Hugh McPherson

-Develop and execute IT vision and long-term technology roadmap aligned with BOF’s strategic goals. -Provide expert IT advice to senior leadership and build strategic alliances across OPS partners. -Oversee IT operations including network, data, infrastructure design, monitoring, backups, and disaster recovery. -Lead cybersecurity strategy, risk mitigation, compliance, and business continuity planning. -Manage IT projects, budgets, vendor relationships, and service agreements to ensure SLA compliance. -Drive innovation through emerging technologies, process improvements, and cost optimization. -Champion diversity, inclusion, and continuous improvement within the IT team. -Mentor staff, set performance standards, and lead hiring and training initiatives.

In my role as Manager of IT, I drive the strategic implementation of security features and oversee daily IT operations for a workforce of 600+. I lead initiatives such as enforcing Okta SSO for all SaaS applications, embedding security and privacy checks into procurement, and orchestrating company-wide security training and phishing campaigns. A key achievement was the successful deployment of Kandji to all macOS and iOS devices. I also partnered closely with cross-collaborative teams to strategically deploy Shopify POS to over 40 retail locations across Canada, the US, the UK, and Australia. I direct a 2-member team, focusing on end-user and hardware support, and Okta SSO services. I ensure the IT team consistently provides excellent customer service, maintaining an approachable demeanor to effectively assist staff with all end-user support issues and requests. My responsibilities also encompass talent management—from hiring to performance evaluation—and the administration of a significant annual budget. I'm adept at collaborating with stakeholders across the organization to enhance security posture, resolve complex technical issues, and streamline the procurement, deployment, and lifecycle management of new software platforms and employee equipment. I also oversaw the upgrade of meeting rooms to integrate the latest technology for enhanced collaboration and efficiency.

• Direct a 3-member team in the day-to-day IT operations including end user support, desktop support, and lab support services for the downtown Chang School campus with over 200 employees and 20,000+ students • Accountable for employee hiring, training, talent development, and performance evaluation and management • Report to the Director of Technology and offer subject matter expertise to inform strategic planning and direction • Support end users by conducting investigations, troubleshooting technical issues, and implementing solutions • Administer the annual $190,000 budget, maintain server environments, and prepare detailed performance reports • Partner with internal stakeholders and business leaders to understand needs, uncover gaps, and mitigate risks • Drive the strategic planning and execution of projects to implement, repair, and modernize the IT infrastructure • Serve as the IT security champion, facilitate internal audits, update internal policies, and promote best practices Key Achievement: ✔ Improved support coverage and response times by orchestrating the introduction of the Cisco Jabber platform that served as a centralized online phone system for students and staff members to submit their IT support requests ✔ Instigated the roll-out of the Google Cloud platform to virtualize the labs for 10,000+ students in the Big Data courses and completed the deployment within a condensed timeline to reflect the urgent needs of the pandemic ✔ Drastically reduced support emails and increased user satisfaction by creating a new IT forum on the course portal with instructions on how to resolve common problems ✔ Spearheaded the upgrade of over 40 servers from the 2008 operating system to the new 2019 version ✔ Sourced, procured, and disseminated over $100,000 worth of laptops, tools, and software to enable over 100 employees to work remotely during COVID ✔ Coordinated the upgrade of the CRM system and avoided work disruptions through effective project scheduling

• Managed a team of 2 Support Analysts providing front-line assistance to over 1,000 Sales Associates across Canada • Oversaw the issue management lifecycle by triaging tickets, escalating defects, and minimizing system impacts • Reviewed error reports and performance metrics to isolate, interpret, and address various technical deficiencies • Appraised team operations and tracked issue status to confirm service level agreements (SLAs) were reached • Collaborated with the IT team to launch new tools, respond to incidents, and attain continuous system availability • Guided the design and delivery of training programs to educate Sales Associates and enrich customer experiences • Participated in team meetings, provided stakeholder feedback, and authored and disseminated documentation Key Achievement: ✔ Improved data integrity on the Salesforce CRM by purging redundant information, orchestrated a Salesforce improvement project to enhance user interface, and transitioned the platform to the new Lighting environment

• Supervised 8 team members in their daily activities and oversaw the team orientation and professional growth • Tasked with reviewing and resolving escalated IT support issues for Rogers end users located across the country • Fronted continuous improvement initiatives to improve end user support and problem management capabilities • Leveraged Lean Six Sigma best practices to improve customer experience when managing IT Support escalations • Organized meetings with managing directors and support teams to study trends and brainstorm strategies • Contributed to the creation and institution of the framework, workflows, and processes for the IT Escalations team Key Achievements: ✔ Streamlined the average resolution time from over 1 day down to only a few hours for the newly introduced help desk ticketing system by analyzing the escalation process and enhancing the tracking and notification functions ✔ Eliminated all of the legacy IT tickets that were 60+ days old and 80% of the tickets 30+ days old by reviewing the SLAs and establishing a new service provider management process to improve ticket tracking and management ✔ Substantially decreased the amount of issues for end users and escalations for service desk workers for a new mobile device management by creating an in-depth training program to minimize confusion for users and staff

• Provided both in-person and remote second-level IT support to over 1,000 end users in the Rogers Media IT office to determine and resolve service issues affecting hardware, software, web applications, and network systems • Documented escalations, assigned support tickets, and tracked progress using ITIL based Service Desk system • Maintained and updated computer systems, software applications, and telephone and network infrastructure • Provided recommendations for ongoing improvements by conducting root cause analysis of operational issues

• Provided advanced technical support to customers who paid extra to be part of the Rogers TechXpert program •Converted referrals and leads from various channels into sales by championing the Premium Support value proposition to potential customers. •Assisted partner support groups to meet service level objectives (as needed) Key Achievement: ✔ Always met or exceeding daily and monthly targets for customer satisfaction and completion rates

• Created and executed test cases by for new product releases based off feedback gained from end users • Ensured products were fully functional, provided detailed feedback, and approved products for release • Collaborated with various cross functional teams to implement programs, create training documentation and improve customer satisfaction • Analyzed and provided recommendations to BRT Launch and operational issues by producing various reports to managers on issues encountered • Conducted audits on escalated BRT Launch issues to provide feedback and resolve issues when required • Created and distributed surveys to BRT testers and report findings by using the BRT survey Engine • Performed software and hardware regression testing and reported findings to vendors • Validated, changed, and adjusted account information, specifically adding and removing SOCs with thorough understanding of current billing systems (Vision 21 and SGI) • Detailed understanding of creating new accounts using Vision 21 Key Achievement: ✔ Awarded an extension on the initial 6-month contract for exceeding all work and performance expectations