Michael J. Koehler
Veolia North America
1
Certification
32
Years of experience
C-suite IT executive with 20+ years driving IT strategy, operational effectiveness, and governance across environmental and regulated hazardous waste industries. Leads enterprise modernization and high-stakes programs supporting compliance and risk reduction. Owns P&L initiatives, including M&A integration, and develops PMO frameworks to improve execution. Holds PMI-PMP and PMI-ACP certifications.
Work History
Head of the Office of the CIO / Head of PMO
4 Years 6 Months- Portfolio Governance: Governed a $70M digital transformation portfolio, enforcing disciplined prioritization and robust budget controls to ensure strategic alignment with core business outcomes.
- Global Program Orchestration/Vendor Management: Drove complex, cross-functional IT initiatives, successfully leveraging a diverse, high-performing extended workforce of 70+ contractors and 50+ vendors across onshore, nearshore, and offshore teams.
- Governance and Accountability: Built and led critical governance forums and operating rhythms that institutionalized accountability, accelerated executive decision-making, and improved transparency across disparate business units.
- Operational Scaling & Efficiency: Transformed the Application Support function by establishing a Managed Services model, significantly elevating service levels, improving scalability, and driving demonstrable cost efficiency in critical support functions.
- Compliance-Driven Strategy: Directed IT strategy and organizational effectiveness within the Hazardous Waste business unit, ensuring all digital transformation initiatives met rigorous environmental and regulatory compliance requirements.
- M&A Lifecycle Management: Orchestrated critical technology due diligence and post-acquisition integration for acquired entities, leading technology landscape assessments and facilitating the migration of combined operations onto standardized platforms.
- Organizational Realignment: Directed the restructuring and consolidation of core CIO Office functions post-acquisition, clarifying roles, optimizing resource utilization, and redefining organizational accountability.
- Business Process Ownership: Owned critical IT HR functions (onboarding/offboarding), ensuring smooth, compliant workforce transitions within a highly regulated operational environment.
Program Manager / Senior Project Manager
16 Years 8 Months- PMO Establishment: Designed and implemented corporate IT Project Management Office (PMO), standardizing methodologies, risk frameworks, and performance reporting to enhance delivery quality.
- Program Execution: Cultivated foundational expertise in advanced program delivery, risk mitigation, and high-stakes stakeholder alignment, culminating in the successful transition to a Headof CIO Office role.
- Digital Modernization & Cloud Migration: Led transformation from on-premise IT infrastructure to AWS cloud, modernizing core business systems and addressing operational technology debt.
- Operational Streamlining: Led consolidation of WAN across North American business unit into unified network, simplifying maintenance and improving operational efficiency.
- M&A Integration: Provided critical IT workstream support during M&A events, assisting with technology assessments and coordinating integration activities for complex organizational combinations.
Global Messaging/Transformation
6 YearsProject Management Consulting
2 YearsIT/Project Management Consulting
2 YearsSkills
Technology vision and Strategic thinking
Digital transformation and Cloud transition
PMO leadership and Service delivery
IT governance framework
Strategic alignment and oversight
Diverse team leadership (on/off/near-shore)
Portfolio and budget management
Vendor oversight and management
Program and project management
Risk management and mitigation
Executive communication and stakeholder alignment
Change management and innovation leadership
Decision making and problem solving
Personal Information
Head of CIO Office/Head of PMO | Enterprise IT Governance Executive | Experienced in Environmental & Regulated Industries
CORE COMPETENCIES & EXPERTISE
- Strategic Leadership: C-Suite Advisory & Executive Support · Portfolio Strategy & Prioritization · Organizational Transformation · Governance Design
- Portfolio Execution: M&A Due Diligence & Integration · Digital Transformation · Large-Scale Program Management · Change Leadership
- Operational Excellence: Global Team Leadership (Onshore/Nearshore/Offshore) · P&L & Budget Oversight · Vendor & Contract Optimization · Enterprise Process Design
- Regulated Industries: Environmental Compliance · Hazardous Waste Operations · Risk Mitigation & Regulatory Adherence · Critical Infrastructure
Certification
- PIM PMP, PMI ACP
Timeline
Head of the Office of the CIO / Head of PMO
Veolia North America
04.2022 - 10.2026Read More
Program Manager / Senior Project Manager
Veolia North America
08.2005 - 04.2022Read More
Global Messaging/Transformation
Johnson Wax Professional - Johnson Diversey
01.1999 - 01.2005Read More
Project Management Consulting
Technology Consulting Corporation - TCC
01.1997 - 01.1999Read More
IT/Project Management Consulting
Entex Information Services
01.1995 - 01.1997Read More