Mark Podella
Global Project Lead
Experience
Global Project Lead
The client’s goal is to migrate the entire Office client environment from Windows 10 to Windows 11 by end of support (Oct. 2025). Creating the project plan and drafting the project brief, budget overview, and required resources. Setting up substreams such as Adoption & Change, Service Process including migration process, Service Definition including SCCM software packaging and build task sequence, Security including client hardening, Application Integration including requirements gathering and demand from power users (key users) in the company.
- Project management, stakeholder management, Project Canvas workshop, design thinking workshops, vendor management, project controlling
Global Project Lead
Implemented a globally available on-prem SIEM system. Onboarded log sources (Windows servers, Linux servers, Windows 10 clients) using SPLUNK Universal Forwarders. Also used distributed syslog collectors at edge sites to forward UDP syslog data over TCP to the centralized SIEM platform.
Implemented tenable.io as the vulnerability service provider. Deployed necessary Nessus agents on Windows servers, Linux servers, and Windows 10 clients. Also set up network scanners for regular network discovery scans in both office and production environments.
- Project management, stakeholder management, Project Canvas workshop, design thinking workshops, vendor management
IT Business Consultant, Facilitator, Project Manager, Change Manager
Conducted several workshops to clarify the global impact of application whitelisting. Integrated the results into an implementation concept as part of the CISO’s security roadmap. Carried out in-depth investigations with experts from the Windows Server, Linux Server, and Windows Client teams, and evaluated processes. Compiled all information into a final implementation concept and presented it to the CISO and IT security managers. The concept was approved and will be integrated into the IT security roadmap.
- Project management, stakeholder management, Project Canvas workshop, design thinking workshops, change management
Consultant
Held several workshops with the client’s main users to develop the concept of a new digital/modern workplace with MS 365.
- Project management, stakeholder management, bottom-up strategy workshops
Project Lead, Consultant
Optimized the MS 365 roadmap together with the client. Managing this stream will help the client deliver M365 products internally on time and within budget.
- Project management, stakeholder management, Project Canvas workshops
Project Manager, Change Manager
Implemented and built a new IT service management department, including recruiting new staff and creating job descriptions in line with COBIT and ITIL frameworks. Created and introduced RACIs, stakeholder management, organizational change management, project management
Project Lead, Consultant
Created the project brief and developed a prototype implementation concept. The client’s global goal is to automate the currently fully manual identity and access management. First, a prototype is built in an agile approach with HR to identify dependencies and clarify underlying business processes.
- Project management, stakeholder management, Project Canvas workshop, design thinking workshops
Project Lead, IT Business Consultant, Change Manager
The client’s goal is to migrate the current endpoint security solution from Symantec to Microsoft. During the project, the technical and organizational solution design was developed and rolled out. In parallel, Microsoft application control—global application whitelisting—was introduced. The challenge was the historically uncontrolled growth of the application landscape.
- Overall project lead, stakeholder management, business consulting on application control
Freelance Consultant
P4IT consulting
Freelance consultant
Change Manager
The Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection has its own specialized applications. After a merger, it inherited significant technical debt that needed addressing.
The goal was to develop an organizational change management concept together with the client. Based on this concept, a follow-up project was launched to implement the change measures and establish a new department.
Project Lead, IT Business Consultant, Change Manager
The client built a new headquarters. The goal was overall management and commissioning of all IT services before staff moved into the new building. A design thinking workshop kicked off to create a comprehensive user story. From that, a 100-point plan was derived and worked through step by step.
External partners and vendors were coordinated along with internal resources. The goal was achieved.
- Stakeholder management, project management, workshop facilitation
Project Lead
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the client began shifting services from on-prem to the Microsoft Cloud. The goal is to help IT staff and end users find optimal and effective ways to work with M365.
- Stakeholder management, project planning including budget/resources, solution design, change/ transformation roadmap
Project Lead
As part of a global unified endpoint management with M365, the goal is to set up an end-to-end zero-touch approach for all end-user devices. Designed and planned the M365 implementation strategy. Prepared the transformation and set up the first projects.
- Stakeholder management, project planning including budget/resources
Project Manager, Change Manager
Designed, planned, and implemented change and communication measures for IT outsourcing.
- Conducting change impact assessments, stakeholder group evaluations, creating personas and user journeys
IT Project Lead, Organizational Change Manager
Oiltanking GmbH
Lead of change and communication within IT for the IT outsourcing initiative
Technical and organizational lead of the Adoption & Change Management subproject during the global M365 rollout (web version)
Project Manager, Change Manager
Subproject lead: Exchange Online—tenant split, migration, and carve-out. Subproject lead: split, migration, and carve-out of the IBM Domino infrastructure.
- Project control, stakeholder management, reporting, managing deliverables, communication with end users and stakeholder groups
Project Lead, Head of Adoption and Change
Planned, evaluated, and implemented various adoption & change formats for users as part of the global M365 rollout, conducted change impact assessments and use-case workshops, stakeholder management, project controlling
Project Lead
Piloted an MVP called Cloudbased Workplace based on M365. Major challenge: connecting Intune-managed clients to the on-prem/legacy infrastructure (Wi-Fi, AD, etc.).
Planned, coordinated, and led the pilot project for M365 introduction, conducted vision work through interviews with the CIO and senior management, stakeholder management, reporting
Project Lead
Conducted interviews (change impact assessments), analyzed findings, prepared objectives, structured the project team. Implemented the Azure landing zone at the organizational level, stakeholder management, project controlling
Project Lead
Planned, coordinated, and conducted a worldwide Microsoft license audit (SAM self-assessment).
Project controlling, change impact assessments, stakeholder analysis and management, risk management, stakeholder management
IT Project Lead
Marquard & Bahls AG
Sustainably implemented adoption & change management within the holding and affiliated companies in software roll-out and change projects
Managed both the technical and organizational aspects of adoption & change management (ACM)
Developed an organizational change-management architecture for the M365 rollout
Stakeholder management, reporting, controlling, team leadership
Conducted change impact assessments (Azure & M365 rollout)
Led the IT master plan (IT strategy) for infrastructure and operations
Led various IT infrastructure projects
Project Lead
Planned, coordinated, and conducted the hardware renewal for SER Doxis 4.
- Project controlling
- Stakeholder management
- Reporting
- Team size: 15
Project Lead, Roll Out Manager
Hospital: planned, coordinated, and executed the new PC workstation setup in the new pediatric UKE building
Project Lead
Bank: planned, coordinated, and executed renewal of Cisco network core and edge components
Head of Project Management Team
Bechtle IT Systemhaus Hamburg
Head of the project management team
Planned, led, controlled, and ensured project goals were met
Change request management
Stakeholder management, reporting/controlling, team leadership
Escalation management
Account Manager
Goetzfried AG
Acquisition and support of major clients in northern Germany, focusing on IT contracting
Sales Manager
tecis Finanzdienstleistungen AG
Sales representative and expert for private health insurance
IT System Merchant Apprentice
soIT GmbH
Apprenticeship as an IT system merchant
Languages
Education
IRBW
Relational/Systemic Consulting · Germany
Hochschule Fresenius
B.Sc. in Business Psychology · Business Psychology · Hamburg, Germany · 1.7
soIT GmbH
IT System Merchant · Lübeck, Germany
Certifications & licenses
Prince2 Project Management Foundation
AXELOS
Prince2 Project Management Practitioner
AXELOS
ITIL v3 (2011)
EXIN
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