Robert Ghavidel

• Leads a team of Technology Architects responsible for technology decisions, governance, and strategy across various domains and portfolios
• These include the Enterprise Application Services Portfolio (document management, business process management, digital content management technologies), the brand portfolio (marketing, data analytics, corporate communication, social and member feedback technologies), and the Member Digital Platforms (Mobile, Web, Digital Experience, and Member Profile Management)
• I’ve cultivated trusting relationships with key leaders for each portfolio, managing through challenging times and transforming difficult relationships into smoother ones
• I’ve also improved the overall operational efficiency within the cloud review process
• By implementing a new approach, we were able to reduce the cycle time by an impressive 82%
• Additionally, I collaborated with over 14 partners across the enterprise to ensure that we were still managing risk effectively despite the proposed changes
• Furthermore, I’ve enhanced operational efficiency by standardizing reporting periods and adding necessary metadata for report enrichment in the Tech Decisions application and processes
• This has resulted in a significant improvement in user experience and a reduction in the cycle time for producing reports by 91%
• I’ve also spearheaded the automation of technology decision processes and reporting, which has further improved user experience and reduced the cycle time for producing reports by an additional 91%
• In addition to these achievements, I’ve led an effort to map the contract management system to Tech portfolio management applications, which has resulted in reduced waste and increased efficiency in both application and contract management
• I’ve consistently maintained a high engagement score for all of my direct reports, with an average satisfaction rating of over 85% year over year
• Lastly, I’ve been responsible for all Financial Management in our organization, successfully achieving all financial targets for each of the years I’ve held this responsibility

• Led the USAA Data Platform teams, comprising over 80 engineers, as the leader of the leaders responsible for engineering data platform capabilities for the entire USAA enterprise
• Under my guidance, a $13 million investment budget was allocated to enhance technology and oversee the delivery of advanced capabilities that propelled our data cloud journey forward for the enterprise
• I spearheaded the team’s efforts to deliver top-priority, enterprise-wide capabilities that aligned with compliance guidelines for sensitive data management, metadata capture, and information quality
• Additionally, I developed a comprehensive strategy and plan to phase out the legacy Netezza appliances and transition to modernized cloud data technology, Snowflake
• I collaborated closely with the Enterprise, Bank, and P&C delivery teams and stakeholders throughout this process
• Assessed expected technical challenges and developed proactive solutions.
• Directed resource allocation efforts, maximizing utilization while minimizing overhead costs.
• Oversaw hiring processes for technical roles; attracted top talent through targeted recruitment strategies.
• Championed continuous improvement initiatives, identifying areas for process optimization across multiple departments.

• Directed all aspects of Tech Data Services Infrastructure and Reporting and Analytics Infrastructure, supporting over 14K users with a $4M annual operating budget and a $10M+ annual investment budget
• Oversaw a 15-person Data Services team, delivering components and support infrastructure for tools that enhanced data movement and data management capabilities to the enterprise
• Introduced real-time data processing capabilities and implemented data pipeline support for real-time batch processing and embedded practices and procedures
• Led engineers who delivered and supported the platforms enabling data delivery, data management, and governance to the enterprise
• Served as primary decision-maker for internal technology spending, creating budget guidelines to reduce waste and decrease unnecessary upgrades.

• Collaborated with clients to define project specifications and scope for technical architecture projects, ensuring accountability for up to $15 million in investments for architectural improvements, design solutions, and integrations for data domain programs
• Oversaw the implementation of the overall Big Data strategy, architecture, vision, technology standards, and guidance
• Made critical technology decisions for enterprise data technologies related to data management, data movement, data store domains, and persistence for the analytics space
• Developed the strategy and direction to introduce and leverage big data technologies, creating the vision and standards for USAA’s big data processes and tools
• Obtained a patent for securing big data with the number 8,997,248 for USAA
• Spearheaded technology evaluation efforts, selecting appropriate tools for various projects based on specific requirements.
• Managed stakeholder expectations by maintaining regular communication and providing project status updates.
• Mentored junior team members, providing guidance on technical challenges and fostering professional growth.
• Championed a culture of innovation within the team by encouraging experimentation with new techniques or methodologies that had the potential to drive improvements in warehouse efficiency or effectiveness.
• Prepared functional and technical documentation.

• Managed the Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse technical teams, maturing the data warehouse and BI program within a $2M-$18M investment budget
• Under my leadership, the budget grew from $400K to $3M, the team expanded from 4 to 15 engineers, and we enabled up to 500 data warehouse consumers
• I also developed the capabilities to deliver reports presented to the SEC when the company went public
• Provided strong leadership to enhance team productivity and morale.
• Implemented and developed operational standards, policies and procedures.
• Established strong relationships with clients and stakeholders, ensuring long-term partnerships and repeat business.
• Collaborated closely with peers from other departments to drive organizational success jointly as one cohesive unit.
• Consistently met or exceeded annual performance targets set by senior leadership.
• Managed large-scale projects and introduced new systems, tools, and processes to achieve challenging objectives.

I held various technical positions, including Senior Technical Consultant, Senior Analyst, and Database Conversion Programmer, in the Oil & Gas and Retail Energy industries.

• Implemented data-driven decision-making processes, improving overall project success rates.
• Assisted with the migration of legacy systems to modern platforms, ensuring minimal disruption to business operations during the transition process.
• Optimized data warehouse performance by implementing efficient ETL processes and data cleansing techniques.
• Incorporated data validation procedures to catch errors early in the ETL process, reducing the risk of incorrect information being propagated throughout the system.
• Revamped outdated ETL processes for faster execution times without compromising data quality or integrity.
• Troubleshot complex issues related to data retrieval, performance bottlenecks, and system stability, ensuring the rapid resolution of problems and minimizing downtime for endusers.
• Streamlined ETL processes, resulting in faster data ingestion and improved overall efficiency of the system.
• Designed data models for complex analysis needs.
• Generated customized architecture specifically optimized for several database technologies.
• Mapped data between source systems and warehouses.