Oliver Downer

Biography

CHIEF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OFFICER (CIO/CTO) - 17 Years of IT Experience and Increasing Responsibilities in Delivering and Maintaining Large-Scale, Highly Available Websites, Software Solutions, and Platforms in Dynamic Marketplaces - High-integrity, hands-on leader with proven strategic vision and successful track record in creating customer-facing product technology for large customer populations and Fortune 500 clients. - Executive career marked by demonstrated ability to build peak-performing teams and achieve cross-functional business objectives. - Valued member of senior executive team (reporting to President/CEO), driving technology and product roadmaps based on technology trends and business needs. - Accountable for multimillion dollar revenue and cost-saving initiatives based on value proposition. Core CIO/CTO experience and responsibilities include: - eCommerce (B2C/B2B) - Infrastructure/Service Desk - Servant Leadership - B2B SaaS Platforms - IT Security & Compliance - Team Building & Leadership - ERP Platforms  Project Management (PMO) - Mentoring/Emotional IQ - eLearning/LMS - Business Analysis (PMO) - Agile Methodologies - Software Engineering - Business Intelligence - Vendor Management - Enterprise Architecture - salesforce.com/CRM - Onshore/Offshore - UI/UX - SaaS Implementation Team - Mergers & Acquisitions - Digital Product Management - Product Tech Support Team -IT Benchmarking & Strategy PROFESSIONAL HISTORY Kaplan Professional Education / Kaplan Schweser - La Crosse, WI 2003 to 2014  Chief Technology Officer (CTO/CIO) 2007 to 2014 Responsible for overall technology strategy and vision, digital products, software development, and delivery for online education company serving 550,000 customers and 5,000 clients in industries including securities, insurance, architecture, engineering, IT cert prep, CFA®, CFP®, and real estate. - Promoted to CTO of business unit with numerous unique vertical businesses. - Developed a technology vision, changed physical location and skillset of team, and hired new team for complex platform build-out for new product lines based on open source technologies. - Lead cross-functional transformation, system consolidations, and decommissioning project including requirements gathering, business analysis, re-developing and improving feature functionality, UI/UX, data integrity, scalability, and platform stability, all while reducing costs. - Transformed staff and reduced headcount with integrated platform strategy and consolidation. - Reduced $16 million technology P&L budget to $10 million, while OI increased by over 40%. - Implemented IT Governance process and Project Management Office (PMO). - Launched industry-leading Corporate Education and eCommerce Portal platform. - Launched industry-leading eLearning platform for courses, exam prep, and regulatory learning. - Oversaw development of new B2C responsive web design storefront platform driving efficiency, and increasing organic traffic, and conversions. - Directed development of custom ERP platform with complex accounting, revenue recognition, taxation, ordering, shipping, invoicing, and regulatory rules capabilities requirements. - Oversaw 4,000 hours of multimedia/webcasting annually -- driving business transition. - Created IT Security & Compliance team, which became recognized for the top Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) audits within The Washington Post Company and passed all financial service client audits. - Managed customer-facing operational teams that delivered and supported digital products. Director of Information Technology 2007  Technology Manager 2003 to 2007 Kaplan Schweser was a $25 million business entity and market leader for CFA, CAIA, and FRM education. - Built technology team responsible for all internal and external systems, including eCommerce (schweser.com), SEO, and online learning for 30,000 yearly students. - Led conversion of QBank Software, improving annual delivery to students by 5 months. - Launched live webcasting programs to marketplace, which created new revenue stream. - Integrated CPA product line into Kaplan systems and built new features. OMD Consulting – Bangor, WI 1997 to 2005  Principal / Web Development Consultant / Business Technical Lead Gathered requirements, designed, developed and maintained websites and applications, managed SEO, and wrote copy for numerous small, mid-sized, and Fortune 100 companies. Gateway Medical Resource Alliance (GMRA) - Indianapolis, IN 2002 to 2005 GMRA was a niche healthcare benefits company, which provided employers with discounts for cardiology, orthopedics, and oncology care. - Developed and maintained customer-facing website and mission critical application which housed customer information, invoices, and discounts. Honeywell (AlliedSignal) Electronic Materials - Sunnyvale, CA 1998 to 2003 $1 billion provider of high-technology solutions to the global semiconductor industry. - Designed, developed, and maintained Internet, intranet (ElectronicMaterials.com), and extranet websites. As business technical lead, was responsible for working directly with executive team and functional leaders for requirements, online marketing plan, strategic copy writing, and SEO. - Designed enterprise workflow applications with Lotus Notes/Domino which improved communication and internal efficiency. - Selected as technology representative to Honeywell’s integration team for merger with GE. Isola Group - La Crosse, WI 1998 to 2000 $400 million global leader for copper-clad laminates, the base materials for the printed circuit boards used in high technology electronic applications including computers and telecommunications. - Developed customer-facing websites, working directly with senior management team. - Designed, programmed, and maintained company intranet. Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Tallinn, Estonia 1997  International Internship Economic analysis, website maintenance, news writing, translation, and speech writing for foreign minister and president of Estonia. Compiled 1997 update for the European Council Questionnaire. EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts in Economics, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Wisconsin - Graduation with Distinction, Dean’s List, Honors Reception - Kaplan Leadership Academy - New York, NY FOREIGN LANGUAGES English (fluent), Estonian (proficient), Spanish (conversational)