractual milestones while optimizing resource allocation. Managed enterprise-wide Windows 10 to 11 migration for 3,500+ endpoints, delivering hardware/software readiness, SCCM & Autopilot deployment, app compatibility, and stakeholder reporting Directed cross-functional project teams across geographically dispersed locations, assigning roles, clarifying priorities, and driving accountability to meet project KPIs and strategic goals. Developed and executed IT strategies tailored to project complexity, leveraging enterprise frameworks (ITIL, PMBOK, Agile) to ensure consistent delivery within scope, schedule, and cost baselines. Leveraged tools such as MS Project, Jira, Clarity PPM, and Smartsheet to create integrated project plans, track task dependencies, and measure performance through burn-down charts, milestone tracking, and Earned Value Management (EVM). Maintained comprehensive RAID (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies) logs, proactively mitigating high-impact risks and ensuring traceable issue resolution throughout the project lifecycle. Facilitated cross-functional workshops and stakeholder meetings, managing agendas, documenting key decisions, and ensuring alignment across technical teams, business sponsors, and compliance leads. Identified and resolved project blockers using root cause analysis and stakeholder escalation protocols, minimizing delivery disruption and ensuring forward momentum across critical workstreams. Documented end-to-end project lifecycle activities, including stage gate reviews, post-mortem assessments, and lessons learned, ensuring continuous improvement and repeatable success patterns. Key Achievement: Achieved 100% schedule adherence across three major infrastructure upgrades valued at $5M+ by optimizing resource planning and risk mitigation practices. Key Achievement: Reduced project delivery delays by 20% through the implementation of a structured RAID and stakeholder communication model. Key Achievement: Enhanced stakeholder satisfaction by 30% through improved transparency, cadence-based reporting, and risk visibility. Pegasus Enterprises Senior Director, Project & Procurement Management | December 2001 – January 2016 Managed concurrent complex global and domestic projects with combined budgets in excess of $200MM. US Southern Command Peruvian Riverine Interdiction TORP - $200MM Kingdom of Jordan Firefighting Modernization Project - $75MM GD-OTS Subcontract Project - $3MM Panamanian National Police Project - $700,000 Managed contract negotiations to procure services, software, and hardware. Oversaw project budget, re-estimating, and re-forecasting quarterly. Developed business processes and technology roadmap focused on increasing speed to market capabilities, lowering support costs and establishing a more sustainable and stable management platform. Defined and updated support processes including governance, quality management, project management, product management, application management, and continuous integration/continuous development management. Re-designed development team structures and resourcing models. Oversaw 9 project teams as they re-wrote existing business capabilities utilizing new architecture and toolsets. Facilitated the Executive Steering Committee. Defined and operationalized KPI’s and other metrics. Developed and managed project incentives. Consulted with the executive team on change management efforts and the team’s overall capacity for change Identified issues, risks, barriers, and developed mitigation strategies and contingency plans. Ensured project close-out steps were taken that included lessons learned/best practices that would influence the success of future projects. Key Achievement: Successfully delivered high-stakes government and defense projects under tight geopolitical constraints. Key Achievement: Negotiated multimillion-dollar contracts for hardware, software, and services across jurisdictions, driving cost savings and optimized delivery timelines. Key Achievement: Directed 9 project teams in re-architecting legacy systems using modern toolsets and agile methods, enhancing system resilience and time-to-market. Key Achievement: Instituted KPI frameworks, project incentives, and change management protocols to boost executive alignment and stakeholder engagement. Key Achievement: Provided strategic counsel to C-suite on change capacity and operational scalability, enabling transformation success with lasting impact. EDUCATION B.S., Cybersecurity – Purdue University Global, 2018 Associations: National Society of Collegiate Scholars